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Q&A: Organic Certification |
Keith Olcott is Customer Service Manager at Equal Exchange – and our Organic Certification Coordinator. Ashley Symons is Marketing Writer at Equal Exchange and Editor of What's Brewing.
Ashley Symons: First of all, why does organic certification matter?
Keith Olcott: Certification is the next best thing to buying all of your organic products from a neighbor. It provides the eyes and ears to make sure that products are produced in accord with organic standards. The USDA organic seal is the best guarantee for people who want to eat healthy foods grown without the use of toxic pesticides, GMOs, and growth hormones such as rBGH.
AS: What are your responsibilities as the Organic Certification Coordinator at Equal Exchange?
KO: We have to renew our certification every year, which includes reporting any updates to our production system, as well as undergoing an annual inspection. More recently, we’ve been involved at the federal policy level because of our increasing participation in the National Organic Coalition (NOC), which we are a member of.
AS: Why is participation in the NOC important for EE?
KO: Just as we strive for integrity and advocate for small farmers in the Fair Trade arena, we do the same in the organic arena. Over the past few years, we have learned that we really have to pay attention to initiatives coming out of Washington that may have dire consequences for our farmer partners, and for Equal Exchange. The NOC provides a place for counsel and support, and gives us a serious multiplier effect in Washington. For example, the NOC has a part-time lobbyist in Washington that works on issues with us. To cite another recent example, the coalition was literally at the table with the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture in June, presenting our list of priorities on organic issues. I am pleased to say that the agenda item at the top of our list is about to be realized.
AS: What are current hot topics in the NOC?
KO: One is the Food Safety Act, which just passed in the House and would put a $500 inspection fee on all farms, regardless of farm size. This could have a crippling effect on small farmers, including our farmer partners. One solution to this problem is to exempt farming operations with adjusted gross income below $500,000. That is the proposal from the National Organic Coalition. (Read about this on our blog: House Passes Food Safety Bill and Action Alert: Food Safety Enhancement Act)
An ongoing issue has been the integrity of the National Organic Program (NOP), which is administered by the USDA. The NOP is like the watchdog over certification. So, I guess you could say we’re watching the watchdog. The NOP is helpful for us at Equal Exchange in our mission to protect the livelihood of small farmers. Last week’s press release is an indication of the influence we can have to improve the program. The Obama administration has demonstrated a willingness to maintain the National Organic Program’s integrity, to make organic a national priority, and to work closely with the organic community. For many of us who have been involved with organic at the federal level, this may become the best of times.
AS: What issues did you discuss with the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture?
KO: We covered a variety of topics, including:
-The NOP
-The Farm Bill
-Inclusion of organic food in the WIC program
-Food Safety
-Biotechnology
-Climate change
All these issues are part of our progressive agenda for consumers in the U.S. – as well as for our farmer partners.
AS: What can we do as consumers to support these initiatives?
KO: Join us! It is a tough slog in Washington and we can use all the help we can get when the time comes to make our case with legislators. The change in administrations
has provided a unique forum for advocating our values. Watch the Equal Exchange blog for action alerts. Vote with your food dollars to support organic and small farmers. In the words of the retired cartoon character, Pogo: “We are faced with
insurmountable opportunities.”
Additional Resources:
Equal Exchange blog
National Organic Coalition
National Organic Program
National Organic Standards Board
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