You might have seen the news that USDA Organic—known by many consumers for its round, green-and-white logo—recently upgraded some of its animal-welfare standards for farms participating in the program. Effective January 2, 2024, the new Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) Rule reflects the long and hard work of countless animal advocates and higher-welfare farmers, finally improving USDA Organic’s requirements for raising animals and bringing the significance of the program more in line with consumer expectations. But what exactly was achieved, and what does this mean for animals and consumers who shop for organic products?

Though the new standards don’t achieve everything we hoped to see in the final rule, this is a major victory, including the following critical wins:

Most of the new welfare standards in the OLPS rule must be met by January 2, 2025, providing existing USDA Organic producers one year to come into compliance. However, the indoor and outdoor space requirements and outdoor soil and vegetation requirements for broiler chickens and egg-laying hens have a longer, five-year compliance period, meaning USDA Organic chicken and egg producers will be required to meet the new standards by January 2, 2029. This five-year compliance period is longer than we pushed for, and unfortunately means that chickens and egg-laying hens, who make up the vast majority of animals in organic production, will be without critical enrichments and meaningful outdoor access for years to come.

What does the OLPS rule mean for consumers?

Surveys have consistently shown that many consumers purchase—and knowingly pay a premium for—USDA Organic animal products. They do this based on the expectation that animals raised on USDA Organic farms are provided meaningful outdoor access and higher-welfare environments. However, this hasn’t been the case for many years. Because of the program’s previously vague welfare standards, industrial facilities with factory farm-like conditions were still able to earn USDA Organic certification and display the well-known logo on their products.

Unfortunately, the most egregious of these vague standards will not be eliminated until 2029, when the indoor and outdoor space requirements come into effect for chickens and egg-laying hens. Additionally, certain critical standards, such as indoor and outdoor spaces requirements for pigs and turkeys, are absent from the OLPS Rule altogether.

To help consumers better understand how the USDA Organic program compares to the requirements of meaningful animal-welfare certifications, the ASPCA will be updating our label guides to reflect the species-specific requirements for the 2025 and 2029 compliance deadlines. Make sure you’re the first to get this new resource by joining our Factory Farming Task Force!