Horizon and their sister company Aurora Organics have been cutting corners by not following true organic standards. They continue to produce milk under factory-farm conditions which are against organic regulations. Also, instead of buying organically raised calves, they purchase calves born and raised on conventional farms. These so called organic cows are being fed a diet of genetically modified grains, slaughterhouse waste (ground up pigs, chickens, dogs and cats) and chicken manure. It is too expensive to wean a baby calve on milk, so they have switched to weaning them on the blood of other animals. This has ultimately led to the Organic Consumers Association to call for a boycott against Horizon and Aurora Organics.
This is monumental because they have never called for a boycott on any other product in the past. Dean Foods, the parent company of Horizon, recently bought Silk which produces organic soy milk. Dean Foods has been pushing to lower the standards for Organic Food makers wanting to allow industrial-type production to be deemed organic. The organic quality of Silk has gone way down hill since Dead Foods took over, I would suggest finding a better and more natural source for your soy milk.
The Cornucopia Institute, a watch dog organization, actually went to visit a lot of these factory farms that Horizon and Aurora call organic. They have farms with 4,000 animals, but only a few hundred acres of pasture. Also, some employees for these companies are speaking out. A story in the Chicago Tribune had one of these company whistle blowers actually say that that the cows are not put out to pasture except when media is going to show up. "This is a matter of fairness and ethics, said James Miller, a Columbus, Wisconsin dairy farmer. When we certified our 1475 acres and 340 cows organic we went to the expense and effort to convert our very best and most fertile fields, surrounding the barn, to pasture. Cows managed organically and pasture-based tend to have lower levels of production and also live much longer and healthier lives. "We should not be put at a competitive disadvantage by taking the high-road in organics," Miller affirmed.
We need to watch out for our health and not let companies like Dean Foods take advantage of us in order to gain maximum profits. As long as we continue to support these conglomerates instead of the real home grown organic farmers, we will be supporting this type of production. Plus, without our support the true organic farmers will not be able to stay in business and true organic foods will be lost."Conventional agriculture is corrupted by corporations who view producing food very differently," said Pennsylvania dairyman Roman Stoltzfoos whose family ships their milk to Natural by Nature. "Now if they have their way, they will be corrupting organic agriculture too."
Source: http://www.newstarget.com/021763.html
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/horizon21705.cfm
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