The authors noted that gene editing and other biotechnologies have the potential to address urgent food security, environmental, and human health dilemmas, yet these technologies also raise potential for societal concerns, environmental and health risks, and conflicts with cultural and spiritual values.

“To the extent that these products are being, and will continue to be, developed and applied in agriculture and the environment, we must consider how this activity occurs and under whose management, oversight, and stewardship,” wrote the authors in the article.

The six principles outlined in the article include: 1) Effective, science-based government regulation; 2) Voluntary best practices that complement regulatory oversight; 3) Risk avoidance and delivery of tangible societal benefits; 4) Robust, inclusive societal engagement; 5) Inclusive access to technology & resources; and 6) Transparency on gene editing products in the environment.

“Our principles could apply to products produced with almost any technology,” wrote the authors, noting that gene-editing techniques are not independent of the broader social, ecological, and economic histories, contexts, and debates related to earlier genetic engineering technologies. “We have focused on genetic editing because: this methodology has potential for safe and beneficial applications; new products are being developed rapidly; regulation and introduction of new products into commerce is controversial; and the lack of appropriate governance could lead to unintended environmental consequences or severely limit its use.”

The principles—developed by representatives from Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Federation of America, Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund U.S.—are intended to provide a high-level framework for responsible innovation and governance of gene-editing technologies.

“We offer governance principles as a starting point and roadmap for collaboration among many sectors — scientists, product developers, policymakers, regulators, companies, civil society, and consumers — that jointly could develop a pathway to the responsible innovation, governance, and deployment of gene editing technology,” the authors wrote. “They are an invitation from our organizations to other stakeholders to join us in developing a governance framework for gene editing at a critical time for this technology.”

The principles focus on gene-editing governance in the public and private sectors in the US context, recognizing governance in the United States can influence outcomes elsewhere. Underscoring the timeliness of discussion of principles for gene editing and the inadequacy of the current governance and regulatory framework, the organizations note that several developers are currently poised to introduce gene-edited products into commerce and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently substantially deregulated gene-edited plants and proposed a similarly minimal oversight system for gene-edited animals.

The six non-governmental organizations are participants in the NGO Roundtable on Potential Implications of Gene Editing Applications for Agriculture and the Environment. The roundtable is facilitated by the Keystone Policy Center and brings together US-based NGOs in food, agriculture, the environment and related interest areas to provide a forum for peer-to-peer engagement on gene editing policy and science and exploration of gene editing’s potential impacts in agriculture and the environment.

The article in Nature Biotechnology is available here.

Additional information is available here.

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For its part, USDA issued a statement announcing “a top-to-bottom review of the ‘Product of USA’ label.” Secretary Vilsack acknowledged “concern that the voluntary ‘Product of USA’ label may confuse consumers,” but stopped short of committing to any specific reform to the label standards, such as a requirement it only apply to meat from animals born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.

“The FTC’s rule will help to protect consumers against deceptive marketing tactics that attempt to portray goods largely produced outside the country as American origin,” said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy at Consumer Federation of America. “Unfortunately, consumers will still have to grapple with unscrupulous origin claims on beef and pork harvested from animals of foreign origin.”

Under current USDA rules, meat processed from a carcass shipped into the country from abroad may carry a “Product of USA” label. The same goes for meat from animals born and raised in Mexico or Canada, and transported into the U.S. for slaughter. This was not always the case. Prior to 2015, USDA required country-of-origin labeling for fresh beef and pork products, specifically labels indicating where the cow or pig was born, raised, and slaughtered. However, Congress repealed those requirements after Canada and Mexico successfully challenged the policy in the World Trade Organization.

“Thanks to an unaccountable, unelected international tribunal, federal policymakers have abandoned mandatory origin labeling on beef and pork,” said Gremillion. “But the WTO’s decision offers no excuse for failing to protect consumers from deceptive practices, or for neglecting to put in place standards for producers that voluntarily choose to label their products as U.S. origin. Consumers strongly support origin rules; in a 2017 poll commissioned by CFA, eighty-nine percent (89%) of a representative sample of 1000 adult Americans favored, either strongly or somewhat, requiring food sellers to indicate on the package label the country of origin of fresh meat they sell. USDA has the authority – and indeed the duty – to protect consumers from deceptive and misleading claims, including ‘product of USA’ claims on meat from animals that are not born, raised, and slaughtered in the USA.”

Contact: Thomas Gremillion, 202-939-1010

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By an overwhelming 28-point margin (64% to 36%), Americans opposed the USDA’s proposal to eliminate the speed limits on pig slaughter lines. Current law limits line speeds to 1,106 pigs per hour; the USDA proposal would remove all speed limits. A stunning 70 percent of Midwesterners—those closest to the pig slaughter industry—opposed this proposed change.

Americans rejected two other major proposed changes to pig slaughter inspections—reducing the number of government inspectors in the plants and allowing companies to design their own food safety testing programs—by even larger margins. Almost three in four respondents (73%) opposed reducing the number of government inspectors on pig slaughter lines. Seven in ten (70%) rejected allowing companies to design their own microbiological testing programs to measure food safety, rather than requiring all companies to meet the same standard.

“The public, whom the USDA is supposed to protect, is not fooled when USDA officials claim their proposed changes will do no harm. Americans understand that by reducing and privatizing food safety inspections and allowing an unlimited increase in pig slaughter line speeds, the administration will further endanger tens of thousands of workers, consumers, and animal welfare,” said Deborah Berkowitz, Worker Safety and Health Program Director at the National Employment Law Project, and former chief of staff at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “If this rule goes through, we’re likely to see an increase in serious work-related injuries and negative effects not only for the workers but for their families and communities.”

“By an overwhelming 46-point margin, consumers in this poll rejected the crux of the USDA proposal, which is to reduce the number of government inspectors and turn their inspection responsibilities over to the companies to do themselves,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of the non-profit advocacy organization Food & Water Watch. “It was rejected resoundingly by consumers of all political stripes. By reducing the number of inspectors, the companies would also be able to increase the slaughter line speeds, which the respondents in this poll also rejected. USDA should scuttle this proposal because it endangers food safety, worker safety, and animal health.”

“As the poll results show, consumers of all ages, political affiliations, economic status, races, and gender are not fooled by this rhetoric,” said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy at the Consumer Federation of America. “Faster line speeds and fewer inspectors would mean greater food safety risks. Yet USDA does not have measures in place like pathogen performance standards to control these risks, or even to measure the impact of these proposed changes.”

“Removing all speed limits for pig slaughter lines is inherently reckless and will result in significant and devastating consequences for animal, worker, and, ultimately, consumer safety,” said Ingrid Seggerman, Director of Regulatory Policy for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “Under already-breakneck slaughter speeds, animal welfare records at plants are abysmal, revealing rough handling and botched slaughter practices. Abandoning speed maximums altogether would pressure already-taxed plant workers to move even more animals faster and cause more instances of mishandling and conscious slaughter. Americans understand that faster is not always better, and overwhelmingly oppose the USDA’s flawed rule. The ASPCA urges the OIG and Congress to listen to their voices and stop this misguided proposal.”

Deborah Berkowitz of NELP concluded: “The USDA cut corners when developing this rule. They hid from the public their analysis of the impact of faster line speeds on workers during the legal comment period because the analysis did not support their findings. Because of these dubious practices, this rule is under investigation by the Office of Inspector General at the USDA. It is clear that if the USDA wants to uphold its mission to protect the public, it must withdraw this radical rule.”

The poll was conducted by Hart Research Associates on behalf of NELP, ASPCA, Food & Water Watch, and Consumer Federation of America. Interviews were conducted online from July 18 to 21, 2019 among a representative national sample of 1,004 adults, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.

DOWNLOAD A SUMMARY MEMO OF THE POLL FINDINGS

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The Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Frank Yiannas, will deliver the first keynote address of the conference, which will lay out  his priorities for reducing foodborne illnesses and further advancing FDA’s food safety modernization efforts.

Senator Debbie Stabenow will follow Mr. Yiannas’ address, with an update on food policy matters in the Senate, and Rep. Chellie Pingree will close the day with a perspective from the House.

The program on Friday will feature remarks from the USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Mindy Brashears, who will present her vision of how a science-based approach for Salmonella control, expanded pathogen testing and consumer education can lead to a reduction in foodborne illnesses.

For decades, the National Food Policy Conference has been a Washington institution and a unique collaboration between consumer advocates, the food industry and government. The conference is organized by the Consumer Federation of America and is a highly anticipated national gathering for those interested in agriculture, food and nutrition policy.

For more information click here. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Location: Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, 999 Ninth St NW

Thursday: 8:00-5:00; Friday: 8:15-12:00

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Among the confirmed speakers are Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Dr. Mindy Brashears, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Senator Debbie Stabenow. Additional speakers will be added to the program as they are confirmed.

This year’s program will explore the emerging food policy agenda in the 116^th Congress and in state capitols around the country, take a closer look at what “sustainability” means in the food production system, and examine the latest cutting-edge food technologies.

The agenda offers a variety of facilitated discussions, from the integration of nutritious food into healthcare to the impacts of tariffs on farmers, consumers and global food security. Participants will discuss barriers to access for food assistance benefits, the implications of marijuana legalization on food policy, the growing food waste market, and the lessons learned from recent fresh-produce related foodborne illness outbreaks. With these and other topics all making headlines, there’ll be no shortage of timely topics brought to life in sessions and breakout panels.

For decades, the National Food Policy Conference has been a Washington institution and a unique collaboration between consumer advocates, the food industry and government. The conference is organized by the Consumer Federation of America and is a highly anticipated national gathering for those interested in agriculture, food and nutrition policy.

For more information, click here. To register, click here.

Contact: Thomas Gremillion, 202-939-1010

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“Corporate consolidation has long been one of the greatest challenges plaguing family farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson. “By allowing us to step back to evaluate and strengthen the United States’ antitrust framework, the merger moratorium is a meaningful first step in stemming the tide of concentration in the agriculture and food sectors. We applaud Senator Booker and Representative Pocan for introducing this legislation and urge other members of Congress to join the effort to pass this legislation.”

The legislation would impose an 18-month moratorium on the mega-mergers that have swept the agribusiness, food manufacturing and grocery industries. This wave of consolidation has contributed to falling farm prices, declining farm incomes, stagnant wages for food workers, raising food prices and economic stagnation in rural communities.

“There are now just a few colossal companies reaping profits from their control of every link of the food chain,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. “Hyper-consolidation raises consumer prices while lowering the prices farmers receive. It eliminates choices for both farmers and eaters and undermines the resiliency and sustainability of the food system.”

The letter outlines why the legislation is sorely needed as the food and agribusiness industries have been on a merger and acquisition spree. Major seed, fertilizer, food processing and grocery chains have merged to form some of the biggest food and agribusiness companies of all time.

“With the recent onslaught of agricultural mega-mergers and acquisitions, including those of multinational giants like ChemChina and Syngenta, Bayer and Monsanto, and Marfrig and National Beef, there has never been a more pressing time for Congress to take action,” said Joe Maxwell, Executive Director of the Organization for Competitive Markets. “OCM is encouraged by the groundswell of organizational support and proud to stand with more than 200 groups calling for a crackdown on monopolistic corporate practices that hurt farmers, workers, consumers and our communities.”

The Booker-Pocan bill would put a strategic pause on merger combinations of over $176 million in sales or assets and establish a commission to study the impacts of consolidation in the food and agricultural sectors on farmers, rural communities and consumers. The commission would also recommend any necessary changes to federal antitrust statutes or other laws and regulations to restore a fair and competitive agricultural marketplace.

“The consolidation in the food and agribusiness sectors has disproportionately harmed smaller-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers that have had a harder time selling their farm products at fair prices to fewer, bigger corporate buyers,” said Lorette Picciano, Executive Director of the Rural Coalition. “The mega-merger trend also compounds a downward spiral in income, wages and working conditions for farmers, ranchers, farm and food chain workers, and small businesses, eroding rural economic vitality, creating less vibrant and less sustainable communities who are pitted against each other to survive. It is long past time for a pause to provide them the time and statutory tools they need to build the futures they want.”

The letter, signed by groups from 47 states, urged other Members of Congress to cosponsor the legislation to stop the mergers that threaten independent family farmers, consumers and communities.

“The unchecked wave of food company mergers has enabled and encouraged large corporations to raise prices and manipulate research and development, to the detriment of farmers and consumers,” said Thomas Gremillion, Director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America. “This legislation is sorely needed to prevent a tsunami of grossly anticompetitive, anti-consumer merger proposals.”

A copy of the letter is available here.

Contacts:

Hannah Packman, National Farmers Union, 202-554-1600

Darcey Rakestraw, Food & Water Watch, 202-683-2467

Angela Huffman, Organization for Competitive Markets, 614-390-7552

Lorette Picciano, Rural Coalition, 703-624-8869

Thomas Gremillion, Consumer Federation of America, 202-939-1010

National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.

Food & Water Watch champions healthy food and clean water for all. We stand up to corporations that put profits before people and advocate for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our environment. 

Organization for Competitive Markets is a national membership-based research and advocacy organization working for open and competitive markets and fair trade in America’s food and agricultural sectors.

The Rural Coalition, born of the civil rights, indigenous rights, and anti-poverty rural movements, has worked since 1978 to assure that diverse organizations from all regions, ethnic and racial groups, women and men, and youth and elders, have the opportunity to work together on the issues that affect them all and assure the representation and involvement of every sector of this diverse fabric of rural peoples.

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of non-profit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

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USDA had argued that the cattlemen lacked standing to challenge the country of origin labeling (COOL) rules because they could not show that the policy actually hurt them. The court rejected that argument, however, finding that the absence of COOL caused financial harm to domestic cattle producers that was “fairly traceable” to USDA policy. Even so, the court went on to rule that the plaintiffs’ challenge was time-barred, because the requirements they sought to overturn “became part of the regulatory scheme” in 1989, not in 2016, when USDA repealed COOL.

“This decision should serve as wake up call to the Trump Administration,” said Thomas Gremillion, Director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). “Not only is COOL wildly popular with consumers, it helps American farmers and ranchers compete on a level playing field. It is incomprehensible that a renegotiation of NAFTA would not address this issue.”

“Until 2015, USDA required COOL for fresh beef and pork products, specifically labels indicating where the cow or pig was born, raised, and slaughtered. Survey after survey has shown that large majorities of American consumers support these requirements. For example, in a 2017 poll commissioned by CFA, eighty-nine percent (89%) of a representative sample of 1000 adult Americans favored, either strongly or somewhat, requiring food sellers to indicate on the package label the country of origin of fresh meat they sell.”

“USDA had to eliminate these popular requirements, however, because Canada and Mexico sued the United States in the World Trade Organization. In 2015, an unaccountable, unelected international tribunal ruled that COOL was an unlawful ‘trade barrier,’ and in response, Congress snatched away consumers’ right to know. A new NAFTA could undo the effect of the WTO’s decision, and let USDA get back to serving American farmers and ranchers, and consumers, rather than big meat processing corporations.”

Contact: Thomas Gremillion, 202-939-1010

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The coalition has repeatedly asked the Administration to select a nominee with a strong commitment to protecting public health, the expertise necessary to guide the policies and programs carried out by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and a record of working effectively to find new ways to reduce foodborne illness. Dr. Brashears’ academic credentials suggest that she has the requisite expertise. The Senate confirmation process should examine her record closely to assure consumers that she will work to reduce foodborne illness and protect public health, and that Dr. Brashears does not have any conflicts of interest that may lead her to pursue policies that are contrary to the public interest. To be an effective leader, Dr. Brashears must actively engage with public health and food safety advocates in developing strong regulations that reduce foodborne illness.

Contact: Thomas Gremillion, 202-939-1010

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“This merger violates the Horizontal Merger Guideline by more than any merger ever proposed in the 50-years since the Department of Justice issued the Guidelines,” Dr. Mark Cooper, a Senior Fellow at CFA and author of the report said.  “The Department of Justice must block this deal, or it will be overwhelmed by a tsunami of grossly anticompetitive, anti-consumer merger proposals.”

Bayer and Monsanto have argued that the economic efficiencies resulting from the vertical integration of traits, seeds and agrochemicals would offset the harms to competition that this merger poses. However, the CFA analysis, entitled Mega-Mergers in the U.S. Seed and Agrochemical: The Political Economy of a Tight Oligopoly on Steroid and the Squeeze on Farmers and Consumers, shows that the immense increase in vertical leverage, and the ability to coordinate behaviors across crops, would magnify the market power of the small number of firms that dominate the global field crop sector, raising even more concerns.

“The bundling of traits, seeds and chemicals, backed up with onerous contractual conditions, locks consumers in and competitors out,” Cooper added. “The seed/agrochemical giants manipulate patent thickets and extensions to maintain their control and write contracts that extend it beyond the patent expiration.”

“The only answer to this merger that makes economic sense is a loud and clear NO!,” Cooper concluded. “While many anticompetitive problems will remain, a denial of the merger will prevent them from getting much worse and should signal the beginning of a broader effort to address the underlying economic issues and break the political stranglehold that these firms have on the policymaking process.”

Contact: Mark Cooper, 301-384-2204

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 non-profit consumer and cooperative groups that was founded in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

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In order to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics, experts agree that we should use less of them. Scientists have long recognized the resistance threat posed by rampant overuse of antibiotics in agriculture. Fortunately, communities around the country are mounting efforts to combat antibiotic use in food production. From local school boards to state legislatures, public health and consumer advocates are promoting policies to reduce the amount of antibiotics entering the food supply. This report gives a brief survey of these initiatives, with the aim of giving advocates a roadmap to advance similar legislation and initiatives across the United States.

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CFA’s report, entitled Going Local: Initiatives to Reduce Antibiotics in the Food Supply, presents an overview of the current regulatory landscape, from federal agency rules to the policies of private companies like grocers and fast food restaurants. It explains why the current approach of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, based largely on voluntary measures, does not adequately address the growing antibiotic resistance crisis, and it catalogues the ways that action at other levels may help to compensate for the lack of an effective federal response.

Some of the most promising developments are in state legislatures. The report describes new laws in California and Maryland that will soon go into effect, as well as legislative proposals in several other states, which target “preventive” use of antibiotics. Large livestock operations often feed animals antibiotics on a routine basis to compensate for crowded, unsanitary conditions. While these practices are currently allowed under federal law, state laws like California’s and proposed bills in many other states would curtail abuses. They also include important data collection provisions that will help public health officials better understand agriculture’s contribution antibiotic resistance, and the most cost-effective ways to tackle the problem.

Already, the poultry industry has accomplished a dramatic transition away from antibiotic use, in large part due to pressure from institutional food purchasers like municipalities, school districts, and hospitals. The report explores how these institutions are teaming up with public health advocates to leverage their purchasing power, and includes resources for advocates to pursue similar actions, whatever the venue. “Antibiotic resistance is a daunting problem,” said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy at the Consumer Federation of America, “but this report offers hope for preserving a future in which antibiotics continue to work.”

Contact: Thomas Gremillion, 202-939-1010

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 non-profit consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, education, and advocacy.

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This year’s agenda includes:

• Food Policy Reform Outside of the Beltway
• Big Data and the Future of Food Safety
• Hunger in America
• Infant Nutrition and Public Policy
• Food Safety Modernization Act for Meat and Poultry
• The Next Farm Bill
• Consolidation in the Food Industry
• Leading the Way to Less Food Waste
• Food and Immigration
• Food Industry Disruptors

Organized by the Consumer Federation of America for 40 years, the National Food Policy Conference has been a Washington institution and a unique collaboration between consumer advocates, the food industry and government. This event provides the media with an excellent opportunity to uncover the latest food policy issues and develop contacts for future stories.

For more information and media registration click here, or go to CFA’s website.

Location: Marriott Metro Center Hotel, 775 12th Street NW

Tuesday: 8:15-5:00; Wednesday: 8:15-12:30

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 non-profit consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, education, and advocacy.

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This year’s agenda offers a variety of facilitated discussions, including an examination by leading advocates and industry experts of the Trump Administration’s food policy agenda, an especially significant topic in the face of the President’s planned double digit cuts to agriculture, health and human services, and environmental protection agency spending. Other plenary sessions will explore the causes and consequences of food insecurity and survey the disruptive technologies poised to transform the food industry. Timely topics like the Farm Bill, immigration policy, and food safety regulations will be brought to life in breakout sessions and panels.

For 40 years, the National Food Policy Conference has been a Washington institution and a unique collaboration between consumer advocates, the food industry and government. The conference is organized by the Consumer Federation of America and is a highly anticipated national gathering for those interested in agriculture, food and nutrition policy.

For more information and to register click here, or go to the event page.

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 non-profit consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, education, and advocacy.

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Among the confirmed speakers are Susan Mayne, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Chuck Conner, President & CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and Esther Dyson, Chairman of EDventure Holdings. Additional speakers will be added to the program as they are confirmed.

This year’s agenda offers a variety of facilitated discussions, including an examination by leading advocates and industry experts of the Trump Administration’s food policy agenda, an especially significant topic in the face of the President’s planned double digit cuts to agriculture, health and human services, and environmental protection agency spending. Other plenary sessions will explore the causes and consequences of food insecurity and survey the disruptive technologies poised to transform the food industry. Timely topics like the Farm Bill, immigration policy, and food safety regulations will be brought to life in breakout sessions and panels.

For decades, the National Food Policy Conference has been a Washington institution and a unique collaboration between consumer advocates, the food industry and government. The conference is organized by the Consumer Federation of America and is a highly anticipated national gathering for those interested in agriculture, food and nutrition policy.

For more information click here. To register, click here.

Contact: Thomas Gremillion, 202-939-1010

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 non-profit consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, education, and advocacy.

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