Trump’s USDA to Withdraw Organic Animal Welfare Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced plans to withdraw a regulation that would have set animal welfare standards in organic agriculture. This rule to establish the first-ever federal animal welfare protections on farms is overwhelmingly supported by the organic industry as well as animal welfare, environmental, and consumer organizations. More than 40,000 comments were sent to USDA during the rulemaking process, the vast majority of which were in support.

Lisa Archer, Director of the Food and Agriculture Program at Friends of the Earth, issued the following response:

Trump’s decision to cave to a handful of powerful agribusiness interests by scrapping the organic animal welfare rule is a slap in the face to organic farmers and to the millions of consumers who have put their trust into the organic label.

Congress must step up to stop Trump’s attack on organic.

Expert contact: Lisa Archer, (510) 900-3145, [email protected]
Communications contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, [email protected]