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Organic vs Conventional
How Organic Livestock Production Differs from Conventional
Organic livestock production starts from the ground up. In order for animals and the fiber they produce to be certified organic, farmers and ranchers must commit to not using any chemical inputs such as fertilizers on their fields and feed crops, chemical based insecticides, and medicines which have become all to commonly relied upon in agriculture today. Several universal requirements in organic livestock production are:
- Livestock must be fed 100% organically grown feed (grains) and forage (pastures)
- Use of synthetic hormones, vaccinations, and genetic engineering is prohibited
- Use of synthetic pesticides (internal, external, and on pastures) is prohibited
- Producers must encourage livestock health through good cultural and management practices.
Organic livestock production enables the farmer to control parasites, lice, and flies without chemicals. Allowed techniques include clean pasture management, good nutrition, vaccination, and the isolation of sick animals. The nutritional and behavioral effects of controlled organic grazing minimize stress on animals and keep immune systems functioning at a higher level.
Only by the following practices such as these, and having it be verified by a third party certification agency will the fiber produced be labeled organic. Additionally, in order to ensure that the production of livestock is sustainable, growers in certified organic systems are required to abide by established stocking ratios so as not diminish the ability of the land to naturally regenerate and sustain itself.
There are two key distinctions in organic livestock management. First is the elimination of "dipping," a method of controlling external parasites in which sheep are submerged in pools containing organophosphate-based paraciticides. Studies have indicated that prolonged exposure to sheep dip pesticides cause changes in the nervous system of humans. (Think what these chemicals do to the sheep!) Moreover, disposal and "runoff" of dips can contaminate ground water supplies.
Secondly, in order to maintain their certification organic livestock producers can not exceed the natural carrying capacity of the land, thus preventing the devastating effects of overgrazing. If the prices of wool go down, farmers cannot simply compensate by increasing their production per unit of land. Instead they receive a premium for their organic product. Farming and business practices such as these that ensure both the viability of a producer's operation and the ongoing productivity of their land.
These practices must be verified by a recognized, third-party certification agency. |
