Re: organic standards
Sal Schettino (sals@rain.org)
Tue, 03 Dec 1996 14:12:53 -0800
A
>
>In several previous posts Sal expressed his understanding that he would
>have to pay a "tax" to the Federal government under the new standards. To
>my understanding he would not need to. In his case CCOF could still be his
>certifier, but CCOF's standards would need to at least meet the standards
>set in the National Organic Program ( NOP) which may some day come from the
>USDA. Sal would just write one check. To what degree CCOF's costs would go
>up because of the NOP we can only guess. The same scenario would take place
>here in Oregon with OregonTilth. And I do strongly resent not being trusted
>by people just as Sal resents it.
>
>>ciao
>>bill
>
>
>
>David DeCou
>93780 River Road
>Junction City, OR
> 97448
>541 998-2110
>
>david_d@efn.org
>QUESTION AUTHORITY
>ACT RESPONSIBLY.
>
>
>
sorry Bill but I think you don't know how this works . In Ca. we ask the
state to enforce the laws on the books and what they did instead is tax
every organic farmer and take a percent of what we sell. They told us the
same story about how this was going to help us organic farmers and instead
we just have another person to pay off to sell organic and every year they
will tax organic farming. You are wrong if you think the USDA is not
going to also add a tax on top of the state tax. The USDA is keeping it a
secret but there will be user fees and accreditation of certifiers fees and
the farmer will have to pay them all. Organic food will be taxed 2 3 maybe
4 times . The farmer will have to pay, the certifier will have to pay, and
processor will have to pay,the handlers will have to pay etc. The
certifiers are non profit so they will pass their tax on to the farmer plus
his fed. user tax and state organic tax plus you will have to pay an
inspector and the guy that calls the inspector up plus pay them all to read
your extra paper work etc. There are going to be fees David there always
is. I have seen this thing from the start and everyone that comes up with
a standard makes the poor farmer pay. Its is time for the USDA to tell the
truth what are they going tax the organic farmer to sell his stuff as
organic .
lift the veil of secrecy and tell us what it is going to cost the farmer
and the certifier and the processor etc all of which the farmer will also
have to pay. They said the standards will be posted in June it is now Dec.
Join us as we watch the organic standards move from bureaucratic limbo to
bureaucratic hell and check out the organic farmer food tax making organic
food even higher to buy at the store and forcing many small organic farmers
out of business. If I am wrong and there will not be a tax or fee or what
ever they want to call it from the USDA I am sorry but I know how this game
works. We have already been burned by the state of Ca. Organic farming
is big business now and it time to push the small farmer out of the way. I
have already been told if you cannot afford the organic food tax maybe you
should not label your produce as organic Sal after all its voluntary. These
folks are rude,rude,rude. I don't go on their job and kick the shovel out
of their hand. The big fish eating the little fish. And the band plays on.
An Organic farming homepage
http://www.rain.org/~sals/my.html
sals@rain.org