The organic community is celebrating a big victory for organic dairy and egg producers. In October 2023, USDA finalized the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standard (OLPS) and slated it for implementation. This announcement has been eagerly anticipated, especially following the finalization of the Origin of Livestock Standard (OOLS) for organic dairy in March of 2022.
This is a big deal for small, family farmers, like the folks who are members of the dairy cooperative Organic Valley, for example. NCG and our organic advocacy partners have advocated for the strengthening of organic animal welfare standards for over a decade. The new standard will ensure that what’s happening on certified organic farms matches what consumers expect when they purchase organic products and provides clarity that will make it harder for industrial organic operations to benefit from “loopholes” in former regulations that had been subject to interpretation.
Why is organic advocacy like this important?
When customers choose to buy organic milk or eggs, they demonstrate their trust in the USDA organic seal and what it represents. Because organic products are nearly 40% of the average NCG food co-op’s sales, NCG works on a national level to advocate for strong organic standards that reflect what consumers expect from the label.
The original law establishing USDA organic certification was passed in 1990 and set up a unique system for public input so that that everyone who cares about organic — farmers, environmentalists, consumers and companies — could participate in updating the regulations as the market grows, while at the same time ensuring that strong standards continue to earn consumer trust. Organic businesses thrive when strong regulations uphold consumer expectations.
When NCG and our partners in the organic community notice a need for an update to the regulations (such as when a lack of specificity in the law leads to disparities in the way the law is being interpreted and enforced), we come together to advocate for regulatory changes that strengthen the standards and ensure consistency and a level playing field for all organic farmers. The OLPS and OOLS are great examples of this process and system in action!
Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS)
If you ask a customer how organic egg-laying hens are treated, they might use words like “pasture-raised,” or “free-range.” That’s a common expectation. However, prior to the OLPS, organic animal welfare standards required that animals must have access to the outdoors but did not specify that this means access to soil and vegetation, nor did they describe minimum space requirements. The OLPS was written with lots of input from organic stakeholders to clarify the original law and ensure all organic farmers are following the same rules (including these letters from NCG).
In 2015, the standard was set for implementation but in 2016, the incoming Trump administration tabled it. At that time, the Organic Trade Association (OTA), of which NCG is a member, filed a lawsuit against USDA for failing to implement the OLPS, and NCG signed on as a declarant in 2017. Additionally, as a member of the National Organic Coalition (NOC), NCG participated in a second lawsuit, engaged in successful grassroots advocacy and met directly with lawmakers and USDA officials to ask for their support. Ultimately, it has taken a change of administration to see this rule finalized, but we did it!
Origin of Livestock Standard (OOLS)
In 2019, the organic community came together to ask USDA to finalize OOLS (read NCG’s letter to USDA). This standard clarifies that a farmer can transition a herd to organic one time, but following that, each cow must be managed organically for her entire life for the farmer to be able to sell her milk as organic. This standard serves to shore up inconsistences in interpretation of the previous standard, which saw industrial-scale dairies transitioning conventional cows into organic production regularly — a practice that significantly undermined small-scale and cooperative farmers’ ability to compete in the organic dairy market. Another win for the small-scale organic dairy farmers that supply so many NCG co-ops!
We’re proud to protect organic integrity
NCG is proud to represent your co-ops and customers on these issues and many others. Thank you for the hard work you do to provide your community with delicious food that is produced in ways that are better for people and the planet!
