[pulse]

Hi All,

I came across a bill that was being proposed in the US. It is called S.510, I believe it has gone through several amendments and currently called HR 2751

Although it is a US piece of legislation I wonder if anything similar would ever be implemented over here.

The main thrust of it is supposed to be to improve food safety.

However it seems that if grow your own food you would not be able to give any away, or sell in farmer markets etc without going through a great deal of red tape. It would be made a criminal offence to sell your own produce if you ignored going through offical channels (numerous forms, fees etc).

There are many sites on the internet that suggest the bill would make it illegal to grow your own food, however I think this is an erroneous interpretation of the bill. Although there is a strong suggestion that the way the bill is worded it indicates that seed storing would become a criminal offence. This is quite believeable as in the US Monsanto has patented some of its seeds and regularly takes farmers to court over the storing of their seed. They have even taken farmers to court who do not use their seed, but the seeds of neighbouring farms, who use the patented seed, get blown across into their fields and start to germinate!

The bill at very least would be make it hard for organic growers who wish to sell or trade their products.

S.510 was resubmitted as HR 2751 and was passed and signed by the president on Jan 4th. Not  if any details of the bill were changed on the resubmission as HR 2751.

Just some food for thought. Pun intended.

Cheers

Pulse

[Cazzy]

Hi Pulse

I've been reading about this for quite a while, however, i've only read people discussing it and not the actual bill itself.

It would seem that small scale farmers and as you say, people who sell off their own surplus veg etc will be hit quite hard.

I'm fairly sure it will reach us eventually but only time will tell.

[pulse]

I have just found this link which appears to have the details of the bill:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:S510:

[Aunt Sally]

If it ever happens I'll eat my morrows (I hate them).

It seems to be scaremongering season on the forums

[DD.]

If they tried it over here, someone would cry "Human Rights" and it would take decades to go through Strasbourg.

[Cazzy]

Thanks for the link Pulse 

[fatcat1955]

if you need to find the senate bill , it's quite near selsey bill. Sorry i could not help it.

[prakash_mib]

on the otherhand I read sometime back in the BBC site that government is planning (dont know to what extent) to let the hobby growers (like us  ) to grow from the seeds around the world (not for horticultural purposes). I felt that was the right direction 
US was/has/is for the height of the capitalist movement and they always will be.  To put it simple their people/gov like to be ruled by companies rather than the other way around.
I would say "common sense" (read DD's post in chatting) still there in when EU let "somerset cider brandy" to be marketed (but still in dispute I presume)

[billathome65]

Ha haha the food safety bill the infamous food safety bill. On  the face of it it looks ok however it holds a more sinister plot that is to destroy small farms and holdings make it illegal to pass food you grow to friends neighbours and family and give mega powers to the big agribusiness

( I'm  not going to get on my band wagon over this one but ) 

Hitching a ride on the back of this bill is another bill, Bill C-51

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-1219637

which is feared would kill off this alternative remedies business. as 90% of herbal remedies have not been tested due to the enormousy of the cost. Will this area be swallowed by big Pharma and we get a substandard copy?

This bill is already rearing it's head over here in the UK, what happens in the US happens here and Visa Versa. When government sticks it's nose in,  it's usually big business, banks and corporate cronies who benefit whilst the little people loose out big time the. The other side to this is a theory that by introducing these legislations it will cut down on peoples abilities to be self deficient and are left at the hands of their governments whim.

As I said I will keep of my band wagon but go research what Stalin did when he came into power in Russia.

Cheers Bill 

[Aunt Sally]

I think you've pushed your band wagon enough on this one Bill.  Any sniff of politics and the topic will be removed, so no further !

[DD.]

it will cut down on peoples abilities to be self deficient

That's good isn't it? We don't want people to be deficient in anything.

[TheSpartacat]

it will cut down on peoples abilities to be self deficient

That's good isn't it? We don't want people to be deficient in anything.

I think he meant self sufficient.. that would make more sense in the context of the rest of the post.

[Yabba]

I think he meant self sufficient.. that would make more sense in the context of the rest of the post.

Poor DD. ( Darling Daughter of Kristen I believe? ), it would appear that he's sooooo misunderstood ... I blame his age :roll:

¥

[DD.]

T'wasn't me who posted the wrong word.

I knew full well what Bill meant and the comment was very tongue in cheek.

[Yabba]

NSS ( *really* can't expand that acronym in a family friendly forum )

¥