Cornucopia Continues Commitment to NOSB Reporting & Testimony

VIROQUA, Wis., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based organic food and farm policy research group, is focused on our collective health, access to clean, nutrient-dense food, and the livelihoods of farmers who produce organic food and contribute to the health of the planet.

Asserting its watchdog role within the organic community, Cornucopia continues its biannual coverage of the USDA's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting. The NOSB is a 15-member expert advisory panel set up by Congress to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on implementation of the Organic Foods Production Act.  

In advance of the meeting, Cornucopia submitted official written comments. These comments restate Cornucopia's objection to the USDA's refusal to follow the recommendations of the NOSB—its own advisory board—while offering guidance on the following materials and issues:

• Sunset Review: Cornucopia opposed the relisting of inulin-oligofructose enriched (IOE), whey protein concentrate, and Turkish bay leaves on the National List of allowed materials. Organic versions of these conventional ingredients are commercially available.
• Liquid fish products: Cornucopia requests more research, clarity, and regulation regarding the use of these products.
• Bio-based mulch films and fenbendazole: Cornucopia urges the NOSB to exercise the precautionary principle when considering these materials.
• Native ecosystems: Cornucopia urges the NOP to enact its 2018 recommendation to remove the incentive to convert native ecosystems to organic production.
• BPA: Cornucopia supports research into alternatives to Bisphenol A (BPA). "Studies show BPA is particularly harmful, and has no place under the organic label," says Anne Ross, Cornucopia's director of international policy.
• Fraud: Cornucopia advocates for new technologies and practices to detect fraud in all of the areas identified in the meeting materials, particularly those related to detection of fumigant residues.

"We hope that the NOSB pushes the NOP to enact their recommendations this year," says Marie Burcham, Cornucopia's director of domestic policy. "The NOP has broad powers to enact regulation, but they've let important policy languish."

Cornucopia's coverage of the spring 2020 meeting, held online for the first time, began during the public comment sessions on April 21 and 23 and will continue during the meeting itself on April 29 and 30. Watch our newsfeed for the full play by play.

Contact: Michele Marchetti, Co-director of Development & Communications, [email protected]

SOURCE The Cornucopia Institute