USDA Proposes Rule to Increase Animal-Handling Requirements of Organic Standards

USDA is proposing to strengthen the organic livestock and poultry production requirements to ensure organic standards meet consumer expectations and maintain the integrity of the organic seal, said USDA AMS Administrator Elanor Starmer. The changes in the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Proposed Rule are based on recommendations by the National Organic Standards Board and incorporate years of public comment and suggestions by stakeholders.

Designed to provide clear guidance for organic producers and handlers to provide for their animal’s welfare, major provisions include:

• Clarification of how producers and handlers must treat livestock and poultry to ensure their health and well-being throughout life, including transport and slaughter.  
• Specification of physical alterations that are allowed and prohibited in organic livestock and poultry production.  
• Establishment of minimum indoor and outdoor space requirements for poultry.   

With the total U.S. retail market for organic products growing by 12 percent from 2014 to 2015 and now valued at more than $39 billion, the proposals would add specificity to the animal production and handling aspects of organic production. USDA has strengthened programs that support organic operations over the past seven years, helping to make organic certification more accessible, attainable, and affordable through a "Sound and Sensible" initiative which includes streamlining the certification process, focusing on enforcement, and working with farmers and processors to correct small issues before they become larger ones.

The proposed rule will be published soon in the Federal Register and is available to view now at www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic-livestock-and-poultry-practices. Once it is published, written comment can be made at www.regulations.gov, or submitted by mail using the process outlined in the proposed rule, to Paul Lewis, National Organic Program, USDA-AMS-NOP, Room 2646-So., Ag Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC  20250-0268.  

The National Organic Program, part of the Agricultural Marketing Service, is responsible for ensuring the integrity of organic agricultural products in the United States and throughout the world. More information is available at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.