FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Food

Many "Organic" Eggs Are Coming from Cramped, Miserable Hens

Many organic eggs come from birds packed into large warehouses along with tens of thousands of other birds—and they rarely get outdoors, if ever.
Photo via Flickr user inspiredresults

An organic egg farm is a bucolic place, where happy hens frolic, cavort, scratch and forage—all while breathing fresh air, as they contentedly lay their delicious eggs… right?

Not exactly. In fact, that notion may be dead wrong, according to a study and consumer guide published by the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit watchdog group. As the Washington Post reports, many organic eggs come from birds packed into large warehouses along with tens of thousands of other birds—and they rarely get outdoors, if ever. Sounds like the conventional eggs you've been avoiding? Yeah, pretty much.

Advertisement

The problem is that although organic certification of eggs requires that hens be provided with plenty of time outdoors, enforcement is lax. To say the least.

Mark Kastel, the cofounder the Cornucopia Institute, says, "There's just not an interest at [the] USDA in enforcing the law. Consumers expect that they are protected from fraud. But that's not what's happening."

READ: Why 'Vegetarian' Eggs Can Actually Be a Crueler Choice

Kastel's group has ranked hundreds of organic egg farms based on the conditions provided for the hens. Ominously, some of the largest organic egg producers refused to answer the group's questionnaire.

So Cornucopia took matters into their own hands.

The group examined high-resolution aerial photographs of the farms. The photos raised alarm; in some instances, they showed no birds outside big warehouses and little space outside even if the birds were allowed out.

The crux of the problem seems to be that the USDA relies on private certifying companies—hired and paid for by the farms themselves—to ensure that organic standards are up to snuff. Did someone say "conflict of interest"?

"Isn't it a coincidence that there was not one bird outdoors on any of the facilities?" Kastel said with respect to the dozens of farms the group called out.

Last year, Cornucopia filed a complaint regarding five large organic egg producers—Herbrucks, Krehers, Delta Egg Farm, Chino Valley and Bushman Farms—and the USDA responded that the accusations were "unwarranted" and that the photographs only capture a "single moment in time" and don't show that the hens were systematically denied outdoor access. In response to the latest report, the USDA defended itself by saying it had "reviewed or investigated" 390 complaints alleging violations of USDA organic regulations during the 2015 budget year. As a result, it charged businesses with $1.9 million in civil penalties for violating organic rules. The USDA says it also conducted 34 audits of certifying companies.

Not all news is bad news, however, Cornucopia's consumer guide points out that there are many egg farms—like Nick's Organic in Maryland, which tops the list—that meet and exceed organic standards.

The bottom line, says Kastel, is that conditions vary—hugely. Caveat emptor, as usual. "You can get great organic eggs," Kastel said. "You just have to do your own homework."