---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: AOHGA <megh
...@usorganichops.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 1:05 PM
Subject: USDA Deals Blow to U.S. Organic Hop Industry
To: i
...@usorganichops.com
*USDA Deals Blow to U.S. Organic Hop Industry*
* *
*Organic beer may never truly be organic if the USDA has its way. Earlier
this month, the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Handling
Committee recommended the continued use of non-organic hops in beer labeled
organic by denying a petition by the American Organic Hop Grower Association
(AOHGA) to remove hops from the National List of non-organic ingredients
allowed in organic food (section 205.606). If approved by the full board in
late October, this decision will have a devastating impact on U.S. organic
hop farms.*
September 16, 2010 -- Hops were first added to the National List by the NOSB
in June 2007, when organic hops were primarily produced in Europe and New
Zealand. Since then, the U.S. organic hop industry has made significant
advances. Progressive, large-scale family farms in the Pacific Northwest
and small, local growers across the country are now growing organic hops,
even though the market for them is weak due to the current NOSB policy which
allows brewers to use less expensive, non-organic hops in their beer labeled
organic.
In an attempt to remove hops from the National List, the AOHGA submitted a
petition to the USDA in December 2009, supported by Sierra Nevada Brewing
Company, Anheuser-Busch, Lakefront Brewery, Seven Bridges Cooperative, and
Hopunion LLC. The NOSB’s response in their recent recommendation states,
“On the basis of written and public comment in response to this petition to
remove, organic hops were deemed not to be available in the form, quantity,
or quality to currently justify removal from 205.606. To do so would
negatively impact the organic brewing industry.” Instead, their
recommendation will have a devastating impact on the organic hop industry.
Is the USDA saying they don’t care what happens to these farmers?
The recommendation goes on to say, “A significant number of written and
public comments at the Spring 2010 NOSB meeting contended that although some
varieties of hops were available as organic, not all varieties are equal,
and many varieties used for specific flavor profiles or beer types were not
available.” In this case, hops are being held to a higher standard than
virtually any other agricultural product with respect to their use in an
organic product. In the production of beer, not every variety of barley is
available organically but organic brewers are required to use organic barley
in a beer labeled “organic”. Why does the NOSB feel that *all varieties* of
hops need be grown organically *before* organic hops are required for use in
organic beer? With over 150 varieties of hops in existence, it is
uneconomical for organic hop growers to produce all hop varieties for the
spot market before hops can be removed. This is a nearly impossible
standard that no other crop has been held to.
Furthermore, the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) crop pest and disease
management practice standard (section 205.206) states that a “producer must
use management practices to prevent crop pests, weeds, and diseases
including but not limited to…selection of plant species and varieties with
regard to suitability to site specific conditions and resistance to
prevalent pest, weeds, and diseases”. This USDA rule* *recognizes that not
all varieties of a crop are appropriate for organic production, so it is
therefore* *contrary to the intent of the NOP to expect all varieties of a
crop be commercially available in organic* *form.
In the face of these facts, it is puzzling that the NOSB committee voted
unanimously to continue the USDA exemption of hops. Their report referenced
“a significant number of written and public comments at the Spring 2010 NOSB
meeting,” but only three are on record: two in favor of changing the rules,
and one by a brewer who has since been working with growers to ensure his
supply of organic hops. This raises the possibility that there were private
comments made, which calls into question the transparency of the process
thus far. Or perhaps the committee simply did not investigate the facts
sufficiently.
The NOSB’s recommendation sets forth an unreasonable standard that will
discourage present and future organic hop production. The committee
provided no guidance to growers as to how many organic hop varieties are
necessary before hops could be removed from the National List, nor have they
named one type or style of beer that cannot be brewed with the organic hops
that are commercially available in the market today. As long as a single
organic brewer can cite the unavailability of a particular hop variety in
the spot market as justification for hops continuing on the list, hops will
remain on the list indefinitely, and the U.S. organic hop industry will
suffer dramatically.
*How can you help? *The upcoming NOSB meeting, where the final decision
will likely be made, will be held October 25-28 in Madison, WI. The NOSB
will be accepting written comments until Tuesday, October 12. Please visit
www.usorganichops.com for instructions on submitting comments.
* *
*About the AOHGA*: The American Organic Hop Grower Association was formed
by organic hop farmers to promote the use of organic hops. For more
information on the AOHGA, please visit www.usorganichops.com.
*Additional Links*: Patrick Smith of Loftus Ranches, one of the grower
members of the AOHGA, recently laid out the case very compellingly on his
blog:
http://loftusranches.posterous.com/national-organic-standards-board-t...
*Meghann Quinn*
Executive Director, American Organic Hop Grower Association**
*Email*: megh...@usorganichops.com
*Website*: www.usorganichops.com
