In case you missed it, the USDA announced on 5 Feb 2010 it will abandon efforts to implement the National Animal ID Program, which would have required registration of every chicken in your backyard pen and every cow you milk for your family, right along with every commercial farm animal raised for food.
I realize they were putting forth an attempt to track diseased foodstuffs back to the livestock where it may have originated, but it was far too restrictive to small farmers and homeowners who raise some of their own food. My personal opinion is that most contaminated foods come from either poor sanitation in processing, or the practice of feeding dead/diseased animals and spoiled vegetable waste to the animals in huge feedlots. God forbid they should blame the big guys with deep pockets who buy legislation.
The USDA plans to explore alternative methods for tracing livestock. They hope the revised program will win more widespread support from farmers. Here's the USDA press release.
darius, I welcomed the USDA news. When NAIS was first introduced,I was alarmed at how restrictive and expensive it would be for small family farms. The program was simply too cumbersome to accomplish the laudable goal of safe food production without punishing consumers and local farmers. I agree with you that the sleazy practices of some feedlots need
ReplyDeletestringent controls. Yuska
Your post is nicely written, and agrees with many of the people who fought so hard against NAIS. However, you're swallowing the bait too! The USDA has only switched gears - they are still right on track. If you are familiar with the 'Transformer' movies, that's the process that is going on. Read Doreen Hannes' research at the Truth Farmer,http://truth-farmer.blogspot.com/2010/02/easter-bunny-reports-nais-is-dead.html. Also look at www.nonaiswa.org for more research. Stay on alert!
ReplyDeleteKinderlady
Actually, I didn't 'swallow the bait'. I'm all too aware that their attempts to number and control everything and everyone are still running rampant; this is just a hump on their road.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yuska. But as Kinderlady just noted, we need to be ever-vigilant AND VOCAL.