By Congressman Joe Pitts

Our part of Pennsylvania has been known for more than two centuries for its remarkably productive soil.  It is no surprise, then, that we have one of the highest concentrations of organic and natural farms in America.  Converting a farm from conventional production to organic production is no small commitment, but it is one that more and more local farms a making.  The demand for organic food has exploded in recent years, and local farmers are stepping up to the plate to meet the demand.  Large farms, small farms, Amish farms and “English” farms are all part of the diversity of farmers who are part of the organic food movement here.

My family eats and drinks organic products because we want the best for ourselves, our kids, and our grandchildren.  We prefer food to be natural whenever possible.  I think it’s great that consumers finally have this kind of choice and it is important that we remember how big organic farming has become to the agriculture industry in the 16th District.
   
One of the other important parts of the organic food movement is the emergence of backyard gardens.  Many people are finding they can grow fruits and vegetables at home, where they know what they are cultivating is fresh, safe, and organic.  It allows for the produce to be picked and eaten at its freshest point.  This is one of the reasons my wife and I have had our own backyard garden in order to grow fruits and vegetables for use in our kitchen. I even had my own compost pile in my back yard to use as natural fertilizer for our garden.

Recently, a bill was introduced in Congress that many believe may threaten the burgeoning organic industry and the growing popularity of backyard organic gardens. The Food Safety Modernization Act, H.R. 875, was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) in February.
H.R. 875 would establish a new Food Safety Administration (FSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services and task it with ensuring our nation’s food supply is safe.  It would strip any responsibility relating to food safety from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and rename it the Federal Drug and Device Administration.

The bill has created consternation within the organic community.  Many people believe it may result in the outlawing of natural fertilizer and that it may allow federal authorities to regulate even your own backyard gardens.

Rep. DeLauro, in a page on her website, attempts to debunk these “myths” with an explanation that “there is no language in the bill” that would do either of these things.  The problem is her bill was written with very little language that describes what it will actually do.  Worse, it contains no protections whatsoever for organic farming.

What it does instead is create the new FSA and then require it to come up with a host of regulations relating to food safety.  The bill defers key decisions to the new agency, and no one actually knows what the FSA will come up with.  That is what happens when you provide only general directives and hand the details over to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats.  There is a plausible scenario where the FSA could decide that natural fertilizer poses a risk to food safety and ban it.  This would deal a great blow to organic farming, which uses manure as an organic fertilizer.

Additionally, DeLauro’s bill does not bother to define the size of the food production facility that the FSA would have jurisdiction over.  Currently, the FDA only regulates food production facilities that produce at least $1,000 of goods per year.  This protects backyard gardens from federal authorities showing up at your house and declaring your garden illegal.
 
DeLauro is factually correct in saying that the bill does not contain language which would outlaw organic fertilizer or allow federal authorities to shut down your garden, but the bill is so loosely written that it would be out of her hands to decide these things.
 
Simply put, this bill is poorly written.  Congress is tasked with making laws because we are elected by and accountable to our constituents.  Bureaucrats at federal agencies are not.  It is irresponsible to draw up a bill that requires a new federal agency to regulate food, but not provide any instructions as to what that means.

The government does need to make sure the food we eat is safe, and I support the government’s efforts to do so.  But I cannot support a bill that would put organic farming at risk.

Congressman Joe Pitts represents the 16^th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

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