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The USDA: Misleading Consumers About Organic Milk

Target: the USDA
Sponsored by: Consumers Union

Thanks to the Organic Food Production Act passed in 1990, the USDA is supposed to require that all cows have access to pasture if milk is labeled "organic."

But this rule is largely undefined, and as a result, major factory farmers have been selling their milk as "organic" when really their cows are kept in cramped feedlots - only let out to pasture when they're not producing milk.

Now agribusiness wants to make this loophole into a law - pressuring the USDA to adopt a new rule that would allow an organic label whether or not animals have access to open pasture.

But this is not what consumers want - the majority of people surveyed by Consumer's Union believe that milk labeled as organic should mean the cows that produce it have grazed outdoors.

If you don't want your organic milk to come from a feedlot, make your voice heard! Tell the USDA they need more enforceable standards for organic milk, not less.

UPDATE: THE USDA HAS EXTENDED ITS DEADLINE FOR ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS THROUGH JUNE 12TH - SO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD NOW!

deadline: 5-3-2007
goal: 40,000

37,620
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Dear Decision Maker,

I am writing to voice my concern over the delay in setting enforceable pasture standards for organic livestock animals and in response to the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on Access to Pasture in Organic Milk Production (Docket #TM-05-14). I believe that at the very least, the USDA should adopt the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Draft Recommendations of Nov. 17, 2005 into the regulations for the National Organic Program. This recommendation will at least provide a minimum standard that animals should have access to pasture for no less that 120 days in a year so that companies who are not providing any pasture will not be able to sell their milk as organic.

As a consumer who pays a premium price for organic milk, I expect that milk to come from animals that grazed outdoors for most of their lives and were not confined indoors. Those practices are associated with sustainable agriculture systems and healthier animals, which I support when I pay a premium for organic products. I am dismayed to learn that I may not know that the organic milk I buy comes from animals that may have been confined and not provided adequate access to pasture. If this loophole is not corrected soon, I will not pay a premium for organic milk and meat products that do not guarantee pasture access was provided. My sentiments are well reflected in a recent nationwide survey of 1485 U.S. online adults conducted by Consumers Union that showed that:

--More than two-thirds of those surveyed and 75% of women believe that the national organic standards should require that animals graze outdoors.

--Few consumers (only 14%) would continue to pay a premium for organic milk that came from cows that were confined indoors and did not graze outdoors (have access to pasture)

Without enforceable standards in place, the market for organic milk and meat products will be in jeopardy. Please take steps to ensure that my trust in organic foods can remain as high as possible and adopt the National Organic Standards Board November 2005 recommendation into the regulations.

Sincerely,

We signed the “The USDA: Misleading Consumers About Organic Milk” petition!

# 37,732:

1:07 pm PDT, Jun 28, Name not displayed, New York

# 37,731:

12:05 pm PDT, Jun 28, Lisa Powers, Mississippi

# 37,730:

11:59 am PDT, Jun 28, Debra Olsson, Oregon
We need better rules/laws for these animals. We must allow them the pasture and not just treat them like dumb animals who we get soemthing from. Please provide a pasture and natural resources for them. Thank you

# 37,729:

11:47 am PDT, Jun 28, Queta Nicholas, Texas

# 37,728:

11:39 am PDT, Jun 28, Bella Romain, Arizona
Cows in cramped feedlots are not what people envision when they buy "organic" milk.

# 37,727:

11:37 am PDT, Jun 28, Michael Nolan, Illinois

# 37,726:

11:35 am PDT, Jun 28, Lindsey Sherman, Arizona

# 37,725:

11:26 am PDT, Jun 28, Jay Soto, New Jersey

# 37,724:

10:57 am PDT, Jun 28, Linda Beliveau, Rhode Island

# 37,723:

10:33 am PDT, Jun 28, Cathleen E. Holcomb, Georgia

# 37,722:

10:20 am PDT, Jun 28, Danielle Harmon, California

# 37,721:

9:23 am PDT, Jun 28, Brad Siegfried, Wisconsin

# 37,720:

9:16 am PDT, Jun 28, Laura Medley, Tennessee
We deserve to choose what we put in our bodies, not the profiteers and those in the fda. We want standards raised!

# 37,719:

9:12 am PDT, Jun 28, Staci Miller, California
Your standards have alwalys been a sham - siding more on the side of business and government charade. So glad that consumers are finally catching on - I hope their voices continue to get stronger and that you finally start to listen and think of future generations, sustainability, and global health.

# 37,718:

8:57 am PDT, Jun 28, C Fanizzi, New York

# 37,717:

8:46 am PDT, Jun 28, Sophie Alevizaki, Greece

# 37,716:

8:30 am PDT, Jun 28, John Kesich, Pennsylvania
What part of "organic" don't you understand?

# 37,715:

7:34 am PDT, Jun 28, Niechele Gambill, Texas
I buy Organic because I trust that the product information is valid. Please do not mislead your buyers, it is unethical. I have made a choice to support more humane practices for livestock, your obligation is to provide truthful information.

# 37,714:

7:25 am PDT, Jun 28, Paula Collins, Illinois
PLEASE take care of our past present and future care of our livestock-for they can't care for themselves.THANK YOU

# 37,713:

6:21 am PDT, Jun 28, Debbie Reece, Idaho

# 37,712:

5:56 am PDT, Jun 28, Gary Hileman, California

# 37,711:

4:39 am PDT, Jun 28, Holly Timberlake, Ohio
"Organic" needs to be a label that people can trust or it will come to mean little. People who purchase organic foods know that the quality of the milk will be reduced significantly the less well the animals are cared for.

# 37,710:

2:49 am PDT, Jun 28, Beckie Binney, Florida

# 37,709:

1:56 am PDT, Jun 28, Colleen Duarte, California
"Shouldn't that label actually mean something?" - the guy before me... No kidding! Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, we're actually residing in the 'United States of America' - where statements aren't worth the paper they're printed on... or should I just Not Go *There*?

# 37,708:

1:28 am PDT, Jun 28, Robert Negut, Romania
Shouldn't that label actually mean something?

# 37,707:

12:31 am PDT, Jun 28, Frank Chizmar, Vermont

# 37,706:

10:02 pm PDT, Jun 27, Lanie Wagenberg, California
Standards for organic products should not be compromised by the demands of agribusiness. Their bottom line is profit and they care little about being ethical or humane. Consumers who buy organic are willing to pay higher prices to support what is better for their health, the environment and the animals. The standards should be high-- straightforward, honest and enforceable--for organic milk as well as other such products. Consumers do not like being misled and deceived, especially by the government's bending of the rules under pressure from big business.

# 37,705:

9:50 pm PDT, Jun 27, Elizabeth Bones, North Carolina

# 37,704:

9:46 pm PDT, Jun 27, Brigit Sunflame, Oregon
When I buy something marked organic, I *expect* it to BE organic, with all the humane and earth-friendly treatment that goes along with that label when it's used properly. Up your standards. Love and peace, Brigit

# 37,703:

9:40 pm PDT, Jun 27, Sue Gridley, Georgia

# 37,702:

9:29 pm PDT, Jun 27, Nicole Phillips, New York

# 37,701:

9:12 pm PDT, Jun 27, Vanessa Bubenzer, Indiana

# 37,700:

8:57 pm PDT, Jun 27, Carole Spear , Massachusetts

# 37,699:

8:52 pm PDT, Jun 27, Kenny Swete, Georgia

# 37,698:

7:38 pm PDT, Jun 27, Helen Heater, Florida

# 37,697:

7:37 pm PDT, Jun 27, Diana Royce, Colorado
There are some of us who due to sensitivities NEED to be able to count on an Organic label to really mean Organic. Please consider Health over Profit in your decisions.

# 37,696:

7:18 pm PDT, Jun 27, Name not displayed, California
USDA get your act together. Pass bills that are going to help the people without harming the animals

# 37,695:

7:11 pm PDT, Jun 27, Name not displayed, Missouri

# 37,694:

7:10 pm PDT, Jun 27, Jamie Stroble, North Carolina

# 37,693:

7:01 pm PDT, Jun 27, Autumn Fitzpatrick, Florida

# 37,692:

6:55 pm PDT, Jun 27, Janet Sappington, Missouri
We can't let "organic" mean anything less. Our health and our children and grandchildren depend on the USDA. Let's keep it strong and honest.

# 37,691:

6:36 pm PDT, Jun 27, Name not displayed, Utah

# 37,690:

6:20 pm PDT, Jun 27, Ava Kamari, New York
Any product resulting from cruelty to animals should be boycotted. And truth in advertising wouldn't be a bad idea. --Rev. Ava Kamari

# 37,689:

5:19 pm PDT, Jun 27, Kim Stevens, California

# 37,688:

5:05 pm PDT, Jun 27, Michael Madias, Oregon

# 37,687:

4:53 pm PDT, Jun 27, Jessica Russell, California
I choose organic food for health reasons: healthier environment, healthier workers, healthier family. Health should never be compromised for misleading lables or profit.

# 37,686:

4:14 pm PDT, Jun 27, Lorenzo Diaz, Florida

# 37,685:

4:01 pm PDT, Jun 27, Florence Dollman, Pennsylvania

# 37,684:

3:45 pm PDT, Jun 27, Jeanette LeVesque, Minnesota

# 37,683:

3:31 pm PDT, Jun 27, Steve Mann, Missouri

# 37,682:

3:21 pm PDT, Jun 27, William Lynn, New York
What'a a cow's life without pasture?

# 37,681:

3:06 pm PDT, Jun 27, Royal L. Tinsley, Tennessee

# 37,680:

2:08 pm PDT, Jun 27, Kim McDaniel, Missouri

# 37,679:

2:08 pm PDT, Jun 27, Monica Schrager, Illinois

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The USDA: Misleading Consumers About Organic Milk

This petition has been closed.