American Grassfed Association Rejects New USDA Grassfed Label
DENVER - The American Grassfed Association, representing more than 300 grassfed livestock producers, today rejected standards for grassfed claims announced by the USDA, protesting rules that allow confinement of animals and the use of hormones and antibiotics.
18 October 2007
1 minute read
By focusing exclusively on feed, the USDA standard leaves the door open for an industrial model of agriculture that absolutely goes against public expectations for grassfed products.
AGA director Carrie Balkcom.
"The USDA rules for grassfed claims don't serve consumers or farmers well," said AGA director Carrie Balkcom. "Consumers of grassfed products want animals raised on pasture without growth hormones or antibiotics. Farmers need a standard that will preserve consumer trust in grassfed claims and protect the value of this important niche market.
"By focusing exclusively on feed, the USDA standard leaves the door open for an industrial model of agriculture that absolutely goes against public expectations for grassfed products. The USDA standard simply doesn't go far enough to make a meaningful and marketable grassfed label. This will confuse consumers and it will hurt the farmers and ranchers who pioneered grassfed."
Among other concerns, AGA noted that the USDA standard only required that animals have access to pasture during the growing season meaning animals could be kept in confinement for long periods, and that it allowed incidental supplementation of the forage diet to ensure the animal's welfare meaning animals could be fed grain and still marketed as grassfed
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