SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, will hold an informational hearing at 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, in State Capitol Room 126. The hearing is open to the public.

This informational hearing, entitled “Truth in Labeling: How California Enforces Organic Standards,” will feature testimony from representatives of the industry, including certified organic farmers and the public and private agencies that set and enforce organic standards.

“Our committee intends to provide clarity about what the term ‘organic’ really means and how the organic certification standards are enforced,” Yamada said. “The use of the word has become a major trend in labeling, but consumers may not know what organic certification, seals, and labels represent, or what they guarantee about the products they buy.”

A 2010 study published by the University of California’s Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics reports that California has the highest number of organic farms, land in organic production, and organic sales among all states. California produces 69 percent of all organic rice sold in the United States.

Audio of the hearing will be broadcast live on the California State Assembly Web site at www.asm.ca.gov/dailyfile .

For more information on the hearing, please contact 916-319-2004.

Assemblymember Yamada represents California’s Fourth Assembly District, including all or parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.