Today is the last day to reserve your hotel room at a discounted rate for OCM’s 20th Annual Food and Agriculture Conference. Rooms are booking up fast so don’t miss your opportunity to join the discussion on how we can break the corporate stranglehold on our food system. REGISTER AND BOOK YOUR ROOM We’re excited to highlight one of our outstanding panels, “Voices from Our Communities.” This conversation will focus on how market concentration impacts all of us, especially Read More …
Update, 9/11/18: This position has been filled. Location: Remote (residing in Midwestern, Southern or Western states is preferred) Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a national, membership-based public policy research and advocacy organization headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Founded in 1998, OCM is the only national think tank focusing strictly on antitrust and trade policy in agriculture. OCM represents America’s family farmers and ranchers fighting consolidation and corporate control of the food system. A major part of OCM’s effort Read More …
The New Food Economy By Joe Fassler Last month, in a petition formally filed with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), two advocacy groups made a stunning claim: Your American grass-fed beef might actually come from overseas, even if it’s labeled “Product of U.S.A.” Joe Fassler will be hosting a Q&A about meat labeling on Thursday, July 19 at 1 p.m., EST. Join us by using the hashtag #CarnivoresDilemma. See you there. Those two groups—the American Grassfed Association (AGA), which offers the Read More …
On Thursday evening, SA 3074 to the U.S. Senate Farm Bill, sponsored by Senators Lee, Booker, Paul, Hassan and Warren, was allowed a vote on the Senate floor and failed by a margin of 57 to 38. The amendment would have restored accountability and integrity to the commodity checkoff programs. With U.S. Senators from both sides of the aisle and from across the country supporting SA 3074, Organization for Competitive Markets is ever more committed to continuing our Read More …
WNAX By Tom Ritter Organization for Competitive Market members are backing an amendment they hope to get Senators to vote for in the 2018 farm bill. OCM Executive Director Joe Maxwell says it calls for reform to the checkoff program. He says it would make it more transparent for farmers and ranchers. He says the average producer is being hurt by not having a solid and transparent checkoff program in place. Maxwell says they tried to get their Read More …
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has posted for public comment the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and American Grassfed Association (AGA) petition for policy change on the use of the “Product of U.S.A.” label for meat and meat products. OCM and AGA are calling on farmers, ranchers and consumers to file their individual comments and letters of support by the FSIS deadline of September 17, 2018. OCM and AGA filed the petition for the change Read More …
Meatingplace By Rita Jane Gabbett The battle over whether commodity checkoff programs need reform within the context of the farm bill is not over. This week, 102 farm and food organizations sent a letter calling for the U.S. Senate to support inclusion of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, S. 741, in the Senate version of the farm bill. The legislation’s sponsors, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), plan to introduce their legislation as an amendment to Read More …
Legislation Would Restore Integrity and Transparency to an Out-of-Control Government Program Farm Groups Take on Checkoff-Funded Commodity Trade Associations WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 102 farm and food organizations called on the U.S. Senate to restore accountability and transparency to the commodity checkoff programs by supporting inclusion of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, S. 741, in the Senate version of the Farm Bill. The legislation’s sponsors, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), plan to Read More …