Thump on the Head to Stonyfield Farm and...

Thump on the head goes to organic milk producers, Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley and Humboldt Creamery.

I say this after a very disappointing discovery today. These three fairly well-respected producers joined unscrupulous dairy operators Aurora and Horizon Organic in the lobbying of the USDA to keep pasture and feed requirements vague, by not requiring any specific percentage of the cow's feed to come from pasture.

I thought Stonyfield, Organic Valley and Humboldt were white hats. This may not be true, unfortunately.

Background: Thousands of organic consumers, and an increasing number of retailers, have 86'd Horizon and Aurora products in a rejection of deceptive marketing tactics. Horizon and Aurora give consumers the impression that their milk cows are being grazed on pasture when in reality the cows are intensively confined and only come outside only briefly between their three-times-a-day milkings. The National Organic Standards Board and the overwhelming majority of the nation's dairy farmers have repeatedly stated that at least 30% of an organic cow's feed during the growing season should be coming from pasture. Without this provision, large operators can cross their fingers behind their backs and put their cows out for 45 minutes a day, confining them to a feedlot the rest of the time, and call it "grazing." 

In an effort to influence rulings, Horizon, Aurora, Stonyfield, Organic Valley and Humboldt Creamery wrote a letter to the USDA Secretary proposing their own "fix" to the controversy, a fix that does not include the 30% minimum feed intake provision  -- a major betrayal, as far as the organic community is concerned.

Reality: Horizon and Aurora Organic claim that their dairy animals have "access" to pasture. The Cornucopia Institute has documented a very different reality. Visit their website to see their Organic Dairy Brands Rating Scorecard, the result of a research study and ranking of every organic dairy brand in the country in terms of their ethical approach to abiding by the letter and spirit of the organic law. Then take a look at the photo gallery of the cows having "access to pasture", wink-wink-nudge-nudge. After that, look at the "supermarket pastoral" graphics of happy cows on the packaging of Horizon and Aurora products. barf-barf.

These industrial organic operations should be required to defend their imagery and happy-talk with hard facts. They should comply with a minimum requirement of pasture grass as a percentage of the weight of the feed.  

I don't know about you, but I don't happen to trust the corporations that own and operate the massive factory-farms to act in good faith to pasture these animals. They have been gaming the system for years. Nor do I trust the USDA to enforce another standard open to interpretation. The USDA is notorious for looking the other way. What we need are hard benchmarks as outlined by the organic community.

As always, Local Forage recommends voting with your pocketbook. In the Bay Area, buy Strauss Organic (pasteurized), Organic Pastures (raw) or Claravale (raw). Sorry Stonyfield, maybe you should explain to your customers why you don't want to comply with the 30% feed minimum.

Send an online letter to the CEOs of Horizon and Aurora.

Find out which private label brands are supplied by Horizon and Aurora.

Organic Consumers Association article, The Big Fix
The letter from Horizon et al to the USDA
Cornucopia Institute

Comments

[Jim]

These large dairies are all members of the Organic Trade Association which is the primary lobbying organization for the organic food and fiber industries.

Unfortunately, the OTA Board of Directors represent large corporate interests for the most part and have great influence on Organic Standards put in place by the USDA.

OTA fought hard to protect the processors of various food items from having to have 100% certified organic ingredients to qualify as organic.

They also supported the large dairies whom wish to feed their cows with conventionally grown grain and supplements and still call their products...Organic.

In a nut shell...it is either Organic or not Organic and truth in labeling should prevail.

The Organic Consumers Association has been a leader in protecting the consumer and can put pressure on these companies to get their act together. Check them out at www.organicconsumers.org

You can follow the activities of the Organic Trade Association at www.ota.com. Keep up the good work and keep their feet to the fire.

My firm withdrew from the OTA because of their focus on the "Big Guys".

[Jim]

These large dairies are all members of the Organic Trade Association which is the primary lobbying organization for the organic food and fiber industries.

Unfortunately, the OTA Board of Directors represent large corporate interests for the most part and have great influence on Organic Standards put in place by the USDA.

OTA fought hard to protect the processors of various food items from having to have 100% certified organic ingredients to qualify as organic.

They also supported the large dairies whom wish to feed their cows with conventionally grown grain and supplements and still call their products...Organic.

In a nut shell...it is either Organic or not Organic and truth in labeling should prevail.

The Organic Consumers Association has been a leader in protecting the consumer and can put pressure on these companies to get their act together. Check them out at www.organicconsumers.org

You can follow the activities of the Organic Trade Association at www.ota.com. Keep up the good work and keep their feet to the fire.

My firm withdrew from the OTA because of their focus on the "Big Guys".