From: "Dolores Roberts-Lusby" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 00:34:44 -0000
Subject: Beekeeping NOT in new national 'Organic Standards' for Agric



I am posting this for those maybe reading the new national Organic
Standards for Agric in the US and finding it lacking pertaining to
beekeeping.

The reason for this is very simple. We have yet to do the work and
that is why this Biological Beekeeping egroup will get more important
in the coming months.

On page 16, of The Speedy Bee, February 2000 you can read an article
titled: 'Honey not included in Organic Proposal; may be comvered by
seperate proposal later.'

The article begins: 'Honey and beekeeping are not inclued in the new
proposal for national standards for organic food announced Mar 7, by
Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.

According to the notice published in the Federal REgister, comments
USDA received about honey in response to its initial December 1997
organic proposal made officials recognize that those provisions for
certifying beekeeping operatons were inadequate; therefore, they were
removed entirely from the new organic proposal. The notice continued:
USDA will review the detailed prodction and handling standards for
beekeeping operations that several certifying agents have developed
and assess the feasibility of developing [an piculture]practice
standard'

Several commenters, including producer and industry groups, pointed
out that bees differ significantly from other livestock types and
that the first proposal lacked sufficient details to guide honey
producers. Many consumers stated that the provisions proposed for bee
forage, which reuired that a predominant portion of the be bees
forage be organic, were too vague and lenient.

Recognizing that the provisions in the first proposal for certifying
beekeeping operations were inadequate, we removed them entirely from
this proposal..............

On Dec 12-13 this topic was started again by the National Honey Board
and sometime supposedly in the Spring of 2001 we might get a Federal
Register to comment on on Organic Standards.

This is now say, as sure as my name is Dee, we need to push for such
comment period, and for right of participation,because to do
otherwise, would leave what organizatons are now in place, to make
laws for something, we have all worked so hard on and for.

I believe the ones doing the work, need to be brought together and
comment on what our organic laws and standards should be, to help
give rise within our industry again, an industry based on clean
sustainable livestock provisions, based upon our historical past; and
not negotiated science, with giveins to soft chemicals and words,
that control that which is too vague and lenient, to be of much use
for guidelines of any type.

I am just posting this, because I am hearing too many beekeepers
saying it is now a done deal and to the contrary the rhetoric is just
now getting going for us. So spread the word, it's not over until
it's over.

Sincerely,

Dee A. Lusby