Comment Period Expires June 12!
TELL
USDA TO STOP FACTORY FARM ORGANICS
Organic
Cattle Should Be Pasture Fed - Not raised in intensive feedlots
Two of the largest organic dairy companies in the nation, Horizon
Organic (a subsidiary of Dean Foods), a supplier to Wal-Mart
and many health food stores; and Aurora Organic, a supplier of
private brand name organic milk to Costco, Safeway, Giant, Wild
Oats and others, are purchasing the majority of their milk from
feedlot dairies where the cows have little or no access to pasture.Together,
these corporations control up to 65% of the organic dairy market.
Here's how organic consumers can help put a stop to this:
The USDA has posted revisions to the National Organic Program
and is seeking public comment until June 12, 2006. The revisions
can be viewed here. A portion of the revisions relate to the
issue of dairy produced on factory farms being misleadingly labeled
as "organic."
Take action and send a letter to the USDA here.
Background
Info:
The
watchdog group Cornucopia
Institute recently published a long-awaited report
on organic dairy practices in the USA, and the facts are rather
sobering. The good news is that most organic dairies in the U.S.
are following strict organic standards, including giving animals
regular access to pasture. The bad news is that several major
players in the organic dairy sector are blatantly violating organic
standards. Take action and send a letter to the USDA here.
In
addition, a routine practice on these giant dairy feedlots, many
with thousands of cows, is to continuously import calves from
conventional farms, where animals have been weaned on blood, fed
slaughterhouse waste and genetically engineered grains, and injected
or dosed with antibiotics. Certifiers endorsing these factory
farm organic products include QAI and the Colorado state department
of agriculture. Send a message to the National Organic Program
of the USDA and Congress to stop the labeling of factory farm
milk as "organic."
These
corporate farms and their wealthy investors are jeopardizing the
livelihoods of organic family-scale dairy farmers throughout the
United States, along with the more modest-sized companies and
cooperatives that market their milk.
Take
action and send a letter to the USDA here.