If you can’t imagine Thanksgiving dinner without the stuffed turkey or Christmas without the glazed ham, you’re not alone. Many shoppers aren’t ready to host a plant-based holiday but still want their money to support businesses that treat their animals humanely.
To ensure you choose meat that has been raised with animal welfare in mind, look for the USDA Organic label.
Organic Certification Prioritizes Animal Welfare
Organic livestock production prioritizes animal welfare. It emphasizes the health and natural behaviors of animals. Certified organic farmers are required to provide:
- Year-round access to the outdoors with direct sunlight and shade options, fresh air, and space for exercise
- Shelter
- Clean, dry bedding
- Clean drinking water
- 100% organic feed
Organic animals must have access to the outdoors and the ability to roam freely. Organic regulations require that ruminant animals (such as cows) graze on organic pasture for the entire grazing season. Organic animals must have outdoor access that allows movement, socialization, and support of their natural behaviors year-round, not just during a marketing photo-op.
These priorities don’t merely sound good on paper; they’re enforced with boots on the ground. Organic farms have annual inspections to maintain their certification, often with additional unannounced inspections throughout the year to ensure organic rules are always upheld.
Better for the Animals; Better for You
Organic animals eat a diet that’s much different than the food provided on most non-organic farms. They receive 100% organic feed with no genetically modified ingredients, toxic pesticides, or prohibited substances. This difference shows up in the meat! Studies have found that organic meat has healthier fat profiles with higher levels of beneficial fatty acids. These can help lower cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk for you and your family.
Because organic animals can’t be treated with antibiotics, you can enjoy your organic holiday meal knowing it’s less likely to be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. That’s something to be thankful for!
What Happens When Organic Animals Get Sick?
You may have heard the myth that organic animals aren’t given medicine when they’re ill. This myth is false. In fact, it’s actually the exact opposite of what the organic regulations require.
The organic regulations include strict animal welfare requirements that result in less stress on the animals and fewer medical complications at the farm. Organic farmers follow preventative measures to ensure their animals don’t need frequent medical intervention. For example, pasture-based diets improve grazing animals’ digestive health, which can in turn reduce health conditions like lameness, mastitis, and hock lesions.
When organic animals do get sick, the organic standards require that operations never withhold medical treatment in an effort to preserve an animal’s organic status.
Organic farmers must use appropriate medications to restore an animal to health when methods acceptable to organic production fail. Additionally, the organic standards prohibit operations from withholding individual treatment designed to minimize pain and suffering for injured, diseased, or sick animals, which may include forms of euthanasia as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
What does that mean for the final food product? Simple: it’s not organic anymore. Ranchers must clearly identify all livestock treated with a prohibited substance, and neither the animal nor its products are allowed to be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced. This ensures transparency and integrity in the organic supply chain.
Organic Takes Enforcement Seriously
USDA organic is the only farming practice label that is backed by federal law. From farm to truck to plate, certified organic products are traced using meticulous, transparent methods to combat fraud and ensure that consumers can trust that what they’re buying is really organic. That’s why organic sometimes costs a little more; because it gives you so much more!
Ready to Shop?
Find fresh, organic meat direct from the source with local farmers and ranchers. You can check to see if there are any CCOF-certified meat providers in your area with our easy-to-use directory!
If your local area doesn’t have organic farmers listed yet, don’t worry; you can also look for the USDA Organic and the CCOF logos at your favorite grocery store, or search the USDA Organic Integrity Database for other options.
Enjoy a holiday meal that reflects your values—delicious, nourishing, and responsibly sourced.
