U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) led 54 Members of Congress in pressing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to quickly implement an Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) rule, including the compliance timeframe for outdoor access and density. The long-awaited and widely supported rule will enhance animal welfare, bolster consumer confidence, and protect organic producers from being unfairly disadvantaged in the marketplace.
“The implementation of consistent and robust standards is critical to meeting consumer expectations, promoting fair practices, and improving the care of the more than 186 million animals raised under the organic label,” the lawmakers wrote.
“The OLPS rule represents landmark federal regulations to set clear, consistent, enforceable, and robust standards for organic livestock, in line with the intent and spirit behind the National Organic Program,” they continued. “Again, we applaud USDA for moving forward with this rulemaking that will benefit farmers, animals, and consumers alike, and urge its swift implementation so that the integrity of USDA’s organic label is ensured.”
The full letter is copied below and is available online here.
Pingree, a long-time organic livestock farmer, has been pushing the USDA to reinstate the rule since it was withdrawn during the Trump administration. In a House Agriculture Committee hearing last year, Pingree questioned Secretary Vilsack on the USDA’s timetable, stressing the importance of meaningful, well-defined standards for organic livestock and poultry.
Pingree serves on the House Agriculture Committee and House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee.
We are writing in support of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) proposed rule (Doc. No. AMS-NOP-21-0073). These long-awaited and widely supported regulations will enhance animal welfare, bolster consumer confidence, safeguard the integrity of the organic label, and protect organic producers from being unfairly disadvantaged in the marketplace. We look forward to USDA finalizing this rule and welcome the opportunity to provide input on the department’s proposal at this stage.
As you know, this rule is the culmination of decades of public input and extensive economic analysis. Before the prior administration withdrew the 2017 iteration of this rule, tens of thousands of comments were submitted – almost all of them in support of the regulations. We are gratified that USDA is working to fulfill the mission of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which granted broad legal authority to USDA to promulgate regulations governing the organic standards including additional requirements “for the care of livestock”.
Organic farming is a vital part of U.S. agriculture production and the economy more broadly. We commend USDA for prioritizing these much needed regulations to set clear standards concerning outdoor access and the care of animals raised under the National Organic Program, create a level playing field for organic farmers, and meet consumer expectations.
We wish to highlight a number of the key components in the proposed rule that will deliver clear and consistent standards for certified organic livestock care; importantly, the proposed rule would:
Speedy implementation of this rule is critical. Therefore, we urge the agency to limit the timeframe to comply with outdoor access and density requirements for organic poultry to no longer than 3 years. Outdoor access is viewed as a key component of the organic program and standards requiring such access have been decades in the making; continuing to delay implementation of these standards disadvantages producers who have already invested in providing their birds with meaningful outdoor access and impedes their ability to compete fairly in the marketplace.
The implementation of consistent and robust standards is critical to meeting consumer expectations, promoting fair practices, and improving the care of the more than 186 million animals raised under the organic label.
Surveys show strong support among American consumers for higher animal welfare standards for organic foods and a willingness to pay a premium for these practices. For example, in a 2017 Consumer Reports survey, 83 percent of consumers who buy organic products said that it is highly important that eggs labeled “organic” come from hens that have sufficient outdoor space to move freely. As the $62 billion organic industry continues to grow, it is imperative that the voluntary organic standards align with the expectations of consumers seeking these value-added products.
The OLPS rule represents landmark federal regulations to set clear, consistent, enforceable, and robust standards for organic livestock, in line with the intent and spirit behind the National Organic Program. Again, we applaud USDA for moving forward with this rulemaking that will benefit farmers, animals, and consumers alike, and urge its swift implementation so that the integrity of USDA’s organic label is ensured.