Animal agriculture groups protest possible USDA furlough

A recently released White House memo said that U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspections could be delayed and that a 15-day furlough for U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service personnel could result if Congress does not reach an agreement with the White house to avoid sequestration.
The National Chicken Council, along with 37 organizations representing various aspects of animal agriculture, livestock and poultry producers, food processing and manufacturing, retail, international trade and transportation, wrote to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to express strong concerns with the possibility of furloughing the nation's federal meat, poultry and egg products inspectors in the event sequestration goes into effect.
According to the groups: "We understand USDA is considering implementing a sequestration plan that would result in furloughing all the Food Safety and Inspection Service's meat, poultry and egg products inspectors for 15 days.
"Because of the importance of federal inspection to the production of meat, poultry and egg products, we do not believe furloughing FSIS inspectors to be an appropriate response to sequestration within the framework of the federal meat, poultry and egg products inspection laws. It certainly would not be in the public interest.
"Because federal establishments may not produce meat, poultry or egg products without federal inspection, furloughing inspectors would effectively shutter meat, poultry and egg products plants for more than two weeks, imposing significant hardship on thousands of inspected establishments and hundreds of thousands of people directly employed by these industries, not to mention the affected government employees," the groups wrote.

Farmers, ranchers join to improve consumer confidence in modern agriculture

Representing more than 49 leading American farmer- and rancher-led organizations, the The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance will lead a public movement to address America's concerns about modern agriculture and convey farmers' and ranchers' commitment to continuous improvement and best production practices.
This movement will give farmers and ranchers a voice in traditional and social media conversations about agriculture – where it doesn’t exist now – as well as with key influencers who are shaping the “good food/bad food” debates in popular culture. Farmers and ranchers will ask consumers about their greatest concerns with today’s food production practices and share the agriculture community’s dedication to continuously improving how food is raised in order to provide healthy choices for people everywhere.
The farming and ranching community is encouraged to "raise their voices" and provide input on what they believe Americans should know about where their food comes from.
"No matter the cause, a knowledge and credibility gap has formed between the American people and their food,” said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "Farmer- and rancher-led organizations have joined forces to create USFRA because it is vital that those closest to the farm work together and lead the conversation about raising food. Our industry is continuously changing – improving how we care for the land, our animals and our communities. Farmers and ranchers want to, and need to, do a better job of answering Americans' questions about their food. With this new movement, we are making a commitment, starting today, to listen to consumers and having vigorous two-way conversations."
In August and September, USFRA will begin reaching out to key influencer audiences through targeted advertising, a new Web presence, top-tier media briefings and a major event in the early fall addressing Americans’ biggest concerns about food production.
"We've allowed a lot of other folks to speak for farmers and ranchers in the past, often inaccurately," said Dale Norton, treasurer of USFRA and board member of the National Pork Board. “It’s time for farmers and ranchers to make their voices heard."

Tyson Foods donates 270,000 pounds of poultry, other food to US disaster relief

Tyson Foods Inc. has donated more than 270,000 pounds of poultry, meat and tortillas this week as part of disaster relief efforts in several U.S. states affected by storms.
The company has six cooking teams stationed in northern Alabama to help feed disaster relief workers, as well as employees, contract poultry growers and local residents who have been affected by the storms. In addition to delivering four truckloads of food, the company brought in ice and 27,000 bottles of water.
In central North Carolina, Tyson donated a truckload of chicken and a truckload of tortillas to the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and the Christian United Outreach Center to help with relief efforts. In Arkansas, the company shipped a truckload of food to the Arkansas Food Bank Network of Little Rock to help in the aftermath of tornadoes that hit the central region of the state, and employees of Tyson Fresh Meats in Dakota Dunes, S.D., and in Storm Lake, Iowa, collected and donated more than $2,000 to help with disaster relief.

HSUS under fire

If I were Wayne Pacelle (which I am glad I am not), I would be concerned about the adage that “those who live by the media are destroyed by the media.” The latest blow to the organization is the downgrade (aptly characterized since HSUS is more business than a non-profit) by Charity Navigator based on evidence that the organization is not adequately fulfilling its stated purpose.
In addition the American Institute of Philanthropy assigned an overall “C-minus” grade to HSUS. Given the revelations concerning the finances of HSUS this represents blatant grade inflation since the organization has overtones of a massive fraud by holding itself out to be the champion of care and concern for animals when the facts denote otherwise.
The intensive animal industry is indebted to the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) for a campaign of information in the media lifting the veil over HSUS activities, their finances and their ultimate purpose of imposing a vegan lifestyle on our nation. ...Read the full blog on www.animalagnet.com.

Missouri lawmakers eye livestock care standards board

Missouri lawmakers hope to establish a livestock care standards board, emulating the November initiative approved by voters in Ohio. The proposed bill could preempt attempts by the Humane Society of the United States to put an animal welfare measure on Missouri's November 2010 ballot. Although the organization maintains that its voter petition drive is aimed at regulating dog breeders, members of the livestock industry are concerned that the wording of the proposition would be ambiguous and could restrict legitimate livestock operations.
Legislation to create the livestock care standards board will be introduced into the Missouri legislature in January and, as with the Ohio action, would preempt restrictions on confinement housing.

Who is responsible for Michael Pollan?

Recently a controversy erupted when Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo cancelled a lecture by Michael Pollan and offered as a substitute a panel discussion on ecology and nutrition.
This action followed closely after a thinly veiled threat by David Wood, Chairman of the Harris Ranch Beef Company to withdraw a $150,000 contribution towards a new meat processing plant on the campus. In a letter to the University authorities he stated that the scheduled lecture by Michael Pollan would cause him to "rethink my continued financial support of the University." After canceling the event Cal Poly offered Pollan the opportunity to participate in the panel discussion.
For those who are not familiar with Michael Pollan, he serves as a Professor of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley and is a prominent advocate of “natural” foods. He has gained considerable prominence for a series of books including the Botany of Desire and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. His mantra is "Eat food, Eat Sparingly, Mostly Plants."
He has appeared on a number of TV talk-shows to promote his books and ideas. This has convinced this commentator that he is abysmally ignorant of biochemistry, the physiology of digestion, scientific nutrition or intermediary metabolism. His simplistic ideas run counter to accepted and conventional notions of science. They are however appealing to the naysayers of intensive food production, processed and convenience items and the menus of quick service restaurants. Admittedly there is a problem of obesity in the U.S. but this has more to do with improper choices and overconsumption based on ignorance rather than defects in existing agricultural practices or supermarket and restaurant offerings.
In reviewing the Cal Poly incident it is obvious that blame should be apportioned equally to all parties. The University obviously did not consider the impact of a provocative lecturer espousing unconventional albeit trendy ideas. If teamed with an opposing (read rational) voice the event may have benefited the student body and attendees. As originally scheduled, Pollan was provided with a bully pulpit to promote his unsubstantiated and ultimately destructive concepts. ... Read the rest of the blog on AnimalAgNet.