Target: Thomas J. Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture
The USDA recently announced the rejection of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule, which had originally been reversed in 2017 under the Trump administration. The Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) would have increased federal regulation of livestock and poultry for certified organic producers. Included among these regulations were vital protections for farmed animals, including the provision of more space for pigs and broiler chickens, as well as outdoor access for broiler chickens and laying hens.These proposed revisions for organic standards for livestock are much needed, and would help save hundreds of millions of animals from needless suffering. The Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule, if passed, will also ensure the public’s expectations of “organic” meat and dairy products that better align with the actual welfare standards on animal farms.
Sign this petition to demand the USDA vote to pass this rule during the re-examination.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
While the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule was recently rejected, its upcoming re-examination offers hope to the billions of animals suffering on industrial farms througout the country. Increasing federal regulations of animal welfare practices on “organic” farms would promote vital protections for farmed livestock, including space allowances for pigs and broiler chickens and outdoor access for hens and roosters. It would also help to remedy the publics’ skewed notion of what they think organically produced meat and dairy is, as opposed to what it actually means for the animals involved.
We are asking you, Mr. Vilsack, to approve of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule and instate much needed welfare improvements for meat and dairy animals across the nation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Narek Avetisyan
