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 Seed Shorts
 January 22, 2010 | |
Brown Victory Means More to Senate Agenda than Just Health Care Reform Rewrite
With Senator-elect Scott Brown's (R, MA) upset victory this week - putting the so-called "Kennedy seat" in Republican hands for the first time in nearly 60 years - the shift in the congressional agenda means more than just a rewrite of the highly controversial health care reform package, it means procedural and political challenges to a host of Democrat and White House priorities in the 111th Congress as Brown's positions on various issues emerge.
President Obama has already publicly acknowledged the need to go back to the drawing board and rewrite health care reform so it reflects a far narrower, more focused and less expensive approach, and several moderate Democrats have called on Sen. Harry Reid (D, NV), Senate Majority Leader to withhold all further action on health care until Brown is sworn in. Brown ran as a moderate independent under the GOP banner, a self-described fiscal conservative who said the economy is his first priority given Massachusetts is grappling with 17% unemployment. This signals a possible shift to an omnibus jobs bill that will carry heavy spending, but one the Senate Democrats will have to ensure garners sufficient conservative GOP support to pass.
Heading for the scrap heap is so-called "card check" legislation, a union priority in that it would make organizing of non-union workplaces far easier by allowing a simple majority of workers to sign "preference cards" to unionize. Shortly after the election, the AFL-CIO told Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, Brown's election likely kills "card check" given the opposition by rank and file Republicans and a handful of moderate and conservative Democrats in the Senate. The loss of the filibuster-proof 60-vote majority by the Democrats also signals climate change legislation carrying a cap-and-trade component is in even greater jeopardy.
Also questionable is immigration reform legislation, at least in the form the Obama Administration has pushed which would include a path-to-citizenship/amnesty component. It is also expected Brown will be a friendly ear when it comes to food safety reform efforts, particularly since the Senate effort up to now has remained bipartisan. On the reregulation of financial markets, Brown's election may mean new life for this initiative.
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Seven New Members Selected for National Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee
Madison, Wisconsin - January 20, 2010 -- After a two month application submission and review period, Leonardo Academy announces the appointment of seven new members to the SCS-001
Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee:
Steve Flick, Show Me Energy Cooperative (Producer)
Bill Norman, National Cotton Council (User)
Kindley Walsh Lawlor, Gap Inc. (User)
Andrew Manale, Soil and Water Conservation Society/ USEPA (Environmentalist)
LaRhea Pepper, Organic Exchange (Environmentalist)
Dr. John Fagan, Earth Open Source/Global ID Group Inc. (Environmentalist)
Douglas Constance, Sam Houston State University (General Interest)
These individuals will be filling seats vacated by Hans Brand of B&H Flowers, Frans Wielemaker of Dole Fresh Fruit International, Colleen Kohlsaat of Levi Strauss & Company, Suzy Friedman of Environmental Defense Fund, Ron Strochlic of the California Institute of Rural Studies, David Pimentel of Cornell University and John Kukoly of QAI-SAI Global. Leonardo Academy received 20 new applications for this round of Committee selections, bringing the total applicant pool to 140. "With each round of Committee openings," Leonardo Academy President, Michael Arny, said, "the experience and expertise among the applicants with regard to sustainable agriculture issues becomes more and more pronounced, as does the overlap in stakeholder interests. Above all, our objective is always to maintain a balance of interests across the four stakeholder categories, as well as a diversity of perspectives, expertise and sector representation within each category."
"While seats on the Standards Committee are coveted," Arny continued, "the importance of subcommittee and observer participation cannot be overestimated. The contribution of non-Committee members has been incredibly valuable to both the Subcommittee work and previous Task Force work and will continue to play a critical role for the duration of the process." The objective of the National Sustainable Agriculture Standard initiative is to establish a comprehensive, continual improvement framework and common set of economic, environmental and social metrics by which to determine whether an agricultural crop has been produced in a sustainable manner. With participation from a broad diversity of stakeholders from across the entire agricultural supply chain, this historic effort has the potential to strengthen all types of agricultural production in the U.S., in addition to rural communities and the ability of those communities to positively impact the environment, through science-based, performance-oriented criteria that meet the goals of sustainability.
Amanda Raster, Sustainable Agriculture Standard Project Manager, said, "As we move into the next phase of the standards-setting process, which will focus primarily on criteria development and indicator and metrics identification, expertise and input outside of the Committee will be essential. We encourage all process participants to reach out to their constituents and continue to engage them in this important work." To sign up for the subcommittees, apply for observer status, learn more about participating in the public review and comment process or to join the Sustainable Agriculture Standard email list, contact Amanda Raster at Leonardo Academy: amanda@leonardoacademy.org, (608) 280-0255.
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About the SCS-001 Standards Committee
The 58-member Standards Committee is in the process of developing a national standard for sustainable agriculture (SCS-001) under the rules of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The Committee consists of a skilled, diverse membership representing a broad range of perspectives from across all areas of agriculture, including commodity producers, specialty crop producers, agricultural product processors, food distributors, food retailers, environmental organizations, labor organizations and industry trade associations, as well as government representatives, academics, regulators and certifiers. Leonardo Academy is the ANSI-accredited standards development organization that is providing facilitation and process support for the SCS-001 standard development initiative.
About Leonardo Academy
Leonardo Academy is a charitable organization dedicated to advancing sustainability by leveraging innovative tools and information to motivate the competitive market. By utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability education and implementation, we strive to make sustainability practical for everyone. We develop integrative sustainability solutions designed to enhance the environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic prosperity of organizations, corporations and individuals. We envision a world filled with sustainable opportunities that can transform the way we live today and ensure the prosperity of future generations.
Leonardo Academy
Amanda Raster
Sustainability Standards Development Project Manager
608-280-0255
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CSA Participates In World Ag Expo
February 9-11 ~ Tulare, CA
World Ag Expo, held in Tulare, California, on the second week of February is the world's largest annual agricultural exposition. Stop by and see your association team members. We will be in the Dairy Center at booth 6535.
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CBS Producing News Segments on Antibiotics on the Farm
Producers for CBS News anchor Katie Couric have been traveling the Midwest and New England the past month, gathering interviews and footage for a planned two-part report on antibiotic use in agriculture, scheduled to air likely next week. It's known that both conventional and organic swine and poultry producers have been interviewed, and CBS sent a crew to Denmark to cover the "Danish experience."
However, it appears based on reports from interview subjects the report is designed to demonize the practice and will likely bear a strong resemblance to the rhetoric of activist groups, including the Pew Commission on Industrial Food Production and the Union of Concerned Scientists. At one point, CBS producers approached a number of feed companies seeking permission to film inside feed plants and all companies refused permission.
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EPA Plans New Stormwater, CAFO Rules
New, stricter stormwater runoff and confined animal feed operation (CAFO) regulations are expected out of EPA as a result of its Chesapeake Bay initiative. Using the Chesapeake Bay as its showpiece, the agency will draft rules, expected to be proposed by 2012, that will define more farms and ranches as CAFOs, while making regulations on the land application of manure tougher, said Administrator Lisa Jackson. While some of the rule will be Chesapeake Bay specific, the proposed regulations will carry national impact by streamlining the process by which a farm is designated a CAFO and by applying new rules to manure that is transported off site as a means of strengthening manure management and reduce nutrient loading. States which adopt programs which achieve the same EPA goal will not be subject to the new rules, Jackson said.
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Secretary Kawamura Welcomes More Than $13 Million in Farm Bill Funding For California
SACRAMENTO - January 20, 2010 - The USDA has announced more than $13 million in funding for California invasive species programs - part of a $45 million nationwide allocation made possible by the 2008 Farm Bill.
"This is money that we'll be able to use right away in our fight to protect California from invasive species," said CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura. "I want to thank Congress and USDA Secretary Vilsack for their roles in providing this funding. They're our partners in protecting the environment and the food supply."
Among the projects funded are: parcel inspection dogs at shipping facilities - more than $3 million; high-risk pest detection - more than $6 million; and a statewide survey for European grapevine moth - more than $332,000.
The USDA provided the funding for cooperators around the country working on pest and disease management and disaster prevention. Next steps for CDFA will be the development of formal work plans and the finalization of cooperative agreements with the USDA.
The California projects will help support the Farm Bill goal of building strong systems to safeguard the health of the environment and food supply using early plant pest detection and surveillance, threat identification, and mitigation.
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EPA to Reject Some Chemical Confidentiality Claims
Administrator Lisa Jackson, as part of her "commitment to strengthen and reform chemical management", said this week EPA will grant the public greater access to information on chemicals, and as of January 21, will reject confidentiality claims known as Confidential Business Information (CBI) on the identity of the chemicals. Affected chemicals are those that are submitted to the agency with studies showing "substantial risk" to human health and the environment and have been disclosed on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Inventory. Jackson said this is just one of her planned initiatives to "increase transparency of chemical information. Details can be found at www.epa.gov/oppt/tsca8e/.
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Climate Change/Cap-and-Trade Sinking, as Senate Turns to Energy Bill Option; Aggies Support Senate, House Action to Override EPA Rulemaking
As nearly 140 ag groups formally notified the Senate of their opposition to EPA greenhouse gas (GHG) rulemaking, this week several Senators, led by retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan (D, ND), began openly discussing shifting away from the pending Senate climate change bill, with its cap-and-trade component, to legislation dealing with broad U.S. energy policy, including more exploration and drilling, loan programs and tax incentives for new, clean technologies that will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions without the arbitrary restrictions of Hill legislation or EPA regulation.
At the same time, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R, AK) introduced her congressional oversight resolution with 37 cosponsors, including Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D, AR), chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Lincoln, facing a very tough reelection battle this fall, said "I am very concerned about the burden that EPA regulation of carbon emissions could put on our economy and I have questions about the actual benefit EPA regulations would have on our environment."
Earlier in the week, 137 agriculture groups, including the American Feed Industry Assn. and National Grain & Feed Assn., signed a letter supporting Murkowski's efforts, with a similar document going to all members of the House. Many of the groups represent states from which moderate Democrats have been elected and are likely to get more attention in the wake of the election of Sen.-elect Scott Brown (R, MA). Among those Democrats mentioned as potential supporters are Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D, MI), Jim Webb (D, VA), Mary Landrieu (D, LA), Ben Nelson (D, NE) and Dorgan. The resolution needs only 51 votes for approval, and is the first step in a bid to get Congress to stop EPA's wide-ranging endangerment finding and pending rulemaking on C02 emissions. Murkowski is looking at bringing her resolution to the floor on its own, having ditched plans to offer an amendment to the debt ceiling bill set for consideration this week.
Similar efforts are afoot in the House, led by Rep. Joe Barton (R, TX) and Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D, ND). While the odds are getting better the Murkowski resolution could pass the Senate, it would face a very tough battle in the House, and if enacted, almost a certain Obama veto.
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Major DC Business Groups Consider Suing EPA on Emissions Rules
Several major business associations in Washington have met to discuss a possible collective legal challenge to EPA's rulemaking, including the hiring of a single law firm to represent industry, but no agenda or priority list has been set given EPA has not finalized its rulemaking, according to reports this week. While not all of the groups oppose federal efforts to curb GHG emissions, they do agree a legislative fix is preferable to a regulatory scheme. Groups included in the DC meeting were the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Chemistry Council, the American Petroleum Institute, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, the American Public Power Association and the Edison Electric Institute, along with about 12 other groups.
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APRIL 25-28, 2010 ~ CSA Annual Convention - Resort At Squaw Creek
MAY 11, 2010 ~ Seed Industry Conference - Stanislaus Ag Center, Modesto, CA
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