Better to outlaw CAFOs
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008Dear Senator Ken Salazar.
My wife and I are small family farmers, and confirmed Democrats, raising certified organic peaches, apples, and grapes in the North Fork Valley of the Gunnison River. Our friend, Rebecca Elder forwarded us your letter expressing your reservations about the national animal identification program (NAIP). We appreciate that you are trying to protect small farmers from a poorly conceived and implemented program.
We want to know that you understand, however, that the REAL threat to public health comes from the confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) where the diseased animals that NAIP seeks to track originate. The health and environmental damage from CAFOs is incalculable, including surface and ground water pollution and the routine use of growth hormones and sub-therapeutic doses of pharmaceuticals which find there way into public water supplies, contaminating the public at large. The conditions in which these animals are kept are tragic and call into question the very humanity of their keepers and those who would defend CAFOs. We trust you are not one of these, despite the ample funds their lobbyists might offer.
A system to track diseased animals back to the source would do little to protect the public health because, after all, someone (or many) would have to get sick or die before the system could be used. Better to outlaw CAFOs. Better to end the wasteful practice of fattening these animals since we know that animal fat is a contributor to the national obesity epidemic. At the very least, you should add to your list of amendments a provision to exclude from NAIP any animal that has not seen the inside of a CAFO.
On another topic: as a “super delegate” to the Democratic National Convention, we urge you to cast your vote with the clear majority of Colorado Democrats, as expressed at the precinct caucuses. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Philip Winship Davis and Maxine Eisele
http://www.mesawindsfarm.com
wink@mesawindsfarm.com
970-250-4788
The letter that engendered the emial above:
Subject: A message from Senator Ken Salazar
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 21:21:50 +0000
Dear Rebecca:
Thank you for contacting me regarding a national animal identification
program. I appreciate hearing from you.
As you know, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and
industry groups have been working to establish a national animal
identification (ID) program with the goal of improving animal health and
protecting public safety. I am certainly open to being supportive of a
thoughtful animal ID system.
Though the USDA has already implemented pilot animal identification
programs and has articulated a set of principles that will guide a national
animal identification program, there are a number of outstanding issues
that must be resolved before moving forward with a program.
For example, it is essential that producers not bear the burden of
increased cost or overly burdensome regulations. I am also concerned that
a poorly implemented or managed program could unfairly provide some with a
liability scapegoat, negatively affecting small or medium-sized producers.
It is essential that we thoroughly address these issues before a program is
implemented. Please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind as I
continue to work with my colleagues and the USDA on this important
legislation.
Again, thank you for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Ken Salazar
United States Senator