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Home>Action Alerts>02FEB2008

Information Alert on the Agriculture Census

2008 Census of Agriculture Survey

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) has been getting numerous calls from farmers asking if they should fill out the survey for the Census of
Agriculture. Many are complaining that questions in the survey are intrusive. As
it did last year, the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) recommends that people not send in the survey.

The federal statute giving United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the
authority to conduct the survey specifically states, "Information obtained under
this subsection may not be used for any purpose other than the statistical purposes for which the information is supplied." [Title 7, United States Code 2204g(e)(3)]

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the division of USDA conducting the survey, has violated this provision of the law in the past by using information (i.e., names and addresses) from the survey to send out applications for premises registration under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

Even though the statute states that failure to answer a question can result in a
$100 fine, to the knowledge of both WAPF and FTCLDF no one has ever been fined for failing to send in the survey. Those who have any questions about the survey may contact the Legal Defense Fund at 703-208-3276.

Please convey this information to your local farmers.

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