A Bird’s Eye View: Back gardens vis-a-vis US law
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Advena Avis
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 04, 2009 00:00
We were very happy to hear that the Obamas are planting an organic garden on the grounds of the White House. The Presidential garden will be used, among other things, for growing staple foods such as butterhead and red leaf lettuce, spinach, broccoli, onions, carrots and peas. We welcome this initiative by the First Family of the United States and hope that many other Americans will follow their example.
But a word of caution to President Obama: If he wants his White House garden to flourish and produce vegetables, he must first make sure that the Food Modernization Act of 2009 is not passed by Congress Ğ and that he veto it, if it is Ğ otherwise he will be breaking U.S. law.
Prohibited acts
Let us be more concrete. Section 401 of that legislation deals exclusively with prohibited acts, including:
"(1) to manufacture, introduce, deliver for introduction or receive in interstate commerce any food that is adulterated, misbranded or otherwise unsafe."
This means that it would be illegal for the president to grow organic vegetables in his White House backyard.
"(2) for a food establishment or foreign food establishment to fail to register under section 202, or to operate without a valid registration."
Depending on the interpretation of the word "food establishment," this could mean that the president of the United States would have to obtain a license for his vegetable garden.
"(3) to refuse to permit access to a food establishment or food production facility for the inspection and copying of a record as required under sections 205(f) and 206(a)."
This would mean that Obama would have to inform his security team to allow access to his White House garden or face the consequences. He would also be obliged to purchase and use mandated chemicals and pesticides from government-approved suppliers.
"(4) to fail to establish or maintain any record or to make any report as required under sections 205(f) and 206(b)."
This would oblige the White House cook to record all vegetables produced, perhaps even to photograph them.
"(5) to fail to provide to the Administrator the results of testing or sampling of food, equipment or material in contact with food, that is positive for any contaminant under section 205(f)(1)(B)."
This would mean that the U.S. president would have to submit samples of his production to the government to test for mandated additives.
This act has many other articles as well. But if the president of the United States would have to take all these actions for his garden, can you imagine what the average human being would have to go through? At a moment when so many unemployed Americans will have to resort to growing their own food to feed themselves and their families, it would not be fair to make life more difficult than it already is and condemn them to malnutrition. So we urge President Obama to do everything possible to block this draft legislation that may benefit only some big chemical-producing companies.
Ponder our thoughts, dear humans, for your benefit.
Prohibited acts
Let us be more concrete. Section 401 of that legislation deals exclusively with prohibited acts, including:
"(1) to manufacture, introduce, deliver for introduction or receive in interstate commerce any food that is adulterated, misbranded or otherwise unsafe."
This means that it would be illegal for the president to grow organic vegetables in his White House backyard.
"(2) for a food establishment or foreign food establishment to fail to register under section 202, or to operate without a valid registration."
Depending on the interpretation of the word "food establishment," this could mean that the president of the United States would have to obtain a license for his vegetable garden.
"(3) to refuse to permit access to a food establishment or food production facility for the inspection and copying of a record as required under sections 205(f) and 206(a)."
This would mean that Obama would have to inform his security team to allow access to his White House garden or face the consequences. He would also be obliged to purchase and use mandated chemicals and pesticides from government-approved suppliers.
"(4) to fail to establish or maintain any record or to make any report as required under sections 205(f) and 206(b)."
This would oblige the White House cook to record all vegetables produced, perhaps even to photograph them.
"(5) to fail to provide to the Administrator the results of testing or sampling of food, equipment or material in contact with food, that is positive for any contaminant under section 205(f)(1)(B)."
This would mean that the U.S. president would have to submit samples of his production to the government to test for mandated additives.
This act has many other articles as well. But if the president of the United States would have to take all these actions for his garden, can you imagine what the average human being would have to go through? At a moment when so many unemployed Americans will have to resort to growing their own food to feed themselves and their families, it would not be fair to make life more difficult than it already is and condemn them to malnutrition. So we urge President Obama to do everything possible to block this draft legislation that may benefit only some big chemical-producing companies.
Ponder our thoughts, dear humans, for your benefit.