ORGANIC
CERTIFICATION?
Options to the Dilution
The new unfortunate federal organic
certification rules have many of us scrambling for
alternatives. We suggest that each of us, individually,
offer to our customers written warranty and/or guarantee
of the organic nature of our farm and ranch produce. And
that we should accompany same with a prepared statement
detailing our practices. Although it might seem obvious
that our prospective customers would wish to know that we
are not using poisons on their food, equally important
would be information about the good things we ARE doing
to the produce (i.e. composts, biodynamic applications,
Holistic management, labor trades, family involvements,
work parties, native varieties, genetic preservation,
etc.). It is our understanding that the "legal"
issue here centers around who shall be able to claim the
distinction of "certified organic".
Trading that distinction for " guaranteed
organic or warrenteed organic, along with
specified access to independent tissue analysis results
and perhaps even independent (regionalized) site visits,
would provide a "legal" alternative which would
allow the small and more rigorous operations an
opportunity for a labeling with some tooth. We are asking
the "legal" opinion of this proposal from any
of our readers who might be judges or lawyers or legal
experts. LRM
Warranty
... b: a collateral undertaking that a fact regarding the
subject of a contract is or will be as it is expressly or
impliedly declared or promised to be and although breach
of such an undertaking does not void the contract it does
make the warrantor liable for damages. c: a statement
expressly or impliedly made in an insurance policy by the
insured that a fact related to the subject of insurance
or the risk exists or will exist or that some related act
has been done or will be done and that must be literally
true or fulfilled if the policy is not to become void -
distinguished from representation. 2: something that
authorizes, sanctions, or justifies: a justificatory
mandate or precept: substantiating evidence, proof, or
assurance: Warrant, Authorization (a glib fluency is no ~
of genuine talent ~ A.T. Weaver)(by what ~ has he assumed
such powers) 3: a usu. Written guarantee of the integrity
of a product....
Guarantee
1: one who makes a guaranty: one who acts as a surety or
gives security (as for a debt) 2: the act of one who
makes a guaranty or acts as a surety: Guaranty 1 3a: an
agreement by which one person undertakes to secure
another in the possession or enjoyment of something b: an
expressed or implied assurance of the quality of goods
offered for sale or the length of satisfactory use to be
expected from a product c: an expressed assurance of
satisfaction with a definite promise or purchase money to
be returned or goods to be replaced or other specified
assurance. 4: something given by way of security:
something made or held as a security.
Certification
1: the act of certifying or certificating or the state of
being certified or certificated. 2: a certified
statement; certificate 3: Scots law: a notice certifying
to a party to a suit the consequences of his default in
the matters specified as required by him 4: a guarantee
of the genuineness of the signature on a check by an
authorized bank official 5: an authorization of a labor
union by an appropriate public agency to act as a
bargaining agent for all employees in a bargaining unit.
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