Urgent Action Alert: Organic Animal Welfare Rules are at Risk

Amendment to Senate Spending Bill would block Organic Animal Welfare Rule!!

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY

After years of delays, USDA has nearly finalized a new regulation, the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standard Rule, to strengthen animal welfare standards in organic agriculture and to eliminate loopholes that allow some operations to deny organic chickens access to the outdoors. Now Senator Marshall (R-KS) has introduced an amendment to block the rule from moving forward!

We need your help!

Reach out to both of your Senators TODAY and tell them that you strongly oppose the Marshall Amendment. This action alert is time sensitive.

TAKE ACTION

Use the sample email below to send a message to the ag staffer for your Senators or click here to automatically send a message to your Senators.

Email abby@nationalorganiccoalition.org if you need the name and email of the ag staffer for one or both of your Senators.

SAMPLE EMAIL

**If you would like to do so, please modify this email or add information to explain why this issue is important to you and other organic farmers, businesses, and consumers in your state.

Hello [NAME OF AG STAFFER],

I am writing to express strong opposition to an amendment to the Senate agriculture appropriations bill. The amendment has been introduced by Senator Marshall, and it would block forward action on a regulation that the USDA has nearly finalized, the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards Rule or OLPS.

OLPS will strengthen animal welfare standards in organic agriculture and eliminate loopholes that allow some operations to deny organic chickens access to the outdoors. The organic community has waited decades for USDA to finalize this new regulation! OLPS would help end confusion, create a fair marketplace for organic farmers, and build confidence in the organic label. There is strong consensus in the organic community that the new regulation is essential to maintain consumer trust. An amendment to block this rule from moving forward is a huge setback for organic farmers and consumers. The organic community will be deeply disappointed if Congress kills this rule after so many years of hard work and input from the organic industry to craft a rule that is fair and protects the integrity of the organic seal.

I strongly oppose the amendment introduced by Senator Marshall. Will Senator [NAME OF YOUR SENATOR] oppose this amendment too?

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[FARM OR ORGANIZATION NAME]

[TOWN, STATE]

[PHONE]