California Organic Products Advisory Committee Archives -

Before there were USDA organic regulations, the forward-looking state of California passed its own organic regulations in 1990. Today, California is the only state in the U.S. with its own State Organic Program (SOP) that provides enforcement and regulatory activities within the State; much like the National Organic Program (NOP) does for the rest of the country..

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established the California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC) to advise the Secretary of CDFA on enforcement and other organic activities in California. Continue reading “Why I serve on California’s State Organic Program Advisory Committee” →

In an early morning jaunt to Sacramento last week my car was rear ended. I serve on the California Organic Products Advisory Committee (who by the way are looking for new members), and was on my way to attend a subcommittee meeting when boom—a fine young man rammed me in the rear end of my car. As I recuperate from the trauma, I wax philosophical and wonder why this happened and what the long term unintended consequences will be. The same ruminations can be applied to the novel gene editing techniques that are racing towards us with accelerating speed. Are we all on a genetic collision course with unintended consequences? Continue reading “A Collision Course with Unintended Consequences” →