Seal of Approval Offers Farmers and Consumers More Choices
CHICAGO, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hudson Institute's Center for Global
Food Issues (CGFI) will preview its new "Earth Friendly/Farm Friendly" Seal of
Approval project to the food and dairy industry this week at the Worldwide
Food Expo in Chicago. A farm and environment friendly seal of approval
offered as an alternative to organic and other production-related niche
marketing, the CGFI seal will assure consumers that products bearing the seal
are produced in a manner consistent with the best available scientific,
health, environmental and quality standards and technologies. Designed in
conjunction with independent academic, consumer and farm policy and practice
experts, the program will certify farm and process management practices that
are verifiable as both farm and environmentally friendly. The certification
program is based on the adoption of environmentally sound and economically
sustainable practices.
"Unlike other certification programs that limit and restrict a farmer's
choices and significantly increase consumer costs, "Earth Friendly/Farm
Friendly" offers farmers more choices that do not add significant costs for
consumers," said Alex Avery, Director of research at CGFI. "The program is
intended to provide farmers with information and tools to produce more food
per acre, leaving more room for nature, using techniques and practices which
have been scientifically proven and endorsed by experts."
The "Earth Friendly/Farm Friendly" concept grew out of CGFI's High Yield
Conservation Campaign. This campaign, launched in Spring 2001, was created to
educate farmers, policy makers and the public about the need to grow more food
per acre using high yielding techniques, in order to leave more room for
nature and conserve precious natural resources. Supporters of that campaign
include Nobel Prize Laureate and Green Revolution leader Dr. Norman Borlaug;
Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore; World Conservation Trust president Eugene
Lapointe; Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias; World Food Prize laureate Per Pinstrup-
Anderson; and former US Senators George McGovern and Rudy Boschwitz.
CGFI is launching this program with a pilot project in the dairy industry
and is currently soliciting producers, processors and retailers interested in
providing their customers with this Earth Friendly/Farm Friendly marketing
tool. During the first year of the pilot, CGFI will work with dairy
producers, processors, retailers and consumers to formalize standards and
create consumer awareness that will provide real value to farmers, consumers
and the environment. An advisory panel, comprised of academic experts, public
policy, industry and consumer representatives will review feedback at the end
of this pilot to ensure the ongoing value and credibility of the seal of
approval.
"We are currently consulting with the US Department of Agriculture to
include our certification plan and the elements required of dairy producers in
the USDA's Agricultural Process Verification Program," said advisory panel
member Graydon Forrer, former director of consumer affairs for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. "CGFI wants to provide farmers with the best high
yield conservation practices and provide retailers and consumers with useful
information about dairy products and dairy production practices."
The Earth Friendly/Farm Friendly Seal of Approval is being shown at the
World Food Expo in Chicago, which runs from Wednesday October 29th until
Saturday, November 1st. For more information about the program, visit Booth
S8672 bordering the Beverage Expo Zone, or online at http://www.cgfi.org .
The Center for Global Food Issues is a project of the Hudson Institute, a
tax-exempt non-profit public policy organization, providing factual, science-
based information on important food and farming issues.
SOURCE Center for Global Food Issues
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Related links:
http://www.cgfi.org
CONTACT:
Alex Avery of Center for Global Food Issues,
+1-540-255-6378; or Chris Clark, +1-636-578-8013, for Center for
Global Food Issues
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