"Organic" has become a familiar word for many eaters, but there's more to organic certification than meets the eye!  

Organic food processors have to follow National Organic Program rules for ingredient sourcing, equipment cleaning, and record-keeping.  Come and learn what the organic label claims are and review the requirements for food producers who may incorporate organic ingredients into their products.

Prior to studying law at UC Berkeley, Allison Clark worked as a Senior Handler Certification & Policy Specialist for CCOF, one of the pioneers in organic certification. She will demystify the legal hoops that you have to jump through to become certified organic. Allison is currently co-director of the Community Food Enterprise Project at Boalt School of Law, UC Berkeley.

The Community Food Enterprises Project (CFEP) is a project of Students for Economic & Environmental Justice at Berkeley Law. The group works with the Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC) and the East Bay Community  Law Center (EBCLC) to provide legal support and counseling to small-scale food enterprises serving low-income communities. UC Berkeley law students research and present on discrete topics at Legal Eats workshops, which provide an overview of critical legal issues faced by community food enterprises and connects participants with local organizations to support their needs. Students also students engage with clients who are seeking legal guidance for their food enterprises. 

The Resilient Communities Legal Cafe provides direct legal support to individuals and groups who are working to create new solutions for resilient local economies in Oakland, Berkeley, and beyond! Inaugurated in February 2013, the Legal Cafe will run weekly at different locations in the East Bay through the end of 2014.

For more information on the Resilient Communities Legal Cafe, please visit www.theselc.org/cafe.