Organic
Buying organic milk is a step up from simply rGBH
free dairy products for several reasons: the feed
given to the animals cannot be treated with
pesticides or herbicides, the animals cannot be
dosed with hormones or preventative antibiotics,
and farmers receive a better price for the milk
they produce. These standards are beneficial for
the environment, the animals, and
local farming
communities.
The Down Side
Unfortunately, a few large dairy companies follow
the letter of the law when it comes to
organic dairy standards,
but their practices are far from optimal.
The USDA requires clean bedding, access to
pasture, and appropriate shelter for cows
producing certified organic milk. Instead,
some producers use the same large,
unsanitary feedlot systems (CAFOs) found in
conventional agriculture. Companies like
Horizon Organic and Aurora Organic, which
provide 65% of organic milk in the United
States, are currently running factory farms
where thousands of cows are penned in the
same grassless enclosures for their entire
lives. It is important to note that these
companies do purchase milk from many small
farmers as well, a plus in my book. The
disingenuous aspect of the whole business
comes when Horizon or Aurora highlight these
families and portray them as the entire
supply side of the equation.
Solutions
It may be difficult to find humanely produced
dairy products in your area, since it’s
impossible to discover which supplier sold the
milk in your carton. Did it come from a factory
farm or a family farm, who knows? Contact Horizon
and Aurora, tell them you won’t buy their
products until all their cows have real pastures
to graze. It’s important to take a stand for
real, meaningful organic standards so that small
producers who follow the spirit of the law aren’t
trampled by larger ones who only follow the bare
minimum, if that.
Green on a Shoestring:
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