Reliance on feed imports is ‘completely antithetical to the founding principles of the organic industry’
Organic dairy producers in the United States have become addicted to imported feed grains from places such as Romania and Turkey, says an American dairy industry expert.
Organic dairies in Canada likely use fewer imported grains, says an organic grain merchant, but organic poultry and hog producers in Canada are highly dependent on imported feed.
Warren Taylor, who owns and operates Snowville Creamery in Ohio, said 40 percent of the organic corn fed to dairy cows in the U.S. and 70 percent of the organic soybeans are imported.
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Taylor said the estimates aren’t official government stats but are based on conversations with organic and dairy industry representatives.
“I was out in California recently … and I met with a number of leaders in the dairy industry out there,” he said.
“(And) we work with a large, multi-state, family owned grain company based in Ohio. They agree with (the import figures)…. Those numbers are reasonable.”
Snowville Creamery specializes in non-genetically modified milk, or more accurately, milk from cows that eat non-GM grains and forage.
Snowville has been selling GM-free milk since 2014.
Taylor decided to produce milk made without GM feed because he wanted to support American farmers.
“This was me doing what I had to do in the face of limited organic grain supplies, and my unwillingness to be party to a supply chain that imported this stuff from overseas,” said Taylor, whose efforts to sell non-GM dairy products has been featured in many U.S. publications.
Taylor said the organic industry’s dependence on imported grain is compromising the integrity of the movement.
“In America today, 40 percent of all the organic corn fed to livestock animals … is imported from places like Croatia, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, places where there are issues … with the food supply,” he said. “It’s completely antithetical to the founding principles of the organic industry that we’ve allowed the supply chains to go this way…. There is no justifying this.”
Organic livestock producers in Canada also use imported feed, but there are no official statistics.
Tia Loftsgard, executive director of the Canadian Organic Trade Association, said the data doesn’t exist because the federal government doesn’t track imports of organic grains.
However, there is anecdotal evidence of imports.
“I know they are coming in. I don’t know how much,” said Becky Lipton, executive director of Organic Alberta.“There’s a shortage across the board in North America…. There’s a shortage of all organic grains. That includes feed and food grade.”
She said organic dairy producers in Alberta prefer to use local feed supplies such as organic flax meal. However, there is a significant shortfall of organic feed grain in Eastern Canada.
“We are very dependent on imported stuff, especially soybeans,” said Tom Manley, who operates Homestead Organics, which supplies feed and offers agronomic services to organic farmers in Ontario, Quebec and New York.
“We have tens of thousands of tonnes of feed (grains) coming in from overseas (including India).”
Eastern Canada produces and exports food grade organic soybeans, but there is a shortage of organic feed grade soy.
Manley said the reliance on imported feedgrain in Canada, at least in Eastern Canada, is comparable to the U.S.
“Those statistics (American import estimates) … don’t particularly surprise me,” he said.
“I can’t really compare (numbers), but I don’t think the situation is any different in Canada than the United States…. We are importing lots of feedgrains … especially corn and soybeans.”
The organic dairy sector in Canada is less dependent on imported grains because many farmers have land around their farms for crop production.
It’s organic hog, chicken and egg producers who use most of the imported feed.
Manley said organic leaders in Eastern Canada are trying to increase grain production in the region by luring conventional producers into organic, but progress has been slow.
“We are trying very hard to displace (imports) with local production,” he said.
“There is a wish that organic and local be somewhat synonymous, but it’s not a requirement (of organic standards).”
Manley struggles to comprehend the local shortage because it rubs against the rules of economics.
“(I’m) flabbergasted by the way that not enough Canadian farmers are taking up the (organic) opportunity,” he said.
“I don’t get it. The grains are worth twice the price. What the hell is wrong, you guys? Why aren’t you producing?”
