MA: Establishment of the Mideast Food Safety and Inspection Service (Final Vote)

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

We also need to find a way to protect the family farm who wants to use non-gmo seeds and other encroachments from the federal government? I would also consider resting the land at times to replenish itself thus extending the benefit of our farmlands.

Where do we plan to find the revenue to fund such an endeavor to promote food safety?

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

JCL: Do you have an idea how to formulate the ideas you have?
And regarding your question about the revenue - that's a good question. We don't have an official budget at the moment, which renders all these financial questions extremely abstract. But to answer this question, I suppose the money for such an agency would come from the Department of Agriculture and which should ideally be saved elsewhere within the Department.

shua: You raise an important question. It was my initial idea that, since the agency is part of the Department of Agriculture, it would be the task of said Department to control the agency. But it might be advisable to include certain provisions in the bill which specify what the limitations of the agency are. Do you have any suggestions?

Is it the role of government to promote a certain farming method over others? I'm not so sure. Maybe a concurrent act freeing farmers to use whatever kind of seeds they so choose would suffice and let the market decide what is most profitable.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I'm just afraid we're going to end up with farmers, grocers, restaurants, bake sales and lemonade stands, etc. being immobilized by red tape, or arbitrary or changing standards. It could hurt small businesses especially hard because they don't have the resources to put into compliance or make appeals.  I'm just reading this as a carte blanche handing over of the legislative power, and not focused on a particular problem.

Your concerns are valid and I happen to agree with them.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Aye