Federal regulators have issued new guidance aimed at clarifying how terms like “grass-fed” and “free-range” are used in the meat and poultry industry, but sustainability activists argue that it doesn’t fully address the growing concerns about greenwashing.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated its guidance last week, focusing on voluntary marketing claims about how livestock are raised and the sustainability of land use. The guidance encourages companies to provide more robust documentation to support their animal-raising or environmental claims and to use third-party certifications to substantiate these claims.

This update follows increasing scrutiny over greenwashing practices, particularly in the meat industry. Earlier this year, New York’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against JBS, the world’s largest beef processor, accusing the company of greenwashing by making unsubstantiated environmental claims.

Ben Lilliston, director of rural strategies and climate change at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, praised the USDA for requiring more information but emphasized that more needs to be done to ensure labels are not misleading. He stated that documentation alone isn’t enough to fully address concerns about transparency in meat labeling.

Businesses and activists are also looking to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is expected to update its Green Guides, a set of marketing guidelines designed to ensure that environmental claims made by companies are truthful. The guides haven’t been updated in over a decade, which has caused confusion for businesses trying to navigate environmental marketing.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service reviews documentation submitted by companies to support their animal-raising and environment-related marketing claims. Labels can only be used if approved by the agency. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized that this new guidance will help level the playing field for companies that are truthful in their claims and will allow consumers to trust labels when purchasing meat products.

However, critics argue that third-party certification should be mandatory to ensure consistency. The American Grassfed Association (AGA), a leader in setting high standards for grass-fed meat, has long pushed for stricter enforcement to protect consumers and farmers alike. Carrie Balkcom, AGA’s executive director, stressed that voluntary guidelines aren’t enough, calling for mandatory third-party certification to ensure transparency and trust in labels.

Meanwhile, organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) continue to express skepticism, arguing that no type of certification can make meat, eggs, or dairy truly sustainable. They have also raised concerns about third-party certifiers like the Global Animal Partnership, which has faced criticism in the past.

As the USDA continues its efforts to address transparency in labeling, federal agencies and companies alike are working to find a balance between providing clear, trustworthy information and navigating the complexities of environmental marketing.

This blog post is based on an article originally reported by Clara Hudson for Bloomberg. To review, read the full article here.

Media Contacts:
Marty Irby, Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, marty@martyirby.com, 202-821-5686

Carrie Balkcom, American Grassfed Association, aga@americangrassfed.org, 303-591-3978

Dave Hyde, Buckeye Quality Beef Association, dhydefarm@windstream.net, 740-381-2699

Sean Arithson, Dakota Resource Council, sean@drcinfo.com, 701-202-3488

Angela Huffman, Farm Action and Farm Action Fund, ahuffman@farmactionfund.us, 614-390-7552

Dr. JohnElla Holmes Reece, Kansas Black Farmers Association, johnella.h@kbfa.org, 785-236-9014

Tommy Enright, Wisconsin Farmers Union, tenright@wiscosninfarmersunion.com, 715-563-2169

 

 

Farm Organizations Announce National “Enough Is Enough Tour”

Farmers and ranchers across the U.S. will gather to call for an end to government policies that favor the largest food industry giants

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, 16 farm organizations announced the launch of the national Enough Is Enough Tour in protest of government policies that drive consolidation of the food system into the hands of the largest multinational corporations to the detriment of farmers and ranchers.

With Congress preparing to debate the farm bill during prime planting and calving season, restricting farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to bring their voices to Washington D.C., farm groups will gather at events in at least five states to call on members of Congress to deliver a bill that levels the playing field.

A major focus of the tour is to highlight corruption in government checkoff programs, which compel farmers and ranchers to contribute a staggering one billion dollars annually and which have been co-opted by corporate interests. Checkoff dollars are often funneled to lobbying organizations that represent the world’s largest meatpackers and grain traders, which then work against the interests of the very farmers and ranchers mandated to pay into the programs.

Enough Is Enough Tour events will take place across the country, hosted by grassroots and national organizations representing the interests of our nation’s food producers:

 

• May 14 | Clearwater, MN | Hosted by American Grassfed Association and Thousand Hills Farm
• May 22 | Osseo, WI | Hosted by Wisconsin Farmers Union
• May 24 | Nicodemus, KS | Hosted by Kansas Black Farmers Association
• May 29 | Columbiana, OH | Hosted by Buckeye Quality Beef Association, Ohio Farmers Union, and Pennsylvania Farmers Union
• May 31 | Guntersville, AL | Hosted by Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, Competitive Markets Action, and the Organization for Competitive Markets
• June 4 | Bismarck, ND | Hosted by Dakota Resource Council

 
 
“The Enough Is Enough Tour is a unified platform for farmers and ranchers to voice the disastrous impacts of the current system on their lives and livelihoods, and to demand reforms that bring prosperity and fair competition to agriculture,” said Angela Huffman, Vice President of Farm Action Fund, sponsor and organizer of the tour. “Change begins by putting the brakes on the government’s billion-dollar gravy train known as checkoff programs by passing the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act.”

 

“The Enough Is Enough Tour provides a crucial platform to educate our stakeholders about injustices faced by BIPOC farmers,” said Dr. JohnElla Holmes Reece, Executive Director of Kansas Black Farmers Association. “Addressing misuse of funds in government checkoff programs serves as a pivotal step toward advocacy and change, empowering our community to pave the way for a fairer agricultural landscape.”

 

“In our pursuit of a fair agricultural landscape, it’s time to acknowledge that the current system disproportionately favors corporate giants over family-scale farms,” said
Darin Von Ruden, President of Wisconsin Farmers Union. “The Enough Is Enough Tour is advocating for policies that level the playing field and work toward a viable future for all farmers and ranchers.”

 

“The Enough is Enough Tour is an opportunity for cattlemen and women to listen to what the checkoff has really done to the American cattle industry and what solutions are proposed to correct the 30+ year fleecing of cattle tax paying ranchers,” said Dave Hyde of the Buckeye Quality Beef Association.

 

“As a proud American and lifelong producer, I’m elated to see our members rally in support of putting the checkoff programs back on track and call on the Alabama Congressional Delegation to back to the OFF Act and end the rampant corruption within these swampy slush funds,” said Jonathan Buttram, President of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association and

 

Treasurer at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “The industrial agriculture mafia is petrified of our work and the OFF Act because they see the writing on the wall and we hope they soon meet the same fate as New York’s infamous ‘Five Families.’”

 

The Enough Is Enough Tour is endorsed by: Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, American Grassfed Association, Buckeye Quality Beef Association, Competitive Markets Action, Dakota Resource Council, Farm Action, Farm Action Fund, Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming, Kansas Black Farmers Association, Montana Cattlemen’s Association, Ohio Farmers Union, Organization for Competitive Markets, Pennsylvania Farmers Union, R-CALF USA, Western Organization of Resource Councils, and Wisconsin Farmers Union.

 

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Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association (ALCPGA) is a group of independent poultry producers that have come together to find ways of making our industry stronger, more efficient, and more economical. They have implemented an LP Gas program to lower the cost of gas that each producer purchases. This enables the producer to save on their heating bill, and still produce healthy poultry.

 

American Grassfed Association communicates the value of grassfed products to consumers, chefs, and the media and serves as a resource for information. We also advocate and work to make positive change in policies for pasture-based producers.

 

Buckeye Quality Beef Association is an Ohio-based cattle organization fighting for the independent cattle producer. The main focus is promoting USA labeled beef, strengthening and increasing competitive markets, and exposing the truths about the National Beef Checkoff and Ohio Beef Marketing programs.

 

Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that was formed with the mission of shaping policy to promote more regenerative and sustainable agriculture, and competitive markets in the U.S., and to defend against attacks on states’ rights by the federal government. CMA works to raise awareness of the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to the American family farmer, the consumer and our U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms.

 

Dakota Resource Council’s mission is to promote sustainable use of North Dakota’s natural resources and family-owned and operated agriculture by building member-led local groups that empower people to influence the decision-making processes that affect their lives and communities.

 

Farm Action and Farm Action Fund are farmer-led organizations fighting corporate monopolies in agriculture. We envision a fair, sustainable, and healthy food system that empowers farmers, ranchers, and rural communities to feed their neighbors.

 

The Kansas Black Farmers Association, Inc. (KBFA) is dedicated to promoting the economic and social well-being of black farmers and agricultural communities in Kansas and beyond.

 

Through advocacy, education, and empowerment initiatives, KBFA strives to address systemic disparities and foster sustainable agricultural practices.

 

The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of the Organization for Competitive Markets is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission, and our duty, is to define and advocate the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as a regulator and enforcer of rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens.