How Organic Insider operates: We accept no advertising, we have no paywalls and we make our newsletters free to everyone because vital information about our industry needs to get out to as many people as possible. Please consider supporting our work, whether you are an individual or a company. Thank you so much.
In order for organic to function correctly, there needs to be an elevated set of rules that must be followed and enforced, as well as cooperation from many different parties.
When it comes to how broilers and hens should be managed in organic operations, current regulations clearly require that poultry have access to the outdoors and are afforded the opportunity to express their natural behaviors. However, precise rules and minimum specifications do not exist. This has resulted in some organic certifiers turning a blind eye to factory chicken and egg farms, an egregious abuse of the letter and spirit of organic rules, and the USDA has done little to intervene.
The Organic Animal Welfare Standards, also known as the Organic Livestock Poultry Practices (OLPP), were meant to provide a regulatory solution to this problem. Though deeply flawed, OLPP is a rule that had been debated for decades and was agreed upon by the vast majority of the organic community, in addition to having been reinstated by the current USDA administration.
At the end of last month, Representative Keith Self (R-TX) submitted an amendment to H.R. 4368 that would prohibit the funding of OLPP, presumably driven by some big corporation that viewed this new rule as a financial impediment to its current operation.
Needless to say, the organic community was apoplectic — and justifiably so — that some Congressman from Texas could come out of nowhere and potentially wipe out years worth of work with the stroke of a pen.
Yet, that same level of indignation must also be pointed inward, as we have stood by and watched the integrity of the organic seal suffer incalculable damage.
Whether it was ignoring the many years of warnings about fraudulent important organic grains, allowing hydroponics in organic, turning a blind eye to organic factory dairies or the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) losing its autonomy, both corporate lobbyists and special interest groups have heavily pressured the USDA to bend the organic industry to its liking.
But this was not how it was supposed to be.
More than 30 years ago, when organic came under the auspices of the USDA, the NOSB was meant to serve as a buffer between the USDA and the community, and provide industry expertise that government officials lacked. The intention was to have a pure private/public partnership to protect the spirit and essence of what organic represented. The National Organic Program was designed to be “different.”
As a result of the USDA not enforcing the rules over the years and co-opting the NOSB, combined with what Representative Self has just done, we are left with the following conclusion: organic has become just like every other industry in this country, one that is highly politicized and controlled by the major corporations.
“The fix is in,” said Mark Kastel, executive director of OrganicEye, one of the industry’s leading watchdog groups. “We are just another tool of corporate-influenced politicians, and the NOSB has become regulatory theater. However, due to consumers’ intense aversion to GMOs and pesticides, the organic industry keeps growing. As long as this continues and the campaign contributions keep flowing, organic stakeholders ringing the alarm bell about the rules not being enforced will fall mostly on deaf ears.”
WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
Last week, the House Rules Committee did not discuss Representative Self’s proposed amendment. It is unclear if this issue will be pushed forward or not, and Organic Insider will be following it closely. That being said, what this whole episode taught us is that our industry is vulnerable to any single politician that wants to take aim at organic.
Although special interest groups have tremendous influence over both the USDA and NOSB, it does not mean we throw in the towel. The fight to protect the USDA organic seal must go on, and that means participating in the organic process at every level and keeping our elected officials in D.C. informed about what is taking place.
Furthermore, this gives further credence to the importance of the two add-on labels — Regenerative Organic Certified® and Real Organic Project — which both prohibit hydroponics and factory farms.
These two labels are emblematic of a voluntary organic system with participants who all want something different.
 |
With gratitude, 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
Watchdog organization OrganicEye has sent a letter to the USDA, as a preliminary alternative to litigation, requesting the National Organic Standards Board convene a public forum to fully explore the issue.
Scope 3 emissions, or those originating in the company’s value chain outside of its direct control, account for over three-quarters of Amazon’s emissions footprint.
The beverage giant has been deepening its ties to fast-growing companies with a presence in premium and trendy offerings.
We need more governors like this.
Study after study of this chemical has found that even very low exposure causes potential reproductive harm in test animals.
With volumes down but prices up, major food companies are still seeing growing profits.
PFAS was found in seven of eight samples bought at U.S. stores, with organic kale containing higher levels of the toxic compounds.
The over-fertilization of U.S. corn country is not only costly for farmers, but states and the federal government have spent billions to deal with nitrogen contamination.
The technology, which links to a person's credit card, is already installed at 200 of its stores across the country.
Want to share this newsletter on social media? You can use this link: Newsletter Link
