The Organic Trade Association is suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the USDA decision to withdraw the Organic Livestock Standards proposed and endorsed by most in the organic industry. Nate Lewis, farm policy director for the Organic Trade Association, says the USDA broke the rules when withdrawing the standards without public comment.
Lewis says the decision to withdraw the standards is disappointing because the organic industry wants and needs those standards in place.
The livestock standards would prevent producers from finding shortcuts around animal care standards and put all organic producers on a level playing field. Lewis also says the standards are important to organic consumers.
He says consumer confidence in the organic label is high and they’re trying to maintain the integrity of the label with the lawsuit. The proposed organic livestock standards were produced after ten years of work. He says OTA simply wants that effort rewarded.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.