Producing safe food is a priority for organic and conventional producers alike. All farming and food processing must comply with local, state, and federal safety standards. In addition, organic food must meet the strict standards of the USDA National Organic Program.
The organic community has been actively engaged in dialogues surrounding the most appropriate policies for producing safe food while ensuring that food safety standards are implementable by organic farmers of all types and sizes.
The Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law by President Obama in early January 2011. This law covers the broad-reaching measures aimed at preventing outbreaks of foodborne illness. While there were a number of controversial aspects of the law, the details of what it means for farmers will be determined when the final rule is published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Also in question is the amount of funds congress will appropriate to implement the new bill. CCOF will continue to monitor this process to ensure organic farmers are addressed fairly by these regulations.
Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements (LGMA) are sets of “Good Agricultural Practices” (GAP) for farmers growing spinach, lettuce, and other leafy greens for salad processors. Both California and Arizona have Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements and a National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement has been proposed by the USDA but not yet finalized. The California agreement was created in 2007 in response to an outbreak of E. coli. With oversight from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the LGMA verifies that farmers follow accepted food safety practices through government audits. Although it is a voluntary set of standards, many retailers require enrollment in the program. There has been some concern that some of the practices in the California LGMA are in opposition to goals of conservation and protection of wildlife habitat.
CCOF monitors and updates our members about food safety laws and regulations that may impact their operations. We strongly encourage members to weigh in as the FDA develops and implements standards. In addition to our policy work, CCOF provides valuable food safety training through our Foundation programs and offers GLOBALG.A.P. certifications for organic farmers.