[MPWG] to certify or not

Tue Dec 7 16:02:48 CST 2004

Bob-

You raise many important issues and I hope that people will respond to them
as they have time.

For starters, I'd like to respond to the point you make about being in it
for the money.  Personally, I think it would be great if everyone in the
medicinal plant supply chain (from the digger to the consumer) wanted to do
what was "right" for the environment, posterity,  etc.  Fact is, that is
not necessarily why people join this bandwagon.

And, although I don't begrudge them wanting to make a buck - in the world
in which we live, we need $$ to survive.  I guess, I'm trying to say,
regardless of the motivation, it's the outcome that's important.   So, for
the industry interested in making a buck that misleads the public, I say
that's wrong.  But, to the industry interested in making a buck that does
the right thing (whatever that might be), I say kudos.

Now, how and who will tease out which is which?

-Patricia

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>

                      Bob Beyfuss                                                                                                                  
                      <rlb14 at cornell.edu>                   To:      mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org                                              
                      Sent by:                              cc:                                                                                    
                      MPWG-bounces at lists.plantconse         Subject: [MPWG] to certify or not                                                      
                      rvation.org                                                                                                                  

                      12/07/2004 03:35 PM                                                                                                          

"Laws (regulations) are best interpreted, explained and applied by those
whose chief interests and ability lies in subverting, perverting and
obscuring them" I guess this is how I feel about the whole organic or
whatever certification issue. It took 10 years to come up with 300 pages of

organic certification regulations that most farmers will never read. Large
scale corporate farms will read them for sure. Why would anyone want to be
certified? To make more money, of course, and cash in the formerly niche
but now mainstream market that exists. I think all of us would agree that
organic practices are generally a good thing and should be encouraged. I am

not so sure that certification programs are the most appropriate way to
encourage these practices. I have many farmer clients who use sustainable
farming practices. They know it but are not motivated to spend the $500 it
costs in NY State to have some agency "bless" them. Why should farmers have

to pay to do the right thing? Should not government policy, i.e subsidies
and tax breaks be directed towards those who are trying to farm
sustainably? Why do 89% of all the federal farm support dollars go to the
large corporate farms despite the fact that they comprise less then 5% of
the total farms by number? Organic growers formerly enjoyed a significant
price increase and consumer tolerance of cosmetic damage that is rapidly
eroding. When the Jolly Green Giant and Bird's Eye sell "organic" how can
the small organic farmer possibly compete? Consumers have been duped into
thinking that "certified organic" means pesticide free. Even the
prestigious University of California at Berkeley "Wellness Newsletter"
erroneously reported that according to the USDA certification standards,
anything certified as "USDA certified organic" cannot have been treated
with pesticides. This is far, far from the truth as I pointed out to them
and they did print a correction in tiny, tiny type in the next
newsletter.  If they have not bothered to read the rules carefully how can
anyone expect the general public to do so? Almost everyday I hear a radio
commercial from a local organic farm store that states "Organic food is
produced without the use of any pesticides, herbicides or chemical
additives" This is bunk and I have reported this misinformation to the
radio station and the store but they will not change their ad. So the
general public is duped and I do hold the bureaucracy to blame for ignoring

if not encouraging these practices. In speaking of herbs, I have my
concerns about "standardization" also. Most herbal practitioners I know
believe that herbs act synergistically,  either with other herbs or other
parts of the plant itself. I have never seen a prescription from a Chinese
traditional medicine practitioner that called for ginseng and only ginseng.

Many herbs have identifiable "active" ingredients that seem to be
responsible for much of the beneficial effect. When extracted and
"standardized" these are now drugs, not herbs and I do think the FDA needs
to look at "drugs" being masqueraded as herbs.  You might argue "but the
public needs to be protected from herbal snake oil". Really? Who is
protecting us from the mainstream drugs like Vioxx that we see as every
third advertisement on TV promoting? Why does every "news" report about
herbal medicine tell us how dangerous or ineffective they are while every
new pharmaceutical is heralded as a modern  "miracle"?  The answer to all
these questions comes down to corporate greed, and these are the
institutions that run this country. Of course there are corporations that
are not greedy or evil and even some that really are trying to improve the
human condition but all corporations very existence depends upon black ink
on the bottom line and that leads me back to the very first line of this
epistle. Whatever it takes.
Bob Beyfuss

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