Category: News

Why the US does not have universal health care, while many other countries do

(The Conversation) The lead-up to the House passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on May 4, which passed by a narrow majority after a failed first attempt, provided a glimpse into just how difficult it is to gain consensus on health care coverage.

In the aftermath of the House vote, many people have asked: Why are politicians struggling to find consensus on the AHCA instead of pursuing universal coverage? After all, most advanced industrialized countries have universal health care.

As a health policy and politics scholar, I have some ideas. Research from political science and health services points to three explanations.

No. 1: American culture is unique

One key reason is the unique political culture in America. As a nation that began on the back of immigrants with an entrepreneurial spirit and without a feudal system to ingrain a rigid social structure, Americans are more likely to be individualistic.

In other words, Americans, and conservatives in particular, have a strong belief in classical liberalism and the idea that the government should play a limited role in society. Given that universal coverage inherently clashes with this belief in individualism and limited government, it is perhaps not surprising that it has never been enacted in America even as it has been enacted elsewhere.

Public opinion certainly supports this idea. Survey research conducted by the International Social Survey Program has found that a lower percentage of Americans believe health care for the sick is a government responsibility than individuals in other advanced countries like Canada, the U.K., Germany or Sweden.

No. 2: Interest groups don’t want it

Even as American political culture helps to explain the health care debate in America, culture is far from the only reason America lacks universal coverage. Another factor that has limited debate about national health insurance is the role of interest groups in influencing the political process. The legislative battle over the content of the ACA, for example, generated US$1.2 billion in lobbying in 2009 alone.

The insurance industry was a key player in this process, spending over $100 million to help shape the ACA and keep private insurers, as opposed to the government, as the key cog in American health care.

While recent reports suggest strong opposition from interest groups to the AHCA, it is worth noting that even when confronted with a bill that many organized interests view as bad policy, universal health care has not been brought up as an alternative.

No. 3: Entitlement programs are hard in general to enact

A third reason America lacks universal health coverage and that House Republicans struggled to pass their plan even in a very conservative House chamber is that America’s political institutions make it difficult for massive entitlement programs to be enacted. As policy experts have pointed out in studies of the U.S. health system, the country doesn’t “have a comprehensive national health insurance system because American political institutions are structurally biased against this kind of comprehensive reform.”

The political system is prone to inertia, and any attempt at comprehensive reform must pass through the obstacle course of congressional committees, budget estimates, conference committees, amendments and a potential veto while opponents of reform publicly bash the bill.

Bottom line: Universal coverage unlikely to happen

Ultimately, the United States remains one of the only advanced industrialized nations without a comprehensive national health insurance system and with little prospect for one developing under President Trump or even subsequent presidents because of the many ways America is exceptional.

Its culture is unusually individualistic, favoring personal over government responsibility; lobbyists are particularly active, spending billions to ensure that private insurers maintain their status in the health system; and our institutions are designed in a manner that limits major social policy changes from happening.

As long as the reasons above remain, there is little reason to expect universal coverage in America anytime soon.

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Stay Away From This Brand of Organic Dairy

(Mercola.com – Dr. Mercola) In the U.S., organic dairy brings in about $6 billion in sales annually.1 Consumers pay a premium for the milk expecting they are getting a superior product. Organic milk (and meat) from cows raised primarily on pasture have been repeatedly shown to be higher in many nutrients, including vitamin E, beta-carotene and beneficial conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

Organic milk also contains about 25 percent less omega-6 fats and 62 percent more omega-3 fats than conventional milk,2 and the animals, when given appropriate access to pasture, are raised in a more humane environment than cows raised on CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations).

Unfortunately, not all organic dairy is created equal, and just seeing the USDA organic label on a gallon of milk is not enough to verify its quality (or lack thereof). An investigation by The Washington Post revealed that some organic dairies are nothing more than CAFOs in disguise, selling higher-priced milk that is scarcely different from conventional CAFO dairy.

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Milk From Large Organic Dairies May Not Be as Organic as Promised

When the Post visited Aurora Organic Dairy in Colorado, the company that provides organic store brands to corporations like Wal-Mart, Target and Costco, a few problems were evident right off the bat. For starters, the farm is massive, housing 15,000 cows, “making it more than 100 times the size of a typical organic herd,” the Post noted.

Further, organic standards require that cows have free access to certified organic pasture for the entire grazing season, but there are large loopholes in the requirement.

As Aurora spokeswoman Sonja Tuitele told the Post, “The requirements of the USDA National Organic Program allow for an extremely wide range of grazing practices that comply with the rule.”3 The Post investigation indeed revealed that Aurora Organic Dairy appears to be stretching the limits of the rule:4

” … [D]uring visits by The Washington Post to Aurora’s High Plains complex across eight days last year, signs of grazing were sparse, at best. Aurora said its animals were out on pasture day and night, but during most Post visits the number of cows seen on pasture numbered only in the hundreds.

At no point was any more than 10 percent of the herd out. A high-resolution satellite photo taken in mid-July by DigitalGlobe, a space imagery vendor, shows a typical situation — only a few hundred on pasture.”

The Post even had samples of Aurora’s organic milk tested for “a key indicator of grass-feeding” (its fatty acid profile), which revealed the milk matched conventional, not organic milk. Adding to the problem, farmers are allowed to hire their own inspectors in order to be certified USDA Organic.

In Aurora’s case, the Post investigation revealed the inspectors had visited the farm outside of the grazing season, which means they had no way of knowing whether the dairy’s grazing habits met the organic requirement. In 2007, the USDA even sanctioned Aurora Organic Dairy for willfully violating organic standards, but the farm was allowed to continue operating after a settlement was reached.

Half of the Organic Milk Sold in the US May Come From CAFOs

It’s very much a buyer beware market when it comes to organic dairy. Theoretically, choosing organic milk makes sense, but this holds true only if the farmers are giving the cows actual free access to pasture. Mark Kastel, co-director of the nonprofit Cornucopia Institute, told the Post that right now, “About half of the organic milk sold in the U.S. is coming from very large factory farms that have no intention of living up to organic principles.”5 It’s a widespread problem.

When the Post visited seven other large organic dairies in 2015 (these located in Texas and New Mexico), they found the cows were primarily kept on feedlots, not pastures. Cornucopia also noted that aerial photography, backed up by satellite imagery, from 14 “industrial scale” organic livestock operations revealed “few if any animals” out on pasture.6

As a result of the Post investigation, Cornucopia has filed legal complaints against Aurora Dairy and Colorado Department of Agriculture, their organic certifier. They’ve also asked for the removal of the USDA’s lead organic regulator, Miles McEvoy. Kastel explained:7

“The rigorous investigative work by Peter Whoriskey at The Washington Post clearly illustrates a pattern of long-term corruption by both Aurora Dairy and the USDA’s National Organic Program Our organic regulators have turned a blind eye as giant industrial operations place ethical family-scale dairy farmers at a distinct competitive disadvantage.

… These gross violations of the law were well-documented in a series of complaints we filed against Aurora operations in Texas, and other ‘organic’ CAFOs in the U.S., as well as their certifiers that have languished at the USDA for over a year and a half without enforcement action.”

What’s Better Than Organic? Grass Fed

Unfortunately, the USDA certified organic label is not the last word on food quality. Until the loopholes are closed and the standards adjusted to ensure dairy cows receive regular access to pasture, you’ve got to do your homework to ensure your favorite organic dairy brand isn’t ripping you off.

Must Read: How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

There are organic dairies out there that are doing it right, like Organic Pastures, which provides organic raw milk from cows that graze 365 days a year, going above and beyond the organic standard.

They call their milk “grass-grazed” as opposed to “grass fed,” the latter of which they point out could mean virtually anything, like “grazed at some point,” leading to milk with questionable nutritional value.8 As it stands, dairy can be sold as “grass fed” whether the cows ate solely grass or received silage, hay or even grains during certain times.

Fortunately, the American Grassfed Association (AGA) recently introduced much-needed grass fed standards and certification for American-grown grass fed dairy,9 which will allow for greater transparency and conformity.10 As reported by Organic Authority:11

“The new regulations are the product of a year’s worth of collaboration amongst dairy producers like Organic Valley as well as certifiers like Pennsylvania Certified Organic and a team of scientists. ‘We came up with a standard that’s good for the animals, that satisfies what consumers want and expect when they see grass fed on the label, and that is economically feasible for farmers,’ says AGA’s communications director Marilyn Noble of the new regulations.”

Considering how important a cow’s diet is when it comes to the quality of its milk, especially when we’re talking about raw milk, as well as the potential for grasslands to restore health and diversity to the environment, I would strongly advise you to ensure your dairy is AGA certified as grass fed.

Why Grass Fed Dairy Is Supreme

There are a number of reasons to seek out grass fed dairy products. For foodies, the seasonal variations in flavor are a huge draw. For the health-conscious, milk from cows raised primarily on pasture has been shown to be higher in many nutrients, including vitamin E, beta-carotene and the healthy fats omega-3 and CLA.12

On an environmental level, grass fed dairy has a considerably reduced footprint compared to the way most dairy is produced on CAFOs. When cows eat grass, it’s a closed-loop system that, as Maple Hill Creamery put it, “bypasses the considerable resources used to produce the [genetically engineered] corn, soybeans or grains to feed dairy cows.”13

Farms producing grass fed dairy products are able to naturally regenerate the soil and maintain ecological balance without relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And on an ethical level, cows are designed to eat grass.

When they eat corn and grain, not only does the quality of their milk degrade but they live in a state of chronic inflammation, which increases their risk of infection and disease. When a cow eats grains in a CAFO instead of the grasses they were designed to eat three adverse events happen:

  1. The cow becomes acidotic (acidic) as a result of using glucose from the grains as their primary fuel rather than short-chain fatty acids derived from the nondigestible fibers in the grasses
  2. It becomes over protonated, which harms the cow’s kidneys. As a result, the cow can only provide milk for 1.7 lactations, which is 44 months, after which they get slaughtered
  3. Grain can contain mold mycotoxins that can make the animal sick

So while organic, raw grass fed dairy is ideal, keep in mind that the grass fed portion should be non-negotiable. You may find grass fed dairy farmers who have not yet gone through (or who cannot afford to go through) the USDA’s organic certification process. In that case, speak to the farmer directly to find out how the animals are raised.

Related: Why You Should Avoid Pasteurized Cow’s Milk

Cornucopia’s Organic Dairy Scorecard

Getting your raw milk from a local organic grass fed farm or co-op is best, but if you’re considering milk from another source, check out Cornucopia’s Organic Dairy Scorecard.14 The Cornucopia Institute is an organic industry watchdog whose core constituencies are family farmers across the U.S. and consumers concerned about the availability and quality of organic foods. Their goal is to empower you to make informed purchasing decisions.

You might be surprised to see many big-name organic brands that rank near the bottom of the list, even receiving a “zero” rating. In this case, it’s not worth your money to pay for an “organic” product that’s likely no better than conventional.

You’d be better served by supporting the ethical farms that received a 4- or 5-cow rating instead (meaning their farming practices are either excellent or outstanding). While you’ll certainly notice the difference in flavor when purchasing truly grass fed, organic dairy, you can even see the difference.

Grass fed organic milk tends to be yellowish, not pure white. The coloration comes from the natural antioxidant carotenoids found in the grass, which is a precursor to vitamin A. When cows are raised on dried grass or hay, as opposed to fresh-growing grass, you end up with a whiter product, which is an indication of reduced carotenoid and antioxidant content.

‘So-Called Organic Milk’ Pushing Real Organic Farmers Out of Business

If you’re not a dairy farmer, you may not be aware that we’re in the midst of a massive milk glut. Thanks to the unnatural efficiency of swiftly growing dairy CAFOs, milk supply has outpaced demand, causing milk prices to tank. This is even true of organic milk. John Boere, a California dairy farmer, used to be an organic farmer but was unable to find a market for his milk, forcing him to switch back to conventional farming at a steep loss. He told Cornucopia:15

“The surplus of milk is so bad here in California that some organic handlers are being forced to divert organic milk onto the conventional market, at a substantial loss. This contributes to the crumbling farm-gate pricing, and for some, like me, being forced out of organic altogether.

.. If all organic dairies were forced to get 30 percent of their dry matter intake (feed) from pasture, as the law requires, there would be a shortage of organic milk, not a surplus!”

Another small organic farm in Wisconsin told Cornucopia they’ve lost about 30 percent of their income due to the “so-called organic milk” glut. Simply by getting informed about what’s really going on at the organic farms you support, you can directly support the farmers who are raising cows the right way while voting against the rest.

Must Read: Homemade, Vegan Nut Milk Recipes and More

How to Support the ‘Real’ Organic Dairy Farmers

As Kastel put it, “Shoppers can vote in the marketplace … There is a higher authority than the USDA, or even the federal courts, and that’s the consumer dollar.” The Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA) responded to the Post investigation, understandably concerned that the headlines knocking organic dairy would tarnish the images of ethical, small family farms producing organic dairy the right way.

How can you tell the difference among the organic brands of milk at your supermarket? In addition to using Cornucopia’s dairy scorecard, Liz Bawden, New York organic dairy farmer and NODPA president, suggests:16

“I can’t guarantee that the milk in your carton comes from a family farm that has values and not from one owned by a group of investors in Boston, but check the plant code on the top of the containers to make sure it’s not 08-29 (Aurora Dairy)[and] choose name-brand over generic or store brand organic dairy products (as they have a reputation to preserve).”

American Grassfed Association

The goal of the American Grassfed Association is to promote the grass fed industry through government relations, research, concept marketing and public education.

Their website also allows you to search for AGA approved producers certified according to strict standards that include being raised on a diet of 100 percent forage; raised on pasture and never confined to a feedlot; never treated with antibiotics or hormones; and born and raised on American family farms.

EatWild.com

EatWild.com provides lists of farmers known to produce raw dairy products as well as grass fed beef and other farm-fresh produce (although not all are certified organic). Here you can also find information about local farmers markets, as well as local stores and restaurants that sell grass fed products.

Weston A. Price Foundation

Weston A. Price has local chapters in most states, and many of them are connected with buying clubs in which you can easily purchase organic foods, including grass fed raw dairy products like milk and butter.

Grassfed Exchange

The Grassfed Exchange has a listing of producers selling organic and grass fed meats across the U.S.

Local Harvest

This website will help you find farmers markets, family farms and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass fed meats and many other goodies.

Farmers Markets

A national listing of farmers markets.

Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food From Healthy Animals

The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, hotels and online outlets in the United States and Canada.

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)

CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms.

FoodRoutes

The FoodRoutes “Find Good Food” map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSAs and markets near you.

The Cornucopia Institute

The Cornucopia Institute maintains web-based tools rating all certified organic brands of eggs, dairy products and other commodities, based on their ethical sourcing and authentic farming practices separating CAFO “organic” production from authentic organic practices.

RealMilk.com

If you’re still unsure of where to find raw milk, check out Raw-Milk-Facts.com and RealMilk.com. They can tell you what the status is for legality in your state, and provide a listing of raw dairy farms in your area. The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund also provides a state-by-state review of raw milk laws. California residents can also find raw milk retailers using the store locator available at www.OrganicPastures.com.
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New Trend in Architecture – Green Building

Summing up the first decades of the green building trend, one expert said, “When all was said and done, there was a lot more said than done.”

Well, that adage has been turned upside down in the last ten years. Call it Green Building 2.0! A new, exciting wave of buildings for residential and commercial use boost eco-friendly design and systems using sustainable materials and methods.

The process begins with architecture.  Designing and building the proper form of a structure to sustain functions allows living and working in ways that have less negative impact on the environment.

Why Do Builders Go Green?

There are several reasons why green designs are rising in numbers and stature around the world.

The Demand

Per the U.S. Green Building Council, “Buildings are responsible for an enormous amount of global energy use, resource consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.” We’d all like that to change, and, to borrow from Gandhi’s famous line, we want to support the change we want to see in the world. That means living and working in buildings that cause less harm to the environment and perhaps even benefit it. While this vision is most prevalent among Millennials, it is taking root across all demographics.

Corporate Image

Perhaps we’re being a touch cynical here, so more positively stated, the developers of the eco-friendly buildings in which we live and work want to be responsible corporate citizens. Green buildings are good for their image because they are better for the world.

Environmental Reasons

More core than demand and image, here are the reasons and percentages of respondents in a global survey that gave them for building green:

  • Reduced energy consumption – 72%
  • Lowered greenhouse gas emissions – 27%
  • Protected natural resources – 27%
  • Reduced water consumption – 25%
  • Improved indoor air quality (IAQ) – 17%

These 2012 figures from the World Green Building Council’s Smart Market Report show significant growth in most categories over 2008 numbers.

How Green Are Builders Getting?

Saying that a building is green is a sure bet only if it is sheathed in a forest green or rich emerald. When the discussion is about a building’s environmental impact, then the issue is one of degrees. It’s far easier to implement green building practices in new construction. However, the clear majority of the world’s buildings were erected before the move to eco-safe construction was popular.

In light of that, information from the Smart Market Report lists categories of green building products used around the world with recent data (2012) and projected figures for 2017. Most of the products are part of retrofitting an existing building. Here are the numbers from key categories. The first figure is 2012; the second is what is projected for 2017 based on surveys of building owners and managers:

  • Electrical such as photovoltaic panels: 63% / 62% (the only category where the percentage decreased)
  • Mechanical such as efficient HVAC systems: 60% / 63%
  • Heat/Moisture Protection such as vapor barriers to prevent air leaks: 60% / 64%
  • Building automation for lighting and other systems: 57% / 62%
  • Waste Management such as recycling/reuse programs: 52% / 61%
  • Furnishings such as those made with recycled and/or recyclable materials: 34% / 44%

The report states that 89% of all respondents reported making advancements in at least one category. The countries where the most buildings are being outfitted with green building materials are Singapore (100%), Brazil (96%), and South Africa (96%). By contrast, the U.K. (85%) and the U.S. (84%) are among the industrialized countries that are lagging.

The most sustainable office in the world, the head office of Geelen Counterflow in Haelen, the Netherlands. 99,94% score in the international Breeam certification system. Completely constructed from sustainablyforested wood and generating 50% more solar energy than it consumes. (PRNewsFoto/Geelen Counterflow)

Today’s Greenest Buildings

Here’s a short list to get you started on exploring structures on the cutting edge of building green.

The head office of Geelen Counterflow in the Netherlands (see above and see featured image above) has been called “the most sustainable office building in the world.” Among its green practices is the use of solar energy that generates 50 percent more electricity than required to power the building. All materials used in construction, including recycled timber, are sustainable.

The K2 apartments in Victoria, Australia, is a 92-unit development built in 2007 that is the winner of many prestigious awards. The complex boasts low greenhouse gas emissions through using less than 50 percent of the norm for electricity, natural gas, and water. Rainwater is treated for human use, and greywater is recycled as two of the development’s resource-conserving practices.

Taipei 101 in Taiwan is dubbed the world’s tallest green building for its LEED Platinum certification, the highest awarded by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design organization.

One Angel Square Manchester, UK achieved an “Outstanding” rating by BREEAM, the Building Research Established Environmental Assessment Methodology. Its green methods include a combined heat and power (CHP) plant fed by pure plant oil that produces excess electricity to send back to the grid. LED lighting, recycled waste, and rainwater are also utilized.

Other buildings worth investigating for their sustainability include Shanghai Tower in China, One Bryant Park in NYC, The Crystal in London, and the beautifully designed Micro Emission Sun-Moon Mansion in Dezhou, China.

The Central Role of Manufacturers

Green buildings wouldn’t be the success they are without manufacturers making necessary production adjustments for energy-efficient equipment systems and the parts to support them. Nowhere is this more evident than in the various fields of clean, alternative energy such as geothermal, solar, and wind. In 2015, $396 billion AUD was invested globally in renewable energy while just $180 billion was invested in fossil fuel development.

This increase in demand for clean energy means, according to one manufacturer, that, “…manufacturers of equipment used to produce carbon-based, fossil fuel-derived electricity are discovering that the designs of some of their equipment must be adapted for use with alternative energy sources.” Making those changes turns the vision of alternative energy into reality.

The eco-shift from fossil fuel-derived power to alternative/renewable sources is a flow:

  1. The need: Change must happen
  2. The vision: Change can happen
  3. The demand: Make the change to green buildings that use alternative energy!
  4. The investment: Here’s $396 billion AUD to make the changes
  5. The manufacturing: Here’s the equipment and parts required to change to clean, renewable energy
  6. The implementation: We have changed the world!

What part will you play in supporting the change you want to see in the world? It might be as simple as advocating for green building updates through the first three steps above where you live or work. If you’re a decision-maker in those settings or a building owner, an investor or manufacturer, then your role is found in steps 4-6.

The change is possible; be the change you want to see for a greener world.

Further Reading:
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Treating Genetically Modified Animals Like New Drugs? It Could Be in the Works

Last week, the FDA proposed a new way to handle genetically modified animals: monitoring their safety the way new drugs are monitored.

The proposed regulation, one of three proposed last week before President Trump’s inauguration, would have immense consequences on the treatment of genome editing in regulations—as well as how companies go about bringing genetically modified foods to the market.

It’s worth emphasizing that this is merely a proposed regulation. And although food is indeed grouped together with drugs as something that can change the way your body functions—it’s called the Food and Drug Administration, after all—this proposal is raising some eyebrows in the world of genetics and bioethics.

Understanding the Genetically Modified Regulatory Environment

Nature.com points to the case of genetically modified salmon, which took twenty years of safety testing to approve. It’s still not available for sale as the FDA is yet to rule on how the fish should be labeled.

The ethics here are complicated. For nutrition enthusiasts, genetic modification is something that should be closely monitored and watched. But Nature also reports that a firm producing hornless dairy cattle is worried that these proposed regulations could make it difficult to do what they do, which reduces the need for “surgical dehorning”—which animals lovers aren’t crazy about, either.

If all genetic modifications are treated with the same hard-line skepticism from regulators, they argue that the consequences could result in red tape for any steps forward in the quality treatment of animals. That might push money out of the GMO world and into other controversial areas of animal treatment. According to Allison van Eenennaam, as quoted by Nature,

Because of measures like this, almost everything in genetic engineering will have to be done by huge multinational companies.”

Treating all gene modifications the same way makes for healthy skepticism, but is it enough to ensure that research resources are allocated the best way?

What’s the Alternative?

A subtle distinction must be made. Animals with genomes edited by specific tools are different than animals bred from more general DNA splicing. The proposed regulation would see no distinction between the two, which could prohibit smaller innovations under the guise of regulating the larger changes.

Currently, the FDA does not regulate these foods as drugs. And though in general terms, any food can alter the body’s chemistry, that has not always meant that the same regulatory environment existed for both.

For more information on this FDA proposal and to see what it would really mean in the world of genetic modification, you can go straight to the source with a release at the FDA’s website.

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Hens That Lay Our Organic Eggs Just Got a Lot More Room

It’s simple nutritional logic: the healthier the hen, the healthier the egg. But the term “organic eggs” and what it means for the chickens laying them has always been, for lack of a better term, flexible.

New rules passed by the USDA this month include new “minimum indoor and outdoor space requirements for poultry” to attain the “organic” label. Previously, rules only required that hens have some sort of outdoors access to be labeled organic. That left a lot of wiggle room for egg producers.

According to NPR, some producers would simply construct large chicken houses and give them a small, enclosed porch for “roaming.” While customers might picture chickens with plenty of pasture for free roaming, the reality was closer to the typical, high-density chicken house you might expect from a non-organic label.

The new rules will require approximately one acre for every 20,000 chickens, or one square foot for every 2 and a quarter pounds of chickens. But buyer beware: farmers are being given a five-year transition period to rise to the new standard. That means that some organic eggs will not meet these new standards when you buy them now.

Understanding What “Organic Eggs” Really Means

The terms “free range” and “organic” are thrown around so often that some customers forget they mean two different things. While “free range” chickens are allowed the space to roam—as the name would suggest—freely, “organic” chickens are under no such requirements.

In fact, organic eggs simply come from chickens that are not kept in cages and are fed organic feed. Under old USDA rules, simple access to outdoor areas—no matter how inadequate—meant there was a lot of flexibility for farmers looking to save a buck.

The new standards, while not ambitious, ensure that the amount of space these organic chickens are given at least adheres to a simple formula. While it doesn’t quite bring the chickens up to “free range” status, it does mean a healthier lifestyle for the hens laying the eggs.

What Does This Mean About Your Organic Eggs?

The Los Angeles Times cited a poll of farmers suggesting that as many as a quarter of organic chicken farmers don’t currently meet this new standard. That suggests a modest change in regulations, since the majority of chicken farmers may already meet the new standards. And with a five-year grace period for bringing a farm up to date, customers shouldn’t expect drastic changes overnight.

The good news is that the “organic” label still means something. Even inadequate access to pasture areas is better than no access at all. And these hens are uncaged, according to USDA regulations, which allows free roaming within their confines. Their diet is also organic, without the pesticides or fertilizers that can ultimately affect egg quality.

The new regulation is drawing some criticism from both sides, with organic enthusiasts calling it “too little” and others believing that the small change will have an effect on prices, but not on quality. As for the hens, they were unavailable for comment.

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