Organic advocates have been pushing for improvements and clarity on animal welfare standards, because consumers deserve to know exactly what they're getting with their eggs. The United States Department of Agriculture under the Obama Administration developed and implemented the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule to, among other things, require that chickens used for organic eggs be able to go outside into pasture. It also improved other aspects of living conditions and slaughter handling, for meat animals.
But the Trump Administration, under pressure from industrial organic, paused the rule, delaying it repeatedly. Now, it's threatening to rescind the rule altogether, erasing years of work on the parts of USDA staffers, farmers, and consumers who want clarity on organic standards.
Public comments received during the rulemaking process made it abundantly clear that members of the public want this rule, as do most small organic farmers. Organic certification is an opt-in process, and people want to be assured that "organic" really means "organic."
It's time for Trump's USDA to stop the delays and allow this rule to go into immediate effect!
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normanack