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but not stop it. Food contamination does not happen at the farm, for the most part, but in the processing facility, which is not covered under NAIS.

So how did such an expensive and potentially dangerous program make this far in the regulatory process? Because USDA has historically hired it's "experts" from the agribusiness field, and when those people leave the USDA they go back to working there. The small farmer still can't make it to Washington to lobby for him/herself, and though Congress doesn't want to appear ignorant, they don't have enough practical experience to understand the flaws in the program.

The USDA, though well intentioned, is no longer an impartial force to promote agriculture. Because of its ties to Big Ag, the revolving door of USDA employees that go to and from the corporate sector, and the lack of information on the part of our legislators, it is now simply the voice of Big Ag, not the American people.

Small farms, local food and sustainable agriculture are not big business by Washington's standards. But in 2007 they were a $5billion industry and growing. With the recent food safety issues of e.coli and salmonella, people are waking up to the importance of how their food is raised. NIAA and other agribusiness forces have seen this trend growing since the 1960's and have been "stacking the deck," in their favor ever since. Their campaign donations measure in the millions, $180,000 to one Connecticut legislator alone, and CT is not a big agriculture state compared to the Midwest and Western states.

If we are to have safe food and a healthy environment for the future we have to stop the corporate turntable in the USDA, educate the people about their food and make sure that the USDA returns to the "people's department," or we will have long lasting health and environmental problems for years to come.

Learn more about this author, Patricia Stewart.
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