Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hopes that new proposed organic regulations for animal welfare will be complete before President Obama leaves office in January, but isn’t sure. “I’m hopeful that we get them done,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a report by Harvest Public Media. “I can’t guarantee that they’ll get done, but I’m hopeful they get done.”
Harvest Public Media said the proposed rules – which mostly focus on livestock and poultry living conditions, veterinary health care practices on farms, and handling, transport and slaughter of livestock – are awaiting White House review. They were first announced in April.
The rules are aimed at reducing consumer confusion about “what the organic seal stands for and what they can expect of products bearing the seal,” Harvest Public Media said.
The National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and state chapters of the American Farm Bureau Federation oppose the changes, as do members of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team. However, the Organic Trade Association, the main lobbying group of the organic food industry, argue the regulations are necessary to keep the organic label from being watered down, Harvest Public Media said.