Farm Bureau Seeks Full Withdrawal of Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 14, 2017 – The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “The American Farm Bureau thanks Secretary Perdue for delaying the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule. The health and well-being of livestock is a top priority for all farmers and ranchers. We work with a host of specialists, from animal scientists to nutritionists, to manage our farms in the best manner possible to ensure wholesome, healthy food. This rule, on the other hand, has been about pushing an agenda rather than advancing food safety or animal welfare. Animal welfare metrics do not meet the original intent of the Organic Production Act. “Organic farmers and ranchers would be forced out of the organic sector or out of business entirely if this rule goes into effect and forces them to arbitrarily change their production practices. We hope that as the Agriculture Department reviews this rule, it will conclude, as we have, that the rule is an act of federal overreach and should be withdrawn.”

More than 1 Million People Call on Department of Justice to Block Bayer-Monsanto Merger

Proposed merger threatens the diversity and availability of seeds Washington, DC — Today, more than 1 million petition signatures were delivered to the U.S. Department of Justice calling on the department to block the proposed merger of Bayer (BAYN) and Monsanto (MON). The petition was signed by concerned farmers and consumers. If the Bayer-Monsanto merger is approved, 77 percent of the corn seed in America would be controlled by two companies, Bayer-Monsanto and Dow-DuPont. The new company would be the world’s largest vegetable seed company, world’s largest cottonseed company, world’s largest manufacturer and seller of herbicides, the world’s largest owner of intellectual property/patents for herbicide tolerant traits. “This merger threatens the diversity and independence of the world’s seed supply,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of Center for Food Safety. “With this ownership, these corporations have the power to limit the distribution, and control the price, of thousands of seeds. This consolidation threatens the livelihood of farmers and puts our food supply at risk.” More than 1 million Americans signed petitions calling on the Department of Justice to block the Bayer-Monsanto merger. Petitions were collected by Action Aid, Avaaz, Center for Food Safety, Clif Bar Family Foundation/Seed Matters, CREDO, Food and Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Organic Consumers Association, Organic Seed Alliance, Pesticide Action Network North America, Rural Advancement Foundation International, Sierra Club and SumOfUS. In response to the current consolidation of the world’s seed supply, Center for Food Safety has created a peer-to-peer seed sharing website, the Global Seed Network, aimed at maintaining the diversity and independence of the world’s seed supply and giving the power of growing seeds back to the people.