Lobbying for Natural Products Issues

This was my second year participating in Natural Products Day, during which many Natural Products Association (NPA) members from around the country join together to visit their respective Representatives and Senators to talk about issues important to the natural products industry. Not only does it feel good to be more a part of the democratic process, but it also is a chance to interact with other activist-minded industry members.

Before the mass of natural products advocates hit the member offices for meetings set up by NPA, there was some learning to be had, led by the Advocacy guru Stephanie Vance, who has been in Washington for over 15 years as both a lobbyist and a congressional aide. She offered many great tips for getting the most out of our member meetings.

Congress is certainly focused on the economy right now, but there is always the chance bills related to natural products may come up. One of the more timely topics is food safety, especially following the peanut butter and salmonella brouhaha. In our meetings, we advocated for GMPs, online country-of-origin information, flexible fees based on company size and continued regulation of dietary supplements as foods.

Obama and the Dems have also been talking about health care reform. We added our two cents by telling our Reps and Senators how natural products should be a part of the solution. We were sure to tell them about the recent studies on key nutrients—omega-3s, calcium/vitamin D, lutein/zeaxanthin and folic acid—and their potential cost savings from reduced hospitalization and doctor visits for health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration and hip fractures.

Also on our advocacy lists were re-emphasizing the merits of DSHEA, supporting continued consumer freedom to buy DHEA as a supplement and asking for support for efforts to update the Childhood Nutrition Act of 1966, which hasn't been updated in 25 years. We asked them to further the efforts initiated in the previous Congress (110th)— companion House and Senate bills (S. 771 and H.R. 1363)—to help create better nutritional standards for school lunches.

Overall I felt the congressional staffers we met were open and receptive to our positions. They seemed to understand the role natural products, food and supplements, play in keeping Americans healthy. As always, the obstacles seem to more in the costs and funding arena than in any opposition to the ideas and principles of the natural products industry.

I encourage everyone who has a stake in this industry and who cares about the benefits it holds for Americans to visit NPA's Web site and learn more details on these important bills and matters facing the current 111th Congress. By learning more about these issues, you can then increase your participation in our nation's democratic process, whether you attend next year's Natural Products Day in DC or write letters to your Reps and Senators throughout the year. It all helps.