Small Farmers Raised their Pitchforks, and the Government Actually Listened

The USDA announced yesterday that it is joining the FDA’s efforts to implement the new produce safety regulations ordered by President Obama, according to an FDA press release. Since it seems only right that the department concerning itself with agriculture should be involved in the safety of our food, one might wonder why it took so long for the two agencies to team up.

While this move may have been planned all along, the evidence also suggests that the US government is actually listening to the nation’s small farmers. Now that the First Lady is one of them, their voices come across a little louder.

Here’s what happened: After some alarming contamination problems involving peanuts, spinach, peppers and other foods, Obama requested stiffer regulations on food safety, and the House of Representatives complied by passing HR 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, in July to expand the FDA’s authority over regulation of produce.

Small farmers across the nation cried out in concern. The New York Times reported their complaints that eventual new rules would be one-size-fits-all, unfairly disadvantaging the little guy. The outcry continued, reported the Wall Street Journal, as the summer wore on, and the Senate prepared to vote on its version of the bill. In September, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg vowed to pay attention to the needs of small and organic farmers in designing the regulations.

And then yesterday came the FDA's announcement that it will team up with the USDA in soliciting the opinions of the country’s produce growers, including the small and the organic. Representatives of the two agencies have been meeting with farmers and local food safety officials in various places, most recently North Carolina. Florida is the next stop.

Leanne Skelton, head of the USDA’s fresh-products branch, will collaborate with the FDA for the next six months to assist in developing appropriate rules.

Perhaps the USDA was planning to get involved all along (I really hope so; how would we expect to properly regulate US farms without the Department of Agriculture involved?), but one thing is sure: small farmers played a part in this conversation. Their concerns were widely reported in major news outlets, and now FDA and USDA officials are flying around the country in part to make sure they address those worries directly.

Now let’s hope the little guy gets a fair shake.

Photo courtesy of kthread on flickr