In a staggering step backward for animal rights, the USDA has recently announced a plan to eliminate the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices rule. This rule requires organic farmers to abide by a set of basic standards of animal care.
Despite being overwhelmingly supported by organic farmers at the rule’s conception in January of 2017, the USDA has continually postponed the enactment; and now, they want to withdraw it entirely.
The announcement of this rule was revolutionary in the organic movement. More than 10 years of collaboration between the USDA, farmers, stakeholders, and consumers was put into the thoughtfully crafted set of standards. These standards included year-round outdoor access, larger living spaces, limitation of beak clipping and tail docking, and much more that would ultimately result in better lives for the animals.
The reversal of the rule seems to stem from the conventional agriculture industry feeling threatened by organics. The organic industry generates over $40 billion in sales each year, and surveys show that over 60% of consumers are willing to, and more than happy to, pay higher prices for more humane animal products.
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With the skyrocketing of organic products lining the shelves of grocery stores and restaurant menus, it is clear that citizens are reaching for products they believe have meaning. They want to contribute to a more compassionate, loving world with their dollar.
Not only is this a negative for consumers, but it is detrimental to the organic farmers who go the extra mile to ensure their animals are treated humanely. With the disintegration of the rule, companies under the organic label will be able to lower their standards, resulting in lower prices — leaving the compassionate farmers to struggle in the competition as they fight for their animals’ welfare.
Thousand of Americans have made their frustration with the USDA’s announcement very clear. Citizens and organizations are calling on the USDA to change its intended course of action.
“We are very disappointed by the USDA’s announcement that it will withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices rule, which sets consistent standards for animal welfare practices in organic farming,” said World Animal Protection in a statement. “Withdrawing these standards – which organic farmers voluntarily commit to — is a tremendous step backwards for the humane treatment of farm animals. We urge the USDA to keep the organics rule in place.”
For 30 days from December 18, 2017, consumers can submit feedback about this plan by clicking here.
We urge you, readers, to make your opinions known. Everyone’s word counts, and we hope that as we all come together to stop this withdrawal in the name of justice, the USDA will reconsider its decision to deny farm animals basic safeguards from cruelty.
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What an absolute disappointment the USDA is! We are endeavouring to make the world better for animals an these bastards are retarding the process. Time to rethink the USDA!
I am more for animals that are helpless, god created animals and I get sick and tired of everyone abusing animals. Animals are not to be put on earth for being abused or neglects. Human need to see and feel the pain what animals go thru and human cannot speak out so can you imagine what animals feels. I don’t care about humans I care more for animals. I can handle watching people or hearing about people being murdered or neglect but animals my face get burning hot red when animals being abused. So all your comment about anything just be quiet
The USDA must not take away the animal cruelty standards from the organic label. The public has a right to have access to animals that are treated well and to be safe and healthy for human consumption.
IF you want to hit the meat industry, and take down the entire structure of CORRUPT CORPORATE HEGEMONY, GO VEGAN. Do it for the animals, do it for your health, do it to destroy the evil powers arrayed against the actual workers.
The meat industry is already running scared and losing profits.which is why they are pulling out all stops.
THE TRUTH is that the BLOATED DANGEROUS HEALTH INDUSTRY is 17% of GDP.
Meat and Dairy industry is another 7-8% of GDP.
What is the current GDP? about 16 trillion?
EIGHTY PERCENT of current diseases, with the health care costs can be eliminated by going vegan (low fat whole foods plant based).
The money the Meat and Dairy industry garners from it’s disgusting bloody carnage can be eliminated as well..
How much is that?
ALOT,
If everyone became vegan overnight, we could not only hold WALL STREET BY THE SHORT AND CURLIES BUT GOVERNMENT AS WELL.
STRIKE A BLOW FOR JUSTICE, GO VEGAN.
Good luck with that.
It is happening as we speak. PlantPure Nation
https://youtu.be/yBKnG9Y0owQ
If they can get people to do it in Kentucky, the rest of the nation is a cinch.
Please do not do this all animals need all of us to protect them. Please
Animals should be cared for; they are sentient beings. Cruelty to animals demeans humans.
We have a right to know what is in our food and clothes. Label offending groups, or just label so we can check on their practices.
It’s not right
I agree with Valerie this is as heartbreaking as it is evil. STOP KILLING ANIMALS
The trump administration had been a disaster for animals. Call your representatives daily. They need to feel the heat. Animal cruelty is never ok.
You peole in the USDA have brains in your ass
How do I sign this I’m by Australia can I stop this iltreament of animals please
USDA, stop showing your foolish side, get this law enacted now. It is that time where the correct decisions are lauded and stupidity stop being rewarded. Protect all animals from human exploitations.
This administration is composed of beings that have no conscience; they are called Reptilians. They are one branch of the entity that intends to take over the world. We must fight, fight, fight, never quit, be constantly vigilant. They must be run off the planet fovever. They are a demoniac, evil race, and Trump is their puppet.
As to this “great economy”, there are people everywhere living in tents and this government is putting more there every day. Do not fear. They love fear, they thrive on it, literally.
If you want to bash our president, take it to one of your liberal sites. This story is about animals, not your twisted political bias!
No, Peg — Why don’t YOU take it to one of your Rethuglican’t sites????? It’s Resident Rump and his Swamp Cabinet members who are calling the shots. So, yes, we WILL bash -45 and all the a$$holes he chose to destroy the environment, national parks & monuments, and protected places . He deserves EVERY bit of bashing he gets. One more thing: Do you also support -45’s reversal of the trophy ban, since you purportedly love animals so much???
Liberalism is a serious brain disorder!
trump has a serious brain disorder! About 40 Psychiatrists urged Congress to have him evaluated before he was elected. They stated that he has symptoms and displays of bi-polar disease along with schizophrenia. He is NOT fit to be president-NOT qualified and does NOT care about this country-only making money for himself and his cronies. We deserve better and he has the lowest ratings ever for a president and has caused more division and hate in this country. He MUST be removed along with ALL his swamp scum.
Peggy. You must be a troll. Republicans are supporting animal cruelty by doing this. Go educate yourself before defending criminals.
YOU Peggy my dear, have a brain disorder!!! why do people like you constantly attack Liberals for wanting to protect animals.People are pointing out what Trump’s policy is doing to this country.Can’t you see the destruction with your own eyes,can you not defend someone that defends animals.What is wrong with you! look in the mirror,maybe you’re the one with the brain disorder.
let’s just all try to stop eating meat, If we really care about animals .Animals go through so much suffering for human consumption.Every piece of meat you eat, was a living being at one time living with fear,sadness and a lot of times abuse.If you can’t quite meat than at least make their existence as humane as possible.We should treat others (yes ,animals too) the way we want to be treated.
So big agriculture wins and the animals lose. Bloody USDA got it wrong again. They need to support the organic farmers not the bad guys.
We have to boycott ALL products whose producers engage in animal cruelty. Make statements with our dollars & when the economy for meat produce gets hard hit, then they will get the message that it will not be tolerated. Reward only the producers who treat their animals well. Write to congressmen & ALL who have control on the livestock status & make ourselves heard, loud, clear, and strongly.
I submitted feedback to the government and I am hoping others will do the same. We all need to do whatever is possible to protect these helpless creatures.
Doesn’t USDA ever feel shame?
In the 63 years of my life, I have never witnessed a more evil, corrupt and degraded government. I cannot get over how they pass the most vile legislation either through the congress and senate or through executive orders and tout them as accomplishments and successful winning strategies. They claim the economy is great, but all I see is more money making it into corporate execs’ and shareholders’ pockets whilst throwing crumbs to the middle class. What really scares me is how the masses believe the vile republicans who hold office. I still promote the idea of breaking the US up into 2 different countries and handing the red states over to those who want to govern with religion and autocratic and elitist policies Without this division I see no other way for progressive states to move forward.
I wish you Democrats could leave your politics and seething hatred at the door and try to work together with the rest of us to help the animals without having everything be your way or the highway. Quit being so hateful, Valerie, it’s a turnoff for those of us who want to help animals and still love our country. If you hate this country so much, try North Korea or Venezuela where your preferred type of government is already in place. Just get the hell out if you hate it that much. We’re trying to accomplish things here.
Thomas: Maybe if you, and others like you, would quit with ALL THE BS POLITICS, things might get done!!! Hateful??…that is like the pot calling the kettle black!..STOP wagging that perverbial finger always blaming the other side for cripes sake.
As far as Im concerned, the USDA had been all bass ackwards for decades..AND STOP acting like your sh.. doesn’t stink, because it smells just like everyone else’s!!!
Look at your comment, look at who wrote it. Does it look like someone who is loving? I didn’t see anything in what you are condemning that was acting as you say. Telling people how to act never accomplishes anything positive. Who are you to preach to others?
His whole comment was “acting as I say”…you lambaste me for standing up to those who bring politics into this. If someone is loving, they protect those that have others go after them. Telling me how to act and preaching to me about what and how I should act towards others just moots your last sentences.
Seems like u r the one being hateful. Look at yourself, that’s all, just be still and look at yourself.
Thomas, I agree with you 100%! This is about animals, not politics, but it seems that liberals just have to trash all non liberals regardless of what the topic is about. If they want to rag on Conservatives, do it on one of the many political sites. I care about the animals, not their liberal views & all their hatred for conservatives.
Politics determine the rules. Educate yourself, Peggy.
And yet both you, Valarie and Thomas bring your “political view” into it, Peggy. Valarie was correct, to a point, about this administration because that who is in control of the USDA at the moment! Thomas bashing 1 party against another and you seething about liberals vs conservatives. The animals have no vote, no voice and the only recourse they do have is people standing up for them! IT does not matter who is in charge, it matters that they get the point!
Agree.
How about everyone on this thread GOING VEGAN in 2018 and that way LESS animals will be abused, tortured and slaughtered in ways that NO one seems to think about but needs to!!!! It will probably be the BEST decision you ever made. It is also better for the environment and your health.
Thomas, you must be referring to your own hate. Hate pushes this administration to treat animals inhumanely as far as I know. Why do you want to send people to Venezuela for expressing their opinions? There is freedom of expression in the land of the Free. Read your US Constitution and if you don’t like people to express their opinions you should be the one migrating to Venezuela. Authoritarian ways seem to be your preference.
The USDA has always been corrupt. ALL the regulatory organs of government were put in place to give the appearance of doing something to stop the wholesale evil, while basically doing NOTHING.
IT IS NOT ONE PARTY, much as i loathe the outright vileness of the republican party, the democrats are vile as well. They undercut actual populist candidates at the primaries like Howard Dean or Bernie Sanders and put in establishment friendly candidates.
The US government has in fact NOT represented the American people for over 100 years now if it ever did.
Corporations are CORRUPT by nature and should never have been allowed to form, they are mechanisms by which profit is the singular motive and is shuffled off to shareholders and execs while the actual cost is externalized to the public (health, environmental, death, suffering)NO ONE IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE. It is an artificial entity whose human directors can claim almost total immunity to law, lie cheat steal and murder with impunity.
The FACT is that the Federal government itself became a corporation, as are most state governments, and municipals. Given the CORRUPT VILE NATURE OF CORPORATIONS it should be very clear why the system as it is now, is such a pathetic failure…this is a system where YOU the taxpayer are told to be responsible and honest, while the corruption of government and corporations rob you blind…(like the recent Real Estate bubble that burst in 2008; that was A DELIBERATE, ENGINEERED FRAUD PUT IN PLACE BY A COLLUSION OF INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT…The Federal Government is actually the enemy of most Americans.