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May 19, 2015
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Holli Cederholm,  207. 809. 7530

 

OSGATA Membership Overwhelmingly Votes To Oppose Industry's Organic Check-off  

 

Organic Farmers and Seed Companies Make Clear They Reject Proposed Mandatory Tax on Organic Producers


 

Washington, ME, May 19, 2015 - A just-concluded major referendum by the membership of the organic seed industry leader, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA), showed overwhelming opposition to the "Organic Check-off" proposed by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Significantly, not a single vote was cast in favor of the Organic Check-off and its mandatory tax.

 

The OSGATA membership, comprised of certified organic farmers, seed companies, seed professionals, and affiliate organizations, is concerned that the proposed Organic Check-off will follow suit of other check-off programs in favoring large corporate businesses instead of small-scale family farmers and ranchers.

  

Last week, OTA, in collaboration with the GRO Organic Core Committee, formally petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to initiate a vote and requisite steps for implementing the proposed Organic Check-off program. The petition is made possible by a provision in the 2014 Farm Bill, but is still pending review by USDA for compliance with the Generic Research and Promotion Act. The Organic Check-off's stated purpose, as lobbied by OTA, is to promote the organic industry while also funding gaps in organic research.

 

Many in the organic community, including OSGATA members, are concerned that this mandatory national tax on organic producers and its resulting marketing strategy will favor the interests of large-scale producers, processors and retailers in the organic industry and make it more difficult for family-scale farmers to compete.

 

Other USDA Check-off mandatory tax programs have a history of restrictive promotion guidelines, further burdened by heavy bureaucracy, collections harassment, and lack of financial accountability. There is little confidence the proposed Organic Check-off will operate differently than other generic commodity check-off programs.

 

 

Bryce Stephens, Stephens Land and Cattle, KS.

 

"The proposed Organic Check-off will not serve the interests of organic family farmers," said fourth-generation Kansas farmer and certified organic seed grower Bryce Stephens, OSGATA Vice-President. "Our family has had experience with Wheat, Beef and Dairy Check-off programs. I encourage organic farmers to educate yourselves on the issue and reject the OTA proposal."

 

Organic farmers or organizations opposed to the Organic Check-off proposal may add their names to the No Organic Check-off website

 

OSGATA has a strong commitment to protecting the interests of organic farmers, as is demonstrated by its role as lead plaintiff in the landmark OSGATA et al. v. Monsanto lawsuit which sought to protect family farmers who, through no fault of their own, may have become contaminated by Monsanto's patented genetically engineered seed and find themselves accused of patent infringement.

 

Additionally, in 2014, in an effort to further defend organic farmers from unwanted transgenic (GE) trespass, OSGATA published and distributed 5,000 hard copies of the scientifically peer-reviewed guide, Protecting Organic Seed Integrity - The Organic Farmer's Handbook to GE Avoidance and Testing to organic farmers across the country. Free downloads are available here.

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Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association 

 

OSGATA is a farmer-controlled national non-profit membership trade organization of certified organic farmers, certified organic seed companies, organic seed professionals, affiliate organizations and individuals dedicated to the advancement of certified organic seed. OSGATA is committed to protecting, promoting and developing the organic seed trade and its growers, thereby assuring that the organic community has access to excellent quality certified organic seed, free of genetic contaminants and adapted to the diverse needs of local organic agriculture. 

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PO Box 362 Washington, ME 04574
207. 809. 7530  ǀ  [email protected]  ǀ  www.osgata.org