February 26, 2010

New rule crushes organic mega-dairies in US

A new ruling closes several loopholes that mega-dairies have been using to exploit the organic market with milk from farms that hardly resemble real organic farms in the US.

Proponents of small farms and organic watchdog groups found themselves in unfamiliar waters recently: cheering the USDA for tightening the definitions of organic meat and dairy. On February 12, the agency passed what some are calling the most sweeping rewrite of federal organic standards since their inception in 2002.

The ruling, called Access to Pasture, also leaves wide open a huge question on feeding restrictions - or lack thereof - for organic beef cows.

Access to Pasture mandates organic meat and dairy cattle must graze for the entirety of the growing season, with a minimum of 120 days spent on pasture. At least 30% of total annual caloric intake must come from grazing.

This is a huge blow to certain mega-dairies that for years had taken advantage of the previous rule that only required organic cows to have access to pasture.

In addition to clarifying the pasturing requirements for cattle, Access to Pasture tightens up several other cracks in the definition of organic.

It expands and strengthens the language prohibiting antibiotics in organic feed, requires that any edible bedding (like straw or corn cobs) be certified organic, and mandates that pasture be managed as a crop -  to produce abundant forage.