Impact of New US Organic Seed Regulations

USA: USA: IMPLICATIONS OF ORGANIC SEED REGULATIONS
January 28, Modesto Bee (California)

Organic farmers will need to return to their roots in 2002 or run the risk
of losing their distinction and the pricey premium that comes from producing
organic food reports Richard T. Estrada. That is when the USDAs organic
standards become the law of the land including the mandate that growers use
organic seeds when available which up to now has been unregulated.

"The rules were just published a few weeks ago, so I don't think many
growers realize that's in there. I doubt more than 1 percent of organic food
produced in the U.S. today is being grown from organic seeds." said Joel
Reiten, research and farm manager for Oregon-based Territorial Seed Co.
which is one of the nation's most prominent organic seed producers but which
sells most of its organic seed to European growers. "It will be interesting
to see the sort of reactions when growers realize they need to use organic
seeds," he said.

Reactions were mixed at last week's 21st Ecological Farming Conference, a
four-day event that attracted nearly 800 organic farmers, buyers and
retailers from across the country at Asilomar Conference Grounds. While
growers are generally pleased to see tighter restrictions on what is
considered organic, they question whether there is enough organic seed
available. That might explain why the USDA standards come with a caveat that
mirrors EU legislation.

The rule says they must use organic seed where it is available and that grey
area could lead some growers to switch to varieties that don't have a supply
of organic seeds - and thus get around the provision requiring their use a
practice not unknown in Europe. There's a financial motivation to produce
with conventional seeds, since organic seeds can cost an additional 25
percent or more.

Another variable that growers will watch with interest is enforcement of the
provision. The USDA rules will be enforced by private groups that already
are certifying organic growers, such as California Certified Organic Farmers
and Oregon Tilth. The California group has announced that it will vigorously
enforce the seed mandate, while Oregon Tilth and others have yet to announce
their positions. US certifiers would be well-advised to speak to their
European counterparts to prepare for the administrative burden that
regulation of seed supply can bring. One UK certifier estimates that 20% of
its time could be taken up with organic seed supply issues, particularly the
requirement to verify non-availability of organic seed.

Reiten is the first to admit that it is in his interest to have the seed
provision enforced, but he also pointed out that organic growers need to
support businesses that cater to them.

"If the entire organic industry is going to come to fruition, and I'm
talking about growers, seed companies and everyone else, this is necessary,"
Reiten said. "Europe has already taken this step, and they're building up
their organic seed inventory."

Producing organic seeds is more expensive because the risk of loss to
disease and pests is higher, and seed producers also must look for varieties
that are more resistant to fungi, blight, mildew and other diseases that can
devastate crops.

"I've got to provide something extra if I'm going to convince a grower to
pay extra for organic seed," Reiten said. "We look for varieties that have a
natural resistance. That's a selling point to growers who can't just spray
to control a disease problem."

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USA: ORGANIC FARMING RAPIDLY EXPANDING IN THE U.S. FOOD INDUSTRY
16 January, Nando Times

Nando Times reported that organic food and fibre sales are planned to reach
$9.35 billion in 2001, according to the Organic Trade Association, while
they were about $1 billion in 1990. Many farmers have taken their farms
organic over the last ten years shifting into the U.S. agriculture's
mainstream. Ecological Farming Association said organic farming is the most
rapidly increasing U.S. food industry's segment.