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"Should You Be Afraid of The Food Safety and Modernization Act?"

By: Patrick Jarkowsky

Posted: 4/28/09

You may not have heard about this issue in the corporate media, and even if you did, a bill titled the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2009 would have probably sounded reasonable to you. But considering deceptively named Bush-era programs such as the Clear Skies Initiative and No Child Left Behind, it is understandable that many people were just itching to find fault with this proposed legislation.

When I first read about this bill, House Resolution 875 (H.R. 875), I was alarmed. I was ready to take action. I was ready to spend my own money printing flyers and post cards. I was ready to post links on Facebook and every other message board I could find. I was ready to visit every organic grocer and farmers market in the tri-state area, urging all vendors to spread the message about the evils of H.R. 875. But first, being the political nerd that I am, I insisted upon reading the entire bill.

Needless to say, I'm glad I saved my time, my money, and my reputation!

In the non-corporate media, I was reading and hearing so many scary "facts" about H.R. 875. Liberal activists were insisting that the rightfully despised Monsanto Company, one of the world's largest agribusinesses, was a major proponent of this legislation. Being a consumer of organic foods and an advocate for small farms, farmers markets, food co-ops, and the local foods movement, I was naturally suspicious of any legislation that had Monsanto's seal of approval. Then I heard that the Congresswoman who sponsored this legislation, Connecticut's Rosa DeLauro (D), was married to a former lobbyist for Monsanto. I was furious!

These liberal activists were spinning tales of a nation stripped of all its small, organic farms. They were frightening every reader and listener with the possibility of small farmers being imprisoned for not complying with federal regulations. They were insisting that all small farmers would have to pay exorbitant amounts in registrations fees and equipment modernization fees, further shrinking their already miniscule profits. They were even insisting that individuals who grow vegetables in their own backyards would have to register with the federal government or risk paying fines upwards of $1 million. They were making outrageous claims, and for a moment, I believed every single word.

After reading the entire text of the bill, I could not substantiate any of these claims. There is no provision for the imprisonment of uncooperative small farmers. There is no $1 million fine for backyard gardeners. Sure, there are new regulations that need to be followed, but none of these regulations promote genetically modified foods or criminalize organic farming methods. As for fees associated with following the bill's new regulatory standards, the bill itself makes mention on several occasions that the federal government should and must assist small businesses during the transition period.

While I don't agree with every aspect of H.R. 875, there is nothing outrageous in this bill. It is, quite simply, a bill whose sole aim is to promote food safety and modernization. And for the record, Rep. DeLauro's husband has never worked as a lobbyist for Monsanto. He's a pollster who works for a company that, more than a decade ago, counted Monsanto as one of its clients.

The fact is, Monsanto is probably spending a great deal of time and money combating H.R. 875. After all, the recent outbreaks of food-born bacteria have been found in foodstuffs produced by large agribusinesses, such as Monsanto, and their equally despicable subcontractors. The new, more stringent regulations in H.R. 875 would force large agribusinesses to spend more money, and unlike small farmers, the federal government will not provide transition relief for corporate farms.

The lesson to be learned from my experience with H.R. 875 is simple; don't believe everything you read or hear. If an issue in the news grabs your attention, do your own research. Do not simply trust your first source.

As a generation that has almost instantaneous access to the Internet, libraries, book stores, Lexis-Nexis, etc, we have tools and resources at our fingertips that those before us could not even imagine. So do your own research, question what you hear, and stay informed.