Why Organic Dairy Isn’t Good Enough
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Every dairy cow,
whether she lives in a conventional farm
or an organic farm,
is destined for slaughter.
It’s THAT simple.
But if that’s not enough to get you to stop consuming dairy products, try these reasons:
* The “organic” label requires access to the outdoors, but cattle can be crammed together outdoors, too.
* The “organic” label doesn’t prohibit cruelty such as tail-docking without anesthetics.
* Organic dairy doesn’t prevent calves being taken away from their mothers and turned into veal.
* The “organic” label doesn’t prevent cruelty during transportation or slaughter.
* The “organic” label laws are not adequately enforced.
* Organic dairy is still dairy… and has a proven link to cancer (see The China Study). It’s not a health food.
* Organic dairy – at current and increasing consumption rates – is still bad for the environment. The waste has to go somewhere.
* If the choice were between standard dairy or organic dairy, then organic dairy is a better choice.
But that’s not the choice you have. You have a far superior option: veganism.
If you need more info, check these out:
- Why Veganism Is Important – LOVE
- Myth: Happy Cows – Humane Myth
- “Free Range” – Choose Veg
- Label Loopholes – Humane Facts
Non-vegan sources:
- Organic Milk Goes Corporate – Mother Jones
- Scandal in Organic Dairy Industry- Organic Consumers
- Food Labels Explained – Cheap Healthy Food
- Milk Integrity – Cornucopia Institute
While you may promote veganism over organic, it is important to recognize that organic regulations take seriously the issue of animal welfare. USDA’s National Organic Program Final Rule was, in fact, the first USDA regulation to make mention of animal welfare. The Rule established standards around the content of livestock feed, stating, for example, that plastic pellets cannot be used as a source of roughage. Sections 238 and 239 of the Rule also outlined livestock healthcare practice and living conditions standards, which provided for “conditions which allow for exercise, freedom of movement and reduction of stress appropriate to the species,” among other things.
Since the Rule was published, work on the issue of animal welfare has continued. The National Organic Standards Board’s Livestock Committee has made access to the outdoors for poultry a top priority on its work plan for Fall 2009. The development of a rule around organic ruminants’ access to pasture is also well underway.
Together, this and other work on organic regulations offer consumers assurance that the organic products they buy and consume are produced and processed in a manner that maintains product integrity and supports animal well-being.
Maybe you missed the part where I said, “organic label laws are not adequately enforced.” Or the part about dairy cows being sent to slaughter. Or the part about veal…
Like I said, if the choice were between standard dairy or organic dairy, then organic dairy is a better choice. But that’s not the choice you have. You have a far superior option: veganism.
“organic regulations offer consumers assurance that the organic products they buy and consume are produced and processed in a manner that maintains product integrity…”
The fact that farmers view mother’s milk as a “product” is part of the problem. And where is the integrity in stealing food from a baby? Where is the integrity in stealing babies from their mothers? You want to show some integrity, go vegan, start an organic hemp dairy business.
Organic dairy “supports animal well-being.”
Really? How is the well being of a animal supported when her calf is taken away and sold for veal? How is her well being supported when she is strung upside down and has her throat cut open?
Matt – well said. People don’t think of it as mothers milk but they should.
Thank you Matt, you said everything that I was about to say.