Dive Brief:
- The USDA proposed guidelines Thursday regarding animal welfare requirements for organic meat and poultry.
- Per the proposed rules, all livestock, including poultry, must have enough room to lie down, turn around, stand up, and fully stretch their limbs. Farmers can't remove the animals' beaks or cut their tails and must provide fresh air and ventilation for poultry houses.
- The broadest changes would come to how poultry farmers house their flocks, including recommendations for population density and how much room the birds have inside and outside. Hen houses must have more outdoor space than a porch, and outdoor areas for poultry birds would need to have "suitable enrichment" to encourage the birds to go outside.
Dive Insight:
Certain food industry players, such as the Organic Trade Association and natural and organic meat producer Applegate Farms, have voiced their support for the USDA's proposals. OTA president Laura Batcha told the Associated Press that the guidelines preserve "the organic seal's reputation as the gold standard for agricultural production practices."
Others are not as supportive of the new requirements. Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, told the Associated Press these requirements could slow the egg business, and therefore sales of the organic corn and soy needed to feed the hens. They could also render investments already made for poultry welfare moot.
Earlier this month, the USDA released data for U.S. organic farming operations, which increased 12% year over year. That percentage was a continuation of the sector's double-digit annual growth. It was the highest growth rate since 2008 and represented a nearly 300% increase since 2002, when the agency began its annual count.
As consumers seek out clean labels and products that are non-GMO and/or free of artificial ingredients, demand for organic foods has increased. Companies ranging from General Mills and Kraft Heinz to ConAgra have made their efforts to include more organic products known in recent months.