Statement from the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association on Repeated Delay of USDA Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule

For Immediate Release:
November 10, 2017

Contact:
Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator—(614) 421-2022, amalie@oeffa.org
Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA Communications Coordinator—(614) 421-2022, lauren@oeffa.org

COLUMBUS, OH—Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released notice that they are delaying, for the third time, implementation of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) rule.

“The USDA’s move this week should be seen for what it is: a clear attempt to let industrial agriculture interests usurp the legitimacy of the organic label,” said OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator Amalie Lipstreu. “This rule has been in the making for more than 10 years and has been fully vetted.”

The OLPP final rule would amend production requirements for livestock and poultry under the USDA organic regulations. This rule adds new provisions for how livestock are handled during transport for slaughter as well as avian living conditions. The rule also expands and clarifies existing requirements covering livestock care and production practices and mammalian living conditions. The OLPP final rule was scheduled to become effective on March 20, 2017.

Instead, last spring, AMS published a notice of proposed rulemaking asking the public what direction USDA should take with respect to the rule. In yesterday’s release, the USDA noted that more than 40,000 of the 47,000 total comments received supported implementing the rule immediately. Only one commenter suggested the rule should be delayed.

“The public has high expectations for food that carries the organic label. These expectations are being met or exceeded by more than 90% of organic farmers, who also overwhelmingly support the implementation of these rules without further delay. We should not be catering to the interests of those few producers that do not believe in the values of organic agriculture,” Lipstreu stated.