Dairies are an extremely important part of the food sector in Washington. More specifically, organic dairy operations are proving themselves just as vital. According to the MSNBC article, there were just two organic dairy operations in Washington five years ago. Today, there are 45.

With such a rapid increase in demand for organic milk and other organic dairy products, the problem of how to feed all the cows arises. There’s simply not enough organic food in production in the United States to meet the needs of these new organic operations.

Dairy farmers face a difficult task as they clamor for corn and soybeans — the main components in cattle feed these days — which have not been doused with chemicals. Because not enough organic food for cows is grown in the United States, dairy operators in Washington are looking to China to supply them with the feed.

The problem with importing feed from China, however, is that they operate under different standards. The organic certification process in China is different than in the United States.

How does one ensure that everything the USDA organic label requires is required in China? As evidenced by the recent domestic pet food imports from China, mislabeling of imports happens, and when it does it can be fatal.

Source: The Daily Evergreen