Watchdog group: Wal-Mart declares war on organic farmers

RAW STORY
Published: Thursday September 28, 2006

A watchdog group is accusing Wal-Mart of declaring war against organic farmers, RAW STORY has learned.

A report released by The Cornucopia Institute, an organic farming watchdog, claims that Wal-Mart is cheapening the value of the organic label by sourcing products from giant factory-farms and Third World countries, such as China.

"The Institute's white paper, 'Wal-Mart Rolls Out Organic Products - Market Expansion or Market Delusion?, concludes that Wal-Mart is poised to drive down the price of organic food by inventing a 'new' organic - food from corporate agribusiness, factory farms, and cheap imports of questionable quality," states a press release issued by Cornucopia.

Excerpts from press release:

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"We have received scores of inquiries over the past few months asking if Wal-Mart's organic expansion was 'good news or bad news,'" stated Mark Kastel, senior farm policy analyst for the Wisconsin-based Farm Policy Research Group. "My stock answer has been: If Wal-Mart lends their logistical prowess to organic food both farmers and consumers will be big winners by virtue of a more competitive marketplace. However, if Wal-Mart applies their standard business model, and in essence Wal-Marts organics, then everyone loses."

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"Organic family farmers in this country could see their livelihoods disintegrate the same way so many industrial workers saw their family-supporting wages evaporate as Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers put the screws to manufacturers - forcing a production shift to China and other low-wage countries," Kastel added.

Wal-Mart, already the nation's largest organic milk retailer and partnered with the giant milk processor Dean Foods (Horizon Organic), recently introduced their own private-label organic milk packaged by Aurora Organic Dairy. Large percentages of milk from Horizon and Aurora come from factory farms, milking as many as 10,000 cows in confinement conditions. The two companies are the subject of current USDA investigations into their organic practices.

"If there was any previous doubt as to their intentions, partnering with Dean/Horizon and Aurora should leave no question in anyone's mind as to how Wal-Mart is approaching its organic initiative," proclaimed Steve Sprinkel, long-time industry observer and columnist for the nation's leading sustainable agricultural journal, Acres USA.

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"Will consumers choose cheap industrial food, be it from factory farms or questionable Third World imports, or will they continue to support ethical processors and family farmers?" asked Ronnie Cummins, director of the 800,000-member Organic Consumers Association.

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