Organic production of animal products like milk, meat and eggs requires meeting basic certification requirements such as not using synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, fungicides or insecticides for 3 years. Animals must be fed 100% organic feed and not be given antibiotics or hormones, with some exceptions. For dairy, cows must have access to certified organic pasture for grazing throughout the growing season, with at least 30% of dry matter from pasture. The transition period to organic certification takes at least 1 year. Organic meat production also requires animals to be pasture-raised and fed organic feed without antibiotics or hormones.

1. GROUP 11
ANGELO SUPAN
ROMCEL TEVES
MANNY VILLANUEVA

2. Basis for Organic Production of
Animal Products
(MILK, MEAT, AND EGG)

4. Basic certification requirements include:
• managing crop and pasture land without the use of synthetic fertilizers, genetically
engineered (modified) organisms (GMOs), fungicides, herbicides or insecticides for
3 consecutive years
• maintaining accurate records for production management, including machinery
usage and cleaning, rented land and storage
• providing a comprehensive history of all land to be certified
• feeding 100% organic rations to cows and replacement heifers (with certain
exceptions, such as minerals and essential ingredients that cannot be sourced as
organic)

5. • avoiding the use of antibiotics or synthetic hormones - under the
supervision of a veterinarian, antibiotic use is permitted twice a year per cow
but the withdrawal period must be extended; vaccination, vitamins and
electrolytes are allowed.
• providing access to certified organic grazing land throughout the growing
season, weather permitting. Pasture must provide at least 30% of the total
dry matter intake. The animal should have access to the outside throughout
the year.

6.  The period of time it takes to switch a dairy operation from conventional
dairy production to organic dairy production is called the transition time.
 How long this takes depends on factors such as cow herd size, the
size of the land base and previous farming practices.
Complete organic certification generally requires a mandatory year of
transition for the herd and pasture - the farm is operated as an organic dairy
operation for 1 full year before it is certified. During the transition time, the
cows are kept according to organic production standards, but the dairy
products produced from this herd cannot be marketed as organic until the
farm receives certification.

7. Common Organic Dairy Production
Requirements
• Efficient organic farming requires a different production strategy that
includes pasture, a high forage diet and a limited role for grains and others
concentrates. Most purchased feeds must be certified organic. For this
reason, managing an organic operation can require more labour and a certain
level of commitment to the operation and to organic principles

8. Pasture
• In an organic dairy operation, all cows should
have daily free access to pasture, paddocks or
runways. Throughout the growing season, cows
must be able to graze outdoors. At least 30%
of their dry matter requirement must come
from pasture. If raw or composted manure is
applied to the pasture, the cows are not
permitted to graze on the land until the manure
breaks down biologically. Some producers
compost manure before field application as a
way to speed up this process.

9. Housing Conditions
• Housing for cows must provide minimal stress
in a facility that meets their normal
socialization, feeding and living behaviours.
The housing system should consist of a
comfortably equipped stall with soft floors,
sufficient space, adequate floor traction,
proper ventilation and access to the outdoors.
Dairy housing must also be clean, dry and
provide protection from elements. Tie stall
barns are allowed but the animals must go
outdoors at least twice a week during the
winter months.

10. Organic Meat
Production
• As for organic meat, regulations
require that animals are raised in
living conditions accommodating
their natural behaviors (like the
ability to graze on pasture), fed
100% organic feed and forage, and
not administered antibiotics or
hormones.

11. Organic meat means:
 No antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones, GMOs, or pesticides
 The health and natural behavior of animals are prioritized
 All livestock feed must be 100% organically produced
 Cows are pasture-raised and grazed throughout the grazing
season
 Organic meat farmers use holistic, preventive health care
practices
 Organic meat production helps protect the environment

12. Processing Organic Meat
• The federal Organic Products Regulations do not require the slaughtering, transportation or storage
of organic meat to be done in a certified facility. If slaughter houses are packaging, labelling and
marketing the meat under their own brand, they are considered to be processors and these activities
must be certified. However, if these facilities are providing a service for organic operators, their are
two options. The organic producer can include the slaughter, cutting and packaging activities under
his or her own Organic Plan. However, under this scenario the producer would be responsible for
ensuring that the slaughter facility maintains the organic integrity of the product from the time the
livestock are delivered to the point that the meat is sold. Under this scenario, the producer pays an
extra cost for the certification and the certification is linked to the producer, not to the slaughter
faciltiy.

13. Processing Organic Meat
• This means that a second producer who wants to use the same facility would
have to undergo and pay for a similar process and the facility would be
subject to two annual inspections. A second option is for the slaughter
facility to obtain an Attestation of Compliance. This places both the costs and
the onus to maintain organic integrity on the facility. This option makes
more sense when a slaughter facility processes meat for more than one
organic producer.

14. Markets for Organic Meat
• There is a high organic premium for meat in Canada which can range from less than
100% to over 200% of conventional. However, the cost of producing organic
livestock is much higher than conventional because of the high cost of organic
grains. The high feed costs can mean that organic livestock production is not
profitable unless you grow the majority of the feeds on farm. Even then, you need
to consider oppportunity costs - that is, the price that you could get on the open
market if you sold the grains rather than feeding them to your livestock. As noted
above, do not get into organic livestock production until you've worked out the cost
of production and the organic price premium.

15. Organic grains used for feed in organic meat
production don’t use energy-intensive synthetic
nitrogen. Instead, they rely on nitrogen-fixing cover
crops, and recycle waste from other production
operations in the form of manure and compost. Since
organic grain production does not use synthetic
fertilizer, it removes a large emission element from
organic meat operations.

16. • Organic egg production is the production
of eggs through organic means. In this
process, the poultry are fed organic feed.
According to the United States Department
of Agriculture, organic means that the laying
hens must have access to the outdoors and
cannot be raised in cages. Only
natural molting can occur within the
flock; forced molting is not allowed. Organic
certification also requires maintenance of
basic animal welfare standards.

17. Differences between "free range" and "organic“
Significant differences cover feed, medication, and animal welfare. Organic hens are
fed organic feed; it is prohibited to feed animal byproducts or GMO crops – which is
not disallowed in free range environments; no antibiotics allowed except in
emergencies (in free range, it is up to the farmer, but the same levels of antibiotics as
conventional farming is allowed); required animal welfare standards in organic farms
are higher, which can improve the quality of both the eggs and the meat.
In the European Union (EU), to identify and trace egg production, a unique code must
legally be printed on all eggs. A "0" code distinguishes organic farming eggs. The
regulation on egg marking includes four levels with strict requirements on husbandry
conditions. While free-range and indoor keeping requires 1100 cm² indoor space per
hen it makes 1667 cm² (or 6 hens per square meter) the minimum for organic farming.

18. Specialized egg
production consists of
separating poultry for
meat and egg
production. In the egg
producing plant,
specialized employees
oversee specific aspects
of egg production.

19. Integrated egg production is
the most advanced enterprise
and involves full mechanization
and automation of the egg
production cycle including
battery egg laying, temperature
controls, scientific feeding and
mechanized egg collection
methods.

20. Question?