The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the organic livestock and poultry production requirements. Based on recommendations from the Office of Inspector General and the National Organic Standards Board, AMS determined that the current USDA organic regulations (7 CFR part 205) covering livestock care and production practices and living conditions needed additional specificity and clarity to better ensure consistent compliance by certified organic operations and to provide for more effective administration of the National Organic Program (NOP) by AMS. One purpose of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) (7 U.S.C. 6501-6522) is to assure consumers that organically produced products meet a consistent and uniform standard (7 U.S.C. 6501).
- Final Rule
- Supplemental Document with Analysis (pdf)
- Final Rule Questions and Answers (pdf)
- January 18, 2017 Webinar – Slides and Script (pdf)
- Press Release
- Blog - Supporting Organic Integrity with Clear Livestock and Poultry Standards
- At a Glance: Final Rule Iconographic
- Biosecurity Fact Sheet
- Proposed Rule