tad mutersbaugh’s Recent Comments

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  Economics, Integrity and Fairness

  Responding to a few of the points above, I'd first like to address Emily's note about village-inspector `credentialing' (to distinguish it from the USDA usage [thanks Emily]). It is true that peasant inspectors are paid by the producer group umbrella organization, although the method of payment conforms to normative organic certification practices. Inspectors certify compliance in other villages (not their own), and the inspected group pays inspectors regardless of how the internal inspection comes out.

  That said, perhaps there is room for certifiers to become more directly involved in credentialing and evaluations? Emily's idea - I hope I'm not misrepresenting it -- merits serious consideration. In practice there are very few villagers who have the skills set necessary to work as inspectors (accounting, speak Spanish, speak local indigenous language, are sufficiently mobile but not likely to migrate to the US, and can pass exams to become registered with certifying agencies). Over time this group has tended to become more and more professionalized, yet their village lifeways allow them to live and work for less than urban-based professionals. Perhaps this group can be accommodated within the USDA framework.

  In a broader context, and as the study cited by Ron Steenblik points out (also supported by many research studies), the contemporary certification template reflects an ongoing evolutionary process and will likely develop in new directions in years ahead. Why, as Stephanie asks, should the USDA insist on idealized forms of service-provider/client separation that may not be effective at achieving organic outcomes under Mexican conditions? Even the ISO Guide 65 on certification states that certification systems may not place limits on who can be certified (section 4.1). In practice, insistence upon a costly system does this by setting a minimum farm-size such that only farms over, say, 25 hectares can afford to certify.

  It is my sincere hope that some middle ground may be found that can accommodate USDA concerns without placing organic certification beyond the reach of those who need it the most.
  Despite the strange attractiveness of ideal separation to TheSSG, the real-life effect of disqualifying Internal or Group-based certification would be to exclude tens of thousands of impoverished Mexican farmers from organic farming*.

  *for my economic arguments, see papers at
  http://www.uky.edu/~tmute2/mutersbaugh/

  tad

  tad

  On Implications of the last organic latte posted 2 years, 6 months ago 11 Responses

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  So, to whom does this ruling apply?

  With respect to Emily's point, will those Mexican certifiers who DO provide full training and accreditation, and who provide the NOP/USDA with evidence that village-level inspectors have successfully completed their training, be allowed to continue certifying?

  I have read the summary, and it appears contradictory on this point. I do know that at least one Mexican certifier has told associated grower groups to keep following their (arduous and expensive) accreditation procedures. In my view, they certainly should be permitted to continue. I sat through a village inspector training course and had to work to pass the exam. And then inspectors have to prove their mettle during field evaluations. This training, at least in the case with which I am most familiar, is quite rigorous. (and not a fluke, I've seen these done since 2000). Also, this group does have inspectors sign 'conflict of interest' forms, and I know that inspectors are evaluated on an annual basis, although I have not investigated the content of those evaluations.
  So, I'm unsure of how far this ruling reaches (also having seen only the summary). Does it apply only to certifiers who do not meet these norms, or is it to be generally applied to all Mexican certifiers?
  

  tad

  On Implications of the last organic latte posted 2 years, 7 months ago 11 Responses