October
2006
Organic
Milk: The Unwholesome Choice
By Andrea Rose
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Lately it seems “organic certified” and “Certified
Humane” dairy products have been popping up all over. Organic
milk is currently the top selling organic product in the country. This
new
interest is alarming because the dairy industry is one of the most
abusive and exploitative industries. Do “organic certified” and “Certified
Humane” products actually help farm animals or do they just pacify
those who have reservations about eating animal products and are looking
for an excuse to continue doing it?
It’s All in the Label
According to the Humane Society of the U.S., animals under the label “Certified
Humane” must be kept in conditions allowing for exercise and
freedom of movement. As such, crates, cages and tethers are prohibited.
Yet outdoor
access is not required. Stocking densities are specified to ensure
animals are not overcrowded, and animals must be provided with bedding
materials.
Hormone and non-therapeutic antibiotic use is prohibited. Compliance
is verified through third party auditing. Certified Humane is a program
of Humane Farm Animal Care.
“ Certified organic” animals must be allowed outdoor access, and ruminants—cows,
sheep and goats—given access to pasture. Consumers should be aware, however,
that there have been concerns about lax enforcement, with some large-scale producers
not providing meaningful access to the outdoors. Animals must be provided with
bedding materials. Use of hormones and antibiotics is prohibited. These are requirements
under the USDA’s National Organic Program regulations, and compliance
is verified through third party auditing.
The animals fortunate enough to be certified in some way may have a better quality
of life than their unfortunate commercially raised counterparts, thanks to access
to fresh water, lack of antibiotics and growth hormones, and improved husbandry
practices. If the animals can grow at a more natural pace without the need of
antibiotics to stay alive, they must feel better. Certainly, they enjoy access
to pasture from time to time and clean bedding. This all looks great on the surface,
however, what happens when productivity slows down and it is time to make way
for the younger and more productive members of the herd? Is this special care
and treatment still available when cows are relieved of their milking duties?
Organic Beef
The truth is, once their milk production tapers off—anywhere from five
to seven years—it is industry standard to convert dairy cattle to beef
cattle. According to an email I received from Horizon Dairy, one of the largest
organic dairy companies in the U.S., dairy cows and their calves are auctioned
off; the cows most likely becoming “organic certified” beef. They
would then follow the same organic guidelines. But, what kind of treatment do
they receive if they are not “organic certified”?
I had the opportunity to speak to one of the farmers who produced milk for
Organic Valley, another major organic dairy, and was told that in order to
be “certified
organic” beef, a cow had to be born to an “organic” mother.
If not, the slaughtered cow would be sold as commercial beef.
Even with certification, treatment of the “organic” or “humane” certified
calf, a byproduct of the dairy industry, is unchanging from typical factory
farming protocol. If the calf is male, he is forcefully separated from his
mother and
will become veal or beef.
Some organic dairies, including the farmer from Organic Valley that I spoke
with, allow the baby to stay with their mother for up to two months, mainly
because
there are no veal farmers in the proximity of her farm. She also said that
some farms might keep their calves up to six months old and sell them as “red
veal” or “pink veal” due to their naturally colored flesh.
There is no set standard and it varies from farm to farm. These farms are part
of a coop and are individually operated,?each adhering to different practices
and guidelines depending on their location, but?still following what is allowed
under the term “organic.” These farms represent only a small fraction
of organic dairy farms.?
If the calf is female, she follows in her mother’s hoofsteps becoming a
milk machine, suffering for years only to become hamburger or processed meat.
Although some “organic” dairies, including the farmer that I spoke
to, use natural fertilization, involving a bull, one cannot ignore that milk
production requires serial pregnancies, often entailing artificial insemination.
The method of choice due to the high conception rate is recto-vaginal insemination—the
use of a gloved arm through the cow’s rectum. The cow is also subject to
human manipulations of her mammary glands from dairy workers and machines—rather
than her nursing calf. No certification accounts for this abusive and unnatural
practice. There is nothing “organic” or “humane” about
it!
“ Organic” dairies say their cows live longer since they are healthier,
but the longer living cow has to endure more artificial inseminations, more pregnancies,
followed by painful deliveries and the unimaginable suffering that accompanies
the loss of each stolen calf. Is this benefiting her or the individual who will
sip her “organic” milk containing less infectious discharge, antibiotics,
growth hormones and pesticide residue? “Organic” and “humane” certified
dairy are no different from commercial dairy due to the necessary byproducts
of milk production—a slaughtered, exploited or abused calf, and the slaughter
of the mother once her milk production tapers off.
Quite simply, how can slaughter be “humane”?
Goat Milk: A Bad Alternative
Recently there has been an increase in the sale of goat milk. But goat milk
is no “humane” alternative to cows’ milk, despite the small, family
farm marketing. It is far from cruelty-free and mimics cow milk production. Male
goats are simply slaughtered at a young age since they serve no benefit to the
herd. I observed the callous attitude towards them while in line at a grocery
store. I overheard the cashier boasting to another employee how she was able
to kill baby goats and feed them to her dogs. I inquired as to what she was talking
about and she told me that she ran a goat dairy and that nobody wants unruly “billy” goats
(males), so they kill them. I could not believe what I was hearing and thought
about the deception behind the wholesome image.
All Good Things Must End
According to an industry website, the handling and transport of livestock creates
some of the most severe stresses farmed animals are likely to experience. This
journey is something all livestock are forced to endure, regardless of how
they are certified. I inquired about transport policies with some “organic” dairies
and a representative of Certified Humane to find out how “organic” and “humane” transport
differs from commercial transport, where animals may go hours without food, water
or a rest period to stretch or walk around. I discovered that for such “certified” animals,
their transport is not yet regulated. “Certified Humane” covers the
life of the animal from “birth until death,” according to an organization
representative, but at this time, there are no set standards for transport, unless
the animal is under one month of age. Only “Certified Humane” babies
under one month old get minimal bedding, room to lay down and environment regulated
trucks, in addition to a maximum transport time (one to three hours, depending
on age—five days to one month). It saddens me to know that since this
is not an industry standard, millions of non-certified babies are transported
in
deplorable conditions and not offered even the most minimal comfort. During
my conversation with the Organic Valley farmer, I also learned that baby calves
in general are very susceptible to upper respiratory infections and that the
transport process can be extremely stressful for them.
Even though transport is one of the most important areas in need of reform,
it is conveniently overlooked. The current “28 Hour Law,” or maximum
time transported animals should go without food, water or resting, lacks proper
enforcement and has several loopholes in it, including failure to recognize trucks
as transport vehicles (the law was written in the early 1900s). In addition,
numerous animals suffer extreme stress and unimaginable abuse caused from the
loading and actual transport in crowded trucks in extreme weather conditions.
The exposed metal caging of these trucks trap the heat and cold and offer little
protection from the elements. Finally, following many of these miserable journeys
comes the payback for all the “special” food and treatment—slaughter.
“ Organic” and “humane” certification offer alternatives
to commercially raised animals for those who want to feel good about buying
animal products. However, they are not the answer for those who want to avoid
playing
an active role in animal suffering. These certifications may help a few animals
enjoy a slightly higher quality life, but do a disservice to the billions of
animals who were not born on the right farm.
Every time we purchase animal products, we continue to keep the demand high and
support cruelty and exploitation. This need to keep up with demand also creates
the opportunity to water down certification requirements, as seen in recent news
reports. Furthermore, the lack of proper enforcement (once a year according to
the Certified Humane representative) can hardly give meaning to the title it
carries.
We don’t need misleading certifications to help ease our conscience, but
the truth to eliminate the root of the suffering. There are numerous alternatives
to dairy products that are healthier for you and the planet that don’t
come at the expense of others. Support organic farming by buying certified
organic tomatoes, not certified organic cruelty.
Andrea Rose is an environmental and health educator. She has been a vegan for
over 16 years and continuously seeks ways to reduce her impact on the earth.
Please visit www.practicecompassion.com to learn more about pursuing a compassionate
life.
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