Friends –
Here’s a heads-up.
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (Big Ag) is at it again. A key policy resolution that they are pushing for this year calls on the USDA to eliminate access to the outdoors for poultry due to the avian influenza scare. The country’s largest egg production trade group has a already appeared in front of the National Organic Standards Board to make the same pitch.
They trade group recently released their 2006-07 resolutions, which include numerous recommendations to the USDA. The poultry recommendation in particular jumped out — their recommendation about modifying the organic standards for poultry can be found on p.22.
You can view the anti-free range poultry resolution at:
http://www.animalagriculture.org/aboutNIAA/Resolutions/2006%202007%20Resolution%20and%20Position%20Statements.pdf
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture is the trade organization that helped develop the highly controversial National Animal Identification System – or NAIS. (The group includes the likes of Monsanto, Cargill, et al.)
On guard!
