Bruce Scholten: US organic dairy politics: animals, pasture, people, and agribusiness Palgrave Macmillan, New York, New York, 2014, 291 pp, ISBN: 978-1-137-33060-4

• Published in: Agriculture and human values Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 569 - 570
• Main Author: Tautges, Nicole E.
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.09.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agribusiness; Agricultural Economics; Agriculture; Animal care; Animal welfare; Consumers; Dairy cattle; Dairy farms; Dairy industry; Education; Ethics; Evolutionary Biology; Family farms; Farmers; History; Livestock; Natural & organic foods; Organic farming; Pasture; Philosophy; Political activism; Politics; Soil sciences; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; United States > US
• ISSN: 0889-048X; 1572-8366
• DOI: 10.1007/s10460-015-9631-x

US Organic Dairy Politics: Animals, Pasture, People, and Agribusiness by Bruce Scholten is reviewed. Scholten's years of involvement in organic dairy politics and his personal connections provide a unique insider look into the world of NOP politics, examined through the view of a geographer with dairy farmer roots. Especially valuable are the discussions of what constitutes access to pasture on organic dairy farms, how management decisions impact animal welfare, and how organic megadairies influence the market in favor of large companies, often at the expense of family farms. Scholten calls for more attention to be paid by consumers to consolidation in the organic dairy foods sector and for increased awareness of dairy cow welfare issues, while acknowledging that dairy farmers do care for the well-being of their cows. This book reveals the process through which the national organic standards are drafted and enacted, and is informative for graduate students, academics, and farmers interested in the politics and players within the national organic dairy industry.