Shop With Your Heart

By: Paul Willis, Niman Ranch Founding Hog Farmer and Nancy Roulston, Sr. Director of Corporate Policy, ASPCA

It’s time for the pig farming industry to stop fighting the future of agriculture and embrace public demand for higher welfare practices.

After more than three years since hard-fought improvements to the National Organic Program (NOP) were rolled back, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack announced the agency’s intention to take up improved standards that had been addressed under the since-withdrawn Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) rule.

The new year is unfortunately being accompanied by a new food label that is exploiting consumers’ concern for animal welfare. A misleading food labeling scheme known as One Health Certified™ (OHC) has recently been approved for use on chicken and turkey products and is now being used by a handful of grocery store chains, including Aldi and BJ’s.