Some farmers and ranchers will be forced out of organic production if the USDA implements its proposed animal welfare rule for livestock on organic farms, says the American Farm Bureau Federation in urging withdrawal of the proposal. The proposal, which was overwhelmingly supported by organic producers, requires farmers to provide outdoor access to their animals on all but the hottest and coldest days and effective ends the practice of confining egg-laying hens in small “battery” cages.
“This rule … has been about pushing an agenda rather than advancing food safety or animal welfare,” said AFBF president Zippy Duvall. “Organic farmers and ranchers would be forced out of the organic sector or out of business entirely if this rule goes into effect and forces them to arbitrarily change their production practices.” Duvall said the rule, repeatedly delayed by the Trump administration, should be withdrawn because it is an act of federal over-reach.
In a statement last week, Reps. Chellie Pingree of Maine, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, and Ron Kind of Wisconsin – all Democrats – noted that in public comments about the rule, “over 40,000 of the 47,000 total commenters supported implementing the rule immediately.”
“It is overwhelmingly clear that consumers expect high welfare standards for animals raised under organic practices,” the lawmakers said. “It is also clear that organic farmers need clarity and a level playing field. We should be doing everything we can to preserve integrity in the organic label, not jeopardizing consumer confidence by refusing to let” the rule take effect.
The Humane Society of the United States said the rule was being held up because of its impact on large-scale poultry producers who would have to convert their barns for cage-free housing. “The fact is that this rule has already undergone sufficient analysis,” HSUS said. Almost a week ago, the USDA delayed implementation of the animal welfare rule until May 14, 2018, while it considers whether to change its scope and whether it has the statutory authority to issue it at all.
At present, some large poultry operators offer a small, enclosed porch and say it is sufficient to meet the requirement of access to the outdoors. The rule proposed by USDA is more specific about the amount of space poultry, and other animals, should have indoors – enough to stand up and stretch their limbs – and out of doors. “There is absolutely no justification for delaying these standards,” said Consumers Union. “This decision means that chickens on organic farms can remain cramped indoors with tens of thousands of other birds with only token access to the outdoors. This is not what consumers expect when they buy organic eggs and chicken,” said the consumer group.