Luis Barrantes Quesada slices a pineapple on a Costa Rica farm owned by his company, Del Valle Verde Corp. He says the fruit is organic, but Costa Rican lawmakers found otherwise. They have asked the country’s attorney general to determine whether Barrantes, fruit certifiers and officials committed fraud.
This point covers luis barrantes quesada slices a pineapple.
Luis Barrantes Quesada slices a pineapple.
Del Valle Verde Corp.
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This part is easy to check. It gives one clear point. Start with the main idea. This point is easy to scan. Keep the next step clear here. How do you know whether food certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is actually organic?
Use one step at a time. Start with the main idea. Read the next short point. Read this point in order. Use this quick point for help. You don’t, according to Costa Rican lawmakers who investigated bogus organic pineapple exports to the United States. A Costa Rican congressional committee says American consumers paid premium prices for more than $6 million in pineapples sold as organic but grown with banned chemicals.
This point covers you don't, according to costa rican.
according to Costa Rican lawmakers who investigated.
A Costa Rican congressional committee says American.
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Start with the main idea. Keep the next step clear. Use the short point first. Use one clear idea here. This line is simple to follow. The findings confirmed NerdWallet’s own investigation into the pineapple scheme last year and flaws it revealed in the USDA organics labeling process. NerdWallet reported conflicts of interest and mismanagement in USDA regulation of the $43 billion U.S. organics industry.
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The findings confirmed NerdWallet's own review into.
flaws it revealed in the USDA organics.
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Move one step at a time. This part is easy to check. Use one step at a time. Use this short note for context. This note gives a simple step. How to find organic food if you don’t trust the USDA label
Start with the main idea. Keep the next step clear. Use the short point first. Keep the next step clear here. This note keeps the meaning clear.- No system is perfect, butyou have ways to find truly organic food, like making sure you buy locally sourced produce and using resources watchdog groups have compiled to help consumers navigate the organics industry.
- Keep an eye out for an upstart, alternative “organics” label and certification process entering a pilot phase in 2018.
- Stay abreast of the national drive to stop fraud and support the organic farming industry.
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No system is perfect.
butyou have ways to find truly.
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Keep an eye out for.
alternative "organics" label.
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A report by the Costa Rican legislators blasted one particular pineapple producer and two companies that certified the exports as organic, accusing one of them of colluding with the producer and lying during sworn public testimony.
This point covers a report by the costa rican.
A report by the Costa Rican legislators.
two companies that certified the exports as.
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Use the short point first. Move one step at a time. It gives one clear point. This line is simple to follow. One simple fact appears here. The certifiers “assumed the role of defense counsel for these companies that committed a large number of irregularities,” the committee report said. “The Ministry of Agriculture seems incapable of sufficient basic coordination with U.S. authorities — in the case of organic pineapple, and most likely many other products — to prevent illegal activities affecting producers and consumers.”
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The reviewers "assumed the role of defense.
"The Ministry of Agriculture seems incapable.
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Use one step at a time. Start with the main idea. Read the next short point. This note gives a simple step. Use clear words and short lines. Lawmakers forwarded their findings to Costa Rican prosecutors for possible criminal action against a representative of the certification companies and against the country’s former agriculture minister, Luis Felipe Arauz Cavallini.
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Lawmakers forwarded their findings to Costa Rican.
against the country's former agriculture minister.
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The legislators’ findings undermine USDA officials’ assertions that they are eradicating fraud, leaving U.S. consumers in doubt about “organic” food often sold at twice regular prices.
It gives one clear point. Use one step at a time. Keep the next step clear. One simple fact appears here. Take the next point slowly. Under the USDA system, the agency approves various companies around the world to inspect, monitor and certify whether foods bound for U.S. consumers are produced according to organic standards. The agency announced recently that it would crack down on fraudulent imports by tracing imports electronically and would increase training of certifiers.
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Under the USDA system.
the agency approves various companies around.
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Use one step at a time. Start with the main idea. Read the next short point. Use the next short step. One short check can help here. USDA managers defend their certification process, even as U.S. farmers disenchanted with the agency roll out an alternate organic seal. An agency spokesman sidestepped NerdWallet’s questions concerning USDA failings and the Costa Rica case, instead saying consumers show confidence in the official seal.
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USDA managers defend their rules process.
even as U.S.
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Read the next short point. Use the short point first. This part is easy to check. Use clear words and short lines. Keep the plan easy to follow. “The continued double-digit growth in organic sales is a strong indicator of the trust American households have in the USDA organic seal,” David Glasgow, USDA agricultural marketing service public affairs director, wrote in an email.
This point covers "the continued double-digit growth in organic.
"The continued double-digit growth in organic sales.
USDA agricultural marketing help public affairs director.
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Move one step at a time. This part is easy to check. Use one step at a time. Use this step as a quick guide. Check the key cost here. Glasgow has declined NerdWallet’s requests for nine months to interview Betsy Rakola, USDA organics enforcement chief, and other National Organic Program officials. Rakola closed the Costa Rica pineapple case last summer.
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Glasgow has declined NerdWallet's requests for nine.
USDA organics enforcement chief.
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The two certifiers criticized in the legislators’ report — PrimusLabs, of California, and Kiwa BCS Oko-Garantie GmbH, of Germany — approved production of Costa Rican pineapples allegedly grown with chemicals forbidden in organics.
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The two reviewers criticized in the legislators'.
and Kiwa BCS Oko-Garantie GmbH.
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Use the short point first. Move one step at a time. It gives one clear point. Read the clear step below. This note uses easy words. Humberto Gonzalez Guerrero, who certified Costa Verde-brand pineapples as organic for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is accused of lying during sworn testimony to lawmakers, a charge he denies.
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Humberto Gonzalez Guerrero.
who certified Costa Verde-brand pineapples as organic.
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It gives one clear point. Use one step at a time. Keep the next step clear. Read the short answer next. This line gives one clear fact. The congressional committee found that Primus violated USDA regulations by certifying farms run by Del Valle Verde Corp. while the company’s processing plant was suspended by Costa Rica for organic production.
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The congressional committee found that Primus violated.
while the company's processing plant was suspended.
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Keep the next step clear. Read the next short point. Move one step at a time. Keep the next move simple. Use this short note for context. Lawmakers concluded that Valle Verde’s pineapple operations did not meet organic standards. The committee’s report noted that Luis Barrantes Quesada, Valle Verde chief executive officer, repeatedly refused to respond to their questions.
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Lawmakers concluded that Valle Verde's pineapple operations.
The committee's report noted that Luis Barrantes.
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This part is easy to check. It gives one clear point. Start with the main idea. This point is easy to scan. Keep the next step clear here. The committee asked prosecutors to investigate whether organics certifier Humberto Gonzalez Guerrero, Barrantes and others committed perjury and other offenses.
Keep the next step clear. Read the next short point. Move one step at a time. This line gives one clear fact. Read this easy note next. Gonzalez, speaking for Kiwa, and Barrantes deny the accusations, as does Cavallini, who stepped down as minister of agriculture in May when a new administration took office.
Read the next short point. Use the short point first. This part is easy to check. Read one short idea at a time. This point keeps the topic clear. Farmers selling pineapples certified as organic receive about twice the amount they can charge for conventionally grown fruit. Growing fruit with chemicals is cheaper and easier, and reduces risks of crop loss due to disease and insect infestations.
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Farmers selling pineapples certified as organic receive.
Growing fruit with chemicals is cheaper.
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Use the short point first. Move one step at a time. It gives one clear point. The next point is easy to track. Use this short part as a guide. The lawmakers called on Costa Rica’s Ministry of Agriculture to stop allowing Primus and Kiwa to certify organic operations in their country. Executives at Primus AuditingOps’ Santa Maria, California, headquarters have not responded to repeated requests for comment.
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The lawmakers called on Costa Rica's Ministry.
Kiwa to certify organic operations in.
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In the United States, the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit watchdog organization, blames USDA corruption and negligence not only for an influx of fake-organic imports but for violations by domestic milk and egg producers.
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In the United States.
the Cornucopia Institute.
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Keep the next step clear. Read the next short point. Move one step at a time. This part uses short plain words. Read this short guide first. The Organic Trade Association, the main U.S. organic industry group, recently announced an anti-fraud initiative. Under the pilot project, organics companies will trace individual ingredients through the supply chain, using anti-fraud guidelines recommended by an association task force.
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The Organic Trade Association.
the main U.S.
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Use the short point first. Move one step at a time. It gives one clear point. This line is simple to follow. One simple fact appears here. Cornucopia, though, has criticized the effort. Anne Ross, Cornucopia farm policy analyst, says that “without regulatory changes that require all entities in the supply chain be certified, backed by strict USDA National Organic Program enforcement, there is no guide or task force that will deter and stop fraud.”
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has criticized the effort.
Cornucopia farm policy analyst.
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Richard Read is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: rread@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @RichReadReports.
Read the next short point. Use the short point first. This part is easy to check. Use this quick line for context. Look at the main issue first. The article $6 Million in Bogus Organic Fruit Sold to U.S., Costa Rican Report Finds originally appeared on NerdWallet.
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