Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its proposal to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) Rule. Over 10 years in the making, the OLPP rule would have brought Organic farm practices more in line with the higher welfare standards consumers expect of the program while improving the lives of more than 100 million farm animals each year.

“With this action, the USDA is abandoning the most significant federal standard governing animal welfare on farms ever written, making farm animals more vulnerable to cruelty and suffering while protecting deceptive industry practices that only increase those threats,” says ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker. “The agency is shirking its statutory responsibility to ensure organic farm conditions meet the spirit of the Organic program and match consumer expectations of strong animal welfare consideration. This is yet another example of the USDA manipulating its rule-making process to benefit Big Agriculture interests and, in the process, abandoning its duty to support responsible organic farmers and consumers who have fought alongside animal advocates for nearly two decades to make this rule a reality.”

There’s still time to act. You can speak up directly at regulations.gov and join our Advocacy Brigade to get the latest updates on how you can fight to save the Organic animal welfare rule!