USDA DEMANDADA POR PRODUCTORES ORGÁNICOS
PRODUCTORES DEMANDAN AL USDA POR EL DIRECTORIO DE ALIMENTOS ORGÁNICOS (por ROSE BOUBOUSHIAN,
Courthouse News Service, Abr. 20, 2016) - (ENGLISH VERSION BELOW:
(CN) — Las autoridades de aplicación federales atentan contra la integridad
de los estándares orgánicos al designar individuos no calificados al NOSB (Directorio
Nacional de Estándares Orgánicos) para decidir qué es “orgánico”, demandan los
productores en una querella federal.
El Instituto Cornucopia - un grupo de educación agrícola compuesto por
miles de productores orgánicos y consumidores – y dos de sus miembros elevaron
la demanda el lunes pasado (18/4/2016) contra el USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
y el Secretario de Agricultura, Tom Vilsack, en Madison, Wisconsin.
Cornucopia acusa a los demandados de “designar individuos no calificados al
NOSB (National Organic Standards Board)", un comité de 15 miembros que
asesora al USDA sobre cómo implementar el Acta de Producción de Alimentos
Orgánicos de 1990 y que mantiene la lista nacional de sustancias sintéticas y
naturales permitidas o prohibidas en la producción de alimentos rotulados como
"USDA organic", dicen los acusadores.
"El pueblo Norteamericano tiene el derecho de confiar que los
alimentos certificados como orgánicos se encuentren libres de sustancias
sintéticas investigadas en forma inapropiada o inadecuada y que no se ajustan al
[Organic Foods Production Act] OFPA," dice la demanda.
"El USDA no cumple con su responsabilidad y desnaturaliza sus
obligaciones legales al designar para el [National Organic Standards Board]
NOSB a individuos que violan los requisitos de constitución del [Organic Foods
Production Act]”, continúa diciendo la demanda. Las designaciones inapropiadas “privan
a los miembros de Cornucopia que aplicaron a esas designaciones de su derecho a
un proceso justo de nombramientos”, se quejan los demandantes.
“El manoseo ilegal del USDA en la composición y
reglas que regulan al [Board] NOSB dieron lugar a la creación de un [Board]
NOSB hostil a los intereses del público para cuya defensa fuera creado”,
declaran los demandantes.
La cuádruple demanda también acusa de violaciones
al Federal Advisory Committee Act (Acta del Comité Federal Asesor).
------------------------------------------------
FARMERS SUE USDA OVER ORGANIC
FOOD BOARD (By ROSE BOUBOUSHIAN
Courthouse News Service, Apr. 20, 2016)
(CN) — Federal regulators undermined the integrity of
food standards by appointing unqualified individuals to decide what is
"organic," farmers claim in a federal complaint.
The Cornucopia Institute, an agriculture education
public interest group of thousands of organic farmers and consumers, and two of
its members filed the complaint Monday against the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Madison, Wisconsin.
Cornucopia accuses the defendants of "appointing unqualified individuals to the National Organic Standards Board," a 15-member committee that advises the USDA on how to implement the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act.
The board develops the national list of synthetic and natural substances that are allowed or prohibited in the production of "USDA organic"- labeled food, the plaintiffs say.
Cornucopia accuses the defendants of "appointing unqualified individuals to the National Organic Standards Board," a 15-member committee that advises the USDA on how to implement the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act.
The board develops the national list of synthetic and natural substances that are allowed or prohibited in the production of "USDA organic"- labeled food, the plaintiffs say.
"The American people have a right to trust
that food certified as organic is free of inappropriate or inadequately
reviewed synthetic substances that do not comport with the [Organic Foods
Production Act] OFPA," the complaint states.
"USDA has failed this responsibility and has shirked its legal obligations by appointing individuals to the [National Organic Standards Board] NOSB that violate the [Organic Foods Production Act's] OFPA's board composition requirements," the complaint continues.
The improper appointments "deprive Cornucopia's members who applied for these appointments and were rejected of the right to a fair appointment process," the plaintiffs claim.
"USDA has failed this responsibility and has shirked its legal obligations by appointing individuals to the [National Organic Standards Board] NOSB that violate the [Organic Foods Production Act's] OFPA's board composition requirements," the complaint continues.
The improper appointments "deprive Cornucopia's members who applied for these appointments and were rejected of the right to a fair appointment process," the plaintiffs claim.
The USDA's
"unlawful meddling with the composition and rules governing the [Board]
NOSB has created a [Board] NOSB hostile to the public interests it was created
to protect," the complaint states.
The four-count
complaint also asserts violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/04/20/farmers-sue-usda-over-organic-food-board.htm
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