The organic food sector is
drumming up support for the recently ditched organic livestock rule. Leading the
charge, Organic Valley cooperative of Wisconsin says the group is demanding
that the Department of Agriculture stop interfering with the public process
that created the rule. The coalition, which includes the National Farmers
Union, published a paid open letter in the Washington Post Tuesday, asking
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to reinstate the rule that was issued in
January of last year. USDA continually delayed the rule, and announced in
December intent to withdraw the rule. The withdraw intent met support from
livestock groups and the American Farm Bureau Federation. However, Organic
Valley is calling on consumers to submit comments to USDA to reconsider. Last
month, the Organic Trade Association, which is suing USDA over the withdraw of
the rule, said that USDA data shows out of the more than 47,000 comments the
department received in the last public comment period for the regulation, 99
percent were in favor of the rule becoming effective without further delay.
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