Officials with the American Humane Association, Schoettmer Prime Pork and the happy egg co. were among agriculture industry stakeholders who went to Capitol Hill to take part in a congressional briefing on "The Humane Heartland."
The briefing was hosted by the Congressional Humane Bond Caucus, and outlined advances in agriculture, while calling on the American public to support humane farming practices and celebrating the farmers who make animal welfare a high priority.
"More people are concerned about how their food is raised than ever before and want to make choices that are in line with their values," said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association. "This Thanksgiving, we urge all Americans to set a humane table and give thanks to American farmers and ranchers who not only put food on our families' tables, but who work to put the 'heart' in heartland by providing food that is safe, abundant, affordable and humanely raised under ethical, commonsense, and scientifically demonstrated standards."
At the briefing a famed Michelin-starred chef, top figures in farm animal welfare, farmers, and leaders of major organizations in food production involving hundreds of millions of animals outlined advances in humane agriculture in line with national studies showing overwhelming support for humanely raised food.
"The happy egg co. is passionately committed to improving the living conditions of all farm animals," said David Wagstaff, chief operating officer of the happy egg co. "We have established a profitable farming model that benefits laying hens, family farmers and U.S. consumers. Working with American Humane Association has allowed us to bring more awareness to Congress about the importance of providing Americans with affordable, high humane food, raised under the most ethical standards. We're confident that The Humane Heartland Congressional Briefing will further advance the movement toward humane agriculture in the U.S."
"I believe that that pig farmers are animal welfare professionals who provide the best care to pigs," said Keith Schoettmer of Indiana's Schoettmer Prime Pork, who was recently named "America's Pig Farmer of the Year" for his use of humane and sustainable practices. "The America's Pig Farmer of the Year program is a great avenue to share producers' commitment to doing things right every day on their farms."
The Congressional Humane Bond Caucus was founded by Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Florida, and Henry Cuellar, D-Texas.
Showing posts with label Animal Welfare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animal Welfare. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Winners of Good Pig Production Awards honored
Compassion in World Farming, in association with the International Cooperation Committee of Animal Welfare (ICCAW), held its second Good Pig Production Awards at an event in Westminster, London on Nov. 18. Eight representatives of this year's 14 deserving winners from China were in London to be presented with their awards and to hear from experts in pig welfare and food industry leaders, including Sainsbury's and BQP.
China is currently the world’s largest producer of pigs, rearing an astounding 726 million a year– more than half the world’s pig population and five times more than that produced in the USA. Over 60 per cent of the world’s pork is consumed in China and this level seems set to increase with the inevitable population growth. In order to meet this demand, there has been a major shift away from traditional small-scale pig farms to large-scale intensive production1. Such scaling-up of production has been achieved by greater vertical integration in the supply chain and geographic concentration of production1, along with the use of highly productive breeds, intensive systems (such as sow stalls, farrowing crates, high stocking densities, and barren pens), and intensive practices (such as tail docking, and teeth-clipping).
It is precisely these practices that Compassion and ICCAW are educating against through the Good Pig Production Award, which recognizes Chinese producers for implementing higher welfare standards within their pig production systems.
Madame Xi, executive president of ICCAW, gave her comments on the Good Pig Production Award: “Before launching the Good Pig Production Award, not many people in China were aware of the Five Freedoms of animal welfare. Today industry experts, farm owners and even some consumers know more about pig welfare requirements such as no sow stalls, no teeth-clipping, no tail-docking, and the provision of appropriate bedding materials, all because of the Award. It is a remarkable change and demonstrates significant progress in China, the world’s largest producer of pigs. Moreover, it has resulted in a very positive effect on the global environment and sustainable agricultural development.”
Many large Chinese pig producers are already recognizing the benefits of higher welfare production with two 2014 winners demonstrating the successful implementation of previous commitments:
Compassion has worked with ICCAW and local experts in China to develop welfare codes (Farm Animal Welfare Requirements) for pigs, beef cattle and sheep, with the aim of encouraging best practice and improved farm animal welfare. These have filled the gap for animal welfare standards in China and additional welfare codes for broilers and laying hens are currently being developed.
Locally, ICCAW is working hard to set up supply chain connections between producers and retailers of higher welfare pig meat. Recent success has been the signing up of online retailer SFbest.
Dr. Tracey Jones, Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming, summarizes the work and aims of the two partners: “Since 2013, our work in China has been intricately linked to our effective partnership with ICCAW and is largely centered on the Good Pig Production Award, which aims to stop the use of sow stalls and to promote the development of higher welfare systems and practices for both sows and meat pigs. To date, nearly 1 million pigs are set to benefit each year through our award winners’ policies.
“While ICCAW works in China to promote the award to producers, administers award applications and oversees expert panel visits to farms for verification, we at Compassion offer expert technical advice and provide opportunities for the Chinese pig producers to visit farms in the UK and attend expert seminars to gain best practice knowledge. Through study tours they accumulate the latest science-based and practical knowledge on pig farming and higher animal welfare production to help cement their own beliefs and encourage them to spread the word in China. It’s a huge job but the scale on which some of these farmers work means that if just one of them adopts and promotes higher welfare pig production it has an enormous impact.”
Good Pig Production Award winners 2015
5 Star Winners
1] FCRN ‘Appetite for change – Social, economic and environmental transformations in China’s food system’ Tara Garnett, Andreas Wilkes - February 2014 http://www.fcrn.org.uk/sites/default/files/fcrn_china_mapping_study_final_pdf_2014.pdf
China is currently the world’s largest producer of pigs, rearing an astounding 726 million a year– more than half the world’s pig population and five times more than that produced in the USA. Over 60 per cent of the world’s pork is consumed in China and this level seems set to increase with the inevitable population growth. In order to meet this demand, there has been a major shift away from traditional small-scale pig farms to large-scale intensive production1. Such scaling-up of production has been achieved by greater vertical integration in the supply chain and geographic concentration of production1, along with the use of highly productive breeds, intensive systems (such as sow stalls, farrowing crates, high stocking densities, and barren pens), and intensive practices (such as tail docking, and teeth-clipping).
It is precisely these practices that Compassion and ICCAW are educating against through the Good Pig Production Award, which recognizes Chinese producers for implementing higher welfare standards within their pig production systems.
Madame Xi, executive president of ICCAW, gave her comments on the Good Pig Production Award: “Before launching the Good Pig Production Award, not many people in China were aware of the Five Freedoms of animal welfare. Today industry experts, farm owners and even some consumers know more about pig welfare requirements such as no sow stalls, no teeth-clipping, no tail-docking, and the provision of appropriate bedding materials, all because of the Award. It is a remarkable change and demonstrates significant progress in China, the world’s largest producer of pigs. Moreover, it has resulted in a very positive effect on the global environment and sustainable agricultural development.”
Many large Chinese pig producers are already recognizing the benefits of higher welfare production with two 2014 winners demonstrating the successful implementation of previous commitments:
- Sanmenxia Chuying Agri-husbandry Co.
- Beijing Taixinfumin Pig Production Co. Ltd
Compassion has worked with ICCAW and local experts in China to develop welfare codes (Farm Animal Welfare Requirements) for pigs, beef cattle and sheep, with the aim of encouraging best practice and improved farm animal welfare. These have filled the gap for animal welfare standards in China and additional welfare codes for broilers and laying hens are currently being developed.
Locally, ICCAW is working hard to set up supply chain connections between producers and retailers of higher welfare pig meat. Recent success has been the signing up of online retailer SFbest.
Dr. Tracey Jones, Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming, summarizes the work and aims of the two partners: “Since 2013, our work in China has been intricately linked to our effective partnership with ICCAW and is largely centered on the Good Pig Production Award, which aims to stop the use of sow stalls and to promote the development of higher welfare systems and practices for both sows and meat pigs. To date, nearly 1 million pigs are set to benefit each year through our award winners’ policies.
“While ICCAW works in China to promote the award to producers, administers award applications and oversees expert panel visits to farms for verification, we at Compassion offer expert technical advice and provide opportunities for the Chinese pig producers to visit farms in the UK and attend expert seminars to gain best practice knowledge. Through study tours they accumulate the latest science-based and practical knowledge on pig farming and higher animal welfare production to help cement their own beliefs and encourage them to spread the word in China. It’s a huge job but the scale on which some of these farmers work means that if just one of them adopts and promotes higher welfare pig production it has an enormous impact.”
Good Pig Production Award winners 2015
5 Star Winners
- Heilongjiang Dongnong Sanhua Pig Animal Husbandry & Food Co. Ltd
- Laiwu Breeder Pig Farm Co. Ltd
- Hainan Dingan Nabowan Animal Husbandry Co. Ltd
- Yanbian Northeast Local Free-range Pig Development Co. Ltd
- Haerbin Xincheng Yuquanshan Breeding Co. Ltd
- Jiangxi Shuosheng Ecological Agriculture Science & Technology Co. Ltd
- Tongjiang Bashan Ecological Animal Husbandry Science and Technology Co. Ltd
- Sanmenxia Chuying Agro-Pastoral Co. Ltd
- Beijing Taixinfumin Pig Production Co. Ltd
- Handan Furun Ecological Animal Husbandry Co. Ltd
- Hainan Shengtai Agri-Husbandry Co. Ltd
- Changzhou Fenghua Animal Husbandry Co. Ltd
- Tianjing Hengtai Livestock Farming Co. Ltd
- Zhong Dao Animal Husbandry Co. Ltd
1] FCRN ‘Appetite for change – Social, economic and environmental transformations in China’s food system’ Tara Garnett, Andreas Wilkes - February 2014 http://www.fcrn.org.uk/sites/default/files/fcrn_china_mapping_study_final_pdf_2014.pdf
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Growing interest in animal welfare in China
China’s veterinarians have begun to set out the country's first welfare standards for the production and slaughter of poultry and other livestock, including pigs, cattle and sheep.
The Chinese Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is joined in this project by around 30 leading businesses in farming, slaughtering, food processing and food services, the association’s head of animal welfare, Sun Zhongchao, told the news agency, Xinhua.
The standards are expected to cover production conditions (stocking density, heating/ventilation control), disease management (including feed and water hygiene) and the need to stun chickens before slaughter.
Proposed standards, which will not be mandatory, are due to be published in June 2016 and to receive government approval within two years, Sun said.
A further sign of China’s growing interest in animal welfare was highlighted following a recent visit to the country by representatives of Australia’s beef industry.
Potential Chinese investors are passionate about increasing their knowledge of animal welfare practices, Kimberley Cattlemen's Association executive officer, Catherine Marriott, told ABC.
“They are looking for consultants to come in and help them around animal welfare, around building abattoirs, around building quarantine facilities, around feeding their cattle, so we were able to have some conversations around that,” she said.
The Chinese Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is joined in this project by around 30 leading businesses in farming, slaughtering, food processing and food services, the association’s head of animal welfare, Sun Zhongchao, told the news agency, Xinhua.
The standards are expected to cover production conditions (stocking density, heating/ventilation control), disease management (including feed and water hygiene) and the need to stun chickens before slaughter.
Proposed standards, which will not be mandatory, are due to be published in June 2016 and to receive government approval within two years, Sun said.
A further sign of China’s growing interest in animal welfare was highlighted following a recent visit to the country by representatives of Australia’s beef industry.
Potential Chinese investors are passionate about increasing their knowledge of animal welfare practices, Kimberley Cattlemen's Association executive officer, Catherine Marriott, told ABC.
“They are looking for consultants to come in and help them around animal welfare, around building abattoirs, around building quarantine facilities, around feeding their cattle, so we were able to have some conversations around that,” she said.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Boycott on man-made dwarfism in pigs
Britain’s National Pig Association (NPA) has added its voice to the chorus of criticism of a Chinese firm’s plans to produce gene-edited micro-pigs and sell them for around GBP1,000 (US$1,534).
NPA is urging showbiz personalities in Britain to set an example of good animal welfare by boycotting the market in micro-pigs, regardless of whether these so-called “tea-cup” pigs have been created by genetic engineering or selective breeding.
“The current trend for keeping micro-pigs as fashion accessories could be perpetuating serious animal welfare problems,” said Dr. Crayford. “Some miniature pig lines were originally developed for medical research and can carry genetic mutations responsible for deformities linked to animal dwarfism, such as deformed skulls and weak limbs.”
Other lines of micro-pig have been developed by successively breeding from litter runts, which can lead to expensive veterinary bills caused by genetic weaknesses and susceptibilities, including walking difficulties and obesity.
Continued breeding of micro-pigs may compromise animal welfare and should not be encouraged, says NPA. Pigs generally do not make good house pets because they are programmed to root and chew, so they can be destructive if kept in a house or small town garden.
A further problem for dilettante pig-keepers is ensuring the animals are fed properly, says NPA chairman Richard Lister, a North Yorkshire professional pig producer. “Because of the risk of spreading disease, it is illegal to feed pigs raw or cooked catering waste, and that includes all waste from household kitchens — and the penalty is a fine or prison sentence of up to two years.”
Micro-pigs pose a risk to the nation’s food supply, NPA contends, as they can catch and spread diseases such as foot-and-mouth but they are harder to trace as some owners are not be aware of the legal requirement to register them.
Another risk for unsuspecting buyers is that they may be sold as what appears to be a micro-pig but is in fact just a small pig, which in time will grow to 150-200 kilos.
NPA is urging showbiz personalities in Britain to set an example of good animal welfare by boycotting the market in micro-pigs, regardless of whether these so-called “tea-cup” pigs have been created by genetic engineering or selective breeding.
“The current trend for keeping micro-pigs as fashion accessories could be perpetuating serious animal welfare problems,” said Dr. Crayford. “Some miniature pig lines were originally developed for medical research and can carry genetic mutations responsible for deformities linked to animal dwarfism, such as deformed skulls and weak limbs.”
Other lines of micro-pig have been developed by successively breeding from litter runts, which can lead to expensive veterinary bills caused by genetic weaknesses and susceptibilities, including walking difficulties and obesity.
Continued breeding of micro-pigs may compromise animal welfare and should not be encouraged, says NPA. Pigs generally do not make good house pets because they are programmed to root and chew, so they can be destructive if kept in a house or small town garden.
A further problem for dilettante pig-keepers is ensuring the animals are fed properly, says NPA chairman Richard Lister, a North Yorkshire professional pig producer. “Because of the risk of spreading disease, it is illegal to feed pigs raw or cooked catering waste, and that includes all waste from household kitchens — and the penalty is a fine or prison sentence of up to two years.”
Micro-pigs pose a risk to the nation’s food supply, NPA contends, as they can catch and spread diseases such as foot-and-mouth but they are harder to trace as some owners are not be aware of the legal requirement to register them.
Another risk for unsuspecting buyers is that they may be sold as what appears to be a micro-pig but is in fact just a small pig, which in time will grow to 150-200 kilos.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Chipotle: Carnitas to be back in all US restaurants
Chipotle Mexican Grill has restored most of its pork supply and is again serving Carnitas in 90 percent of its restaurants with expectations of having Carnitas back in all of its restaurants by the end of November, the company announced.
Chipotle has been able to replenish its pork supply working with existing suppliers and by adding a new partner, United Kingdom-based Karro Food. The company stated that it prefers domestic sources for all of its meat, but added that the U.S. pork supply that was in compliance with the chain’s standards was not enough to continue to serve the pork topping at all of its restaurants.
Carnitas is now available at all Chipotle locations in the U.S. with the exception of restaurants in the Cleveland and Atlanta areas, and in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Chipotle announced that it stopped serving Carnitas at more than a third of its restaurants earlier in 2015 after it suspended one of its primary pork suppliers when routine auditing found inconsistencies between the supplier’s operations and Chipotle’s pork standards that require all pigs are raised with access to the outdoors or deeply bedded barns, without the use of antibiotics, and with no gestation crates.
“The decision to stop selling Carnitas in many of our restaurants was an easy one,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO at Chipotle. “We simply will not compromise our high standards for animal welfare. Since making this decision, we have heard from thousands of our customers who have expressed support for our decision, and commended us for standing on principle. Now, we are excited to have Carnitas back in nearly all of our restaurants, and want to thank our customers for their patience while we worked to address this issue.”Chipotle has been able to replenish its pork supply working with existing suppliers and by adding a new partner, United Kingdom-based Karro Food. The company stated that it prefers domestic sources for all of its meat, but added that the U.S. pork supply that was in compliance with the chain’s standards was not enough to continue to serve the pork topping at all of its restaurants.
Carnitas is now available at all Chipotle locations in the U.S. with the exception of restaurants in the Cleveland and Atlanta areas, and in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
PETA sues Whole Foods, claims pork not humanely raised
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is filing a lawsuit against grocery chain Whole Foods Market, alleging the animals raised for the pork it sells are not treated as humanely as the company claims. The class-action lawsuit was filed on September 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The animal rights organization and Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, the legal firm representing PETA in the litigation, allege that Whole Foods is violating California consumer protection laws by misleading consumers into paying higher prices for meat from animals raised under more humane standards.
A PETA investigator went undercover at a farm in Pennsylvania operated by Sweet Stem Farm, which supplies pork to Whole Foods. PETA, which filmed a video that can be seen on its website, criticizes the farm operators and alleges they picked pigs up by their ears; kept them in crowded pens; failed to bring in a veterinarian to care for sick pigs; and kept the pigs in a trailer for more than 24 hours before being hauled to their destination.
Whole Foods, in a statement to Fortune, said it is aware that PETA had filed a suit, but the company had not yet been served. A company spokesman further stated: “It is important to remember that PETA’s mission is a total end to animal agriculture and animal meat consumption, and their claims against our business are generated with that specific goal in mind.”
Whole Foods Market has 429 stores in the United States, 10 stores in Canada and nine stores in the U.K., according to the company’s website.
The animal rights organization and Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, the legal firm representing PETA in the litigation, allege that Whole Foods is violating California consumer protection laws by misleading consumers into paying higher prices for meat from animals raised under more humane standards.
A PETA investigator went undercover at a farm in Pennsylvania operated by Sweet Stem Farm, which supplies pork to Whole Foods. PETA, which filmed a video that can be seen on its website, criticizes the farm operators and alleges they picked pigs up by their ears; kept them in crowded pens; failed to bring in a veterinarian to care for sick pigs; and kept the pigs in a trailer for more than 24 hours before being hauled to their destination.
Whole Foods, in a statement to Fortune, said it is aware that PETA had filed a suit, but the company had not yet been served. A company spokesman further stated: “It is important to remember that PETA’s mission is a total end to animal agriculture and animal meat consumption, and their claims against our business are generated with that specific goal in mind.”
Whole Foods Market has 429 stores in the United States, 10 stores in Canada and nine stores in the U.K., according to the company’s website.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Cruelty charges for owners of poultry farm seen in video
Criminal charges have been filed against the owners of a Tennessee poultry farm where footage for a Mercy for Animals video depicting chickens being abused and inhumanely killed was allegedly filmed.
Thomas and Suzanne Blassingame, owners of T&S Poultry have both been charged with animal cruelty in the General Sessions Court of Weakley County, Tennessee. According to an Associated Press report published on the WRCBTV website, the incidents occurred between July July 28 and August 23 at a T&S farm near Dukedom, Tennessee.
Mercy for Animals circulated the video online in late August. The animal rights organization in the video never mentioned T&S Poultry in the video, but did identify Tyson Foods, the poultry company with which the farm had a contract, and McDonald’s, which purchased poultry products from Tyson. Once the video went public, Tyson Foods initiated an investigation and terminated its contract with T&S Poultry.
“Animal well-being is a priority at our company and we will not tolerate the unacceptable animal treatment shown in this video. We’re especially concerned about the inappropriate methods used to euthanize sick and injured chickens,” Tyson Foods said in a statement.
The video showed farm workers clubbing chickens and stabbing them with a pole with a spike attached to the end, as well as breaking birds’ necks by standing on their heads and pulling their bodies.
Thomas and Suzanne Blassingame, owners of T&S Poultry have both been charged with animal cruelty in the General Sessions Court of Weakley County, Tennessee. According to an Associated Press report published on the WRCBTV website, the incidents occurred between July July 28 and August 23 at a T&S farm near Dukedom, Tennessee.
Mercy for Animals circulated the video online in late August. The animal rights organization in the video never mentioned T&S Poultry in the video, but did identify Tyson Foods, the poultry company with which the farm had a contract, and McDonald’s, which purchased poultry products from Tyson. Once the video went public, Tyson Foods initiated an investigation and terminated its contract with T&S Poultry.
“Animal well-being is a priority at our company and we will not tolerate the unacceptable animal treatment shown in this video. We’re especially concerned about the inappropriate methods used to euthanize sick and injured chickens,” Tyson Foods said in a statement.
The video showed farm workers clubbing chickens and stabbing them with a pole with a spike attached to the end, as well as breaking birds’ necks by standing on their heads and pulling their bodies.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Unsafe conditions at Tyson Foods plant alleged in video
Tyson Foods has been targeted in a video released by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), which claims that line speeds at a Tyson plant were too fast and created both animal welfare and worker safety issues.
The video was allegedly filmed at Tyson’s plant in Carthage, Texas, by an undercover investigator who gained employment at Tyson Foods. The video contains comments from the investigator about the working conditions at the plant, although her face is shaded and her name is not offered.
Responding to allegations of improper animal handling, Tyson Foods stated it did not receive any complaints of that nature during the time frame when the video was believed to have been filmed.
“Everyone who works with live animals in our plants – including the person who secretly shot this video – is trained in proper animal handling and instructed to report anything they believe is inappropriate. They can report to their supervisor, the Tyson Foods compliance and ethics hotline and even one of the USDA inspectors who have access to all parts of the plant, including live animal handling areas. During the timeframe we believe this video was shot, we have no record of any employees reporting claims of animal handling violations,” the company stated. “In addition to training, we regularly conduct our own internal animal handling audits in our plants. Our operations are also subject to third party audits.”
The video was allegedly filmed at Tyson’s plant in Carthage, Texas, by an undercover investigator who gained employment at Tyson Foods. The video contains comments from the investigator about the working conditions at the plant, although her face is shaded and her name is not offered.
Tyson Foods responds to allegations
Officials from Tyson Foods stated the company is still reviewing the video, but added that Tyson Foods is “absolutely committed to proper animal handling and workplace safety.” The company stated that it operates all plants within the line speed limits set by the federal government, and continuously monitors its facilities to assure workplace safety.Responding to allegations of improper animal handling, Tyson Foods stated it did not receive any complaints of that nature during the time frame when the video was believed to have been filmed.
“Everyone who works with live animals in our plants – including the person who secretly shot this video – is trained in proper animal handling and instructed to report anything they believe is inappropriate. They can report to their supervisor, the Tyson Foods compliance and ethics hotline and even one of the USDA inspectors who have access to all parts of the plant, including live animal handling areas. During the timeframe we believe this video was shot, we have no record of any employees reporting claims of animal handling violations,” the company stated. “In addition to training, we regularly conduct our own internal animal handling audits in our plants. Our operations are also subject to third party audits.”
Complaints filed against Tyson Foods
ALDF, in a press release, stated it has recently filed three related complaints against Tyson Foods. Those complaints include:- A complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, claiming unsafe working conditions for employees
- A complaint with the USDA, alleging inhumane handling practices and food safety violations
- A complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, accusing Tyson Foods of overstating the priority it puts on animal welfare in corporate and investor materials
McDonald’s cage-free decision is tipping point for US
It is difficult to overemphasize the significance of McDonald’s recent decision to embark on a 10-year transition to purchasing only eggs produced from cage-free hens in the U.S. and Canada. McDonald’s serves 2 billion eggs per year in the U.S., or around 6.25 eggs per person or 2.5 percent of total egg consumption. To put this in perspective, it wasn’t many years ago that McDonald’s egg use exceeded or at least equaled total cage-free egg production in the U.S.
I think McDonald’s announcement represents a tipping point for cage-free eggs in the U.S., just as Chick-fil-A’s announcement regarding sourcing only chicken meat from birds that were not treated with antibiotics was a tipping point in the broiler market. McDonald’s has been a trend setter when it comes to animal welfare, first establishing space requirements its suppliers’ hens in 2000.
McDonald’s was active in the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply, which funded research comparing conventional cages, enriched colonies and aviaries for housing hens. The coalition studies were conducted by university scientists in field trials on a production farm in Iowa. The research compared the three housing systems for animal health and well-being, food safety and quality, environmental impact, worker health and safety, and food affordability.
I’ve read the coalition’s research results, and it appears to me that consumer research had more to do with McDonald’s decision than did the research conducted by the coalition. This should demonstrate to everyone involved in agriculture that being on the right side of science doesn’t matter if you lose the public relations battle.
I hope I am wrong about McDonald’s decision being a tipping point regarding cage-free egg production in the U.S. I think enriched colonies correct for the deficiencies of conventional cage housing while not incorporating the problems of cage-free operations. We will find out fairly soon whether other food service outlets are going to play follow the leader on the cage-free issue.
I think McDonald’s announcement represents a tipping point for cage-free eggs in the U.S., just as Chick-fil-A’s announcement regarding sourcing only chicken meat from birds that were not treated with antibiotics was a tipping point in the broiler market. McDonald’s has been a trend setter when it comes to animal welfare, first establishing space requirements its suppliers’ hens in 2000.
McDonald’s was active in the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply, which funded research comparing conventional cages, enriched colonies and aviaries for housing hens. The coalition studies were conducted by university scientists in field trials on a production farm in Iowa. The research compared the three housing systems for animal health and well-being, food safety and quality, environmental impact, worker health and safety, and food affordability.
I’ve read the coalition’s research results, and it appears to me that consumer research had more to do with McDonald’s decision than did the research conducted by the coalition. This should demonstrate to everyone involved in agriculture that being on the right side of science doesn’t matter if you lose the public relations battle.
I hope I am wrong about McDonald’s decision being a tipping point regarding cage-free egg production in the U.S. I think enriched colonies correct for the deficiencies of conventional cage housing while not incorporating the problems of cage-free operations. We will find out fairly soon whether other food service outlets are going to play follow the leader on the cage-free issue.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Tyson ends contract with grower accused of abuse
Tyson Foods has terminated its contract with poultry grower T&S Farms after a video circulated by animal rights group Mercy for Animals circulated a video depicting alleged chicken abuse at its farm in Dukedom, Tennessee.
The video shows footage of people clubbing chickens and stabbing them with a pole with a spike attached to the end, as well as breaking birds’ necks by standing on their heads and pulling their bodies. There is no mention of T&S Farms in the video, but Mercy for Animals does identify Tyson Foods and McDonald’s, a restaurant chain that purchases poultry products from Tyson.
“Animal well-being is a priority at our company and we will not tolerate the unacceptable animal treatment shown in this video. We’re especially concerned about the inappropriate methods used to euthanize sick and injured chickens,” Tyson Foods said in a statement.
Tyson Foods’ animal well-being team is investigating the alleged abuse, but the company confirmed it did terminate the farm’s contract based on what is currently known. No chickens are currently on the farm.
Tyson Foods stressed its commitment to animal well-being, and said it does not believe the video accurately depicts the treatment of chickens raised by the thousands of other growers contracted by Tyson Foods.
“Our company has programs and policies in place to protect the health and well-being of all our animals. This includes the Tyson FarmCheck program that involves third-party auditors who check on the farm for such things as animal access to food and water, human-animal interaction and worker training. We also have veterinary-approved procedures in place for euthanizing sick or injured birds,” the company stated.
The video shows footage of people clubbing chickens and stabbing them with a pole with a spike attached to the end, as well as breaking birds’ necks by standing on their heads and pulling their bodies. There is no mention of T&S Farms in the video, but Mercy for Animals does identify Tyson Foods and McDonald’s, a restaurant chain that purchases poultry products from Tyson.
“Animal well-being is a priority at our company and we will not tolerate the unacceptable animal treatment shown in this video. We’re especially concerned about the inappropriate methods used to euthanize sick and injured chickens,” Tyson Foods said in a statement.
Tyson Foods’ animal well-being team is investigating the alleged abuse, but the company confirmed it did terminate the farm’s contract based on what is currently known. No chickens are currently on the farm.
Tyson Foods stressed its commitment to animal well-being, and said it does not believe the video accurately depicts the treatment of chickens raised by the thousands of other growers contracted by Tyson Foods.
“Our company has programs and policies in place to protect the health and well-being of all our animals. This includes the Tyson FarmCheck program that involves third-party auditors who check on the farm for such things as animal access to food and water, human-animal interaction and worker training. We also have veterinary-approved procedures in place for euthanizing sick or injured birds,” the company stated.
Monday, August 24, 2015
High uptake for animal welfare premiums in Germany
Around 250 applications have been received from farmers in Lower Saxony, Germany, for the new premium for rearing pigs without tail docking and hens without beak tipping.
With the applications covering almost 700,000 animals in both organic and standard systems among these applications, the agriculture minister of Lower Saxony says the farmers of the region are setting a very good example of their commitment to improving animal welfare.
According to the Minister, Christian Meyer, around 600,000 laying hens and more than 115,000 finishing pigs will benefit from this engagement by small- and medium-sized producers.
He expressed his surprise at the high level of applications, while confirming that the available funding will be sufficient to cover the premiums, which amount to EUR16.50 (US$18.22)per pig with an undocked tail and better housing conditions, and EUR1.70 (US$1.88) per hen with an intact beak and more space.
Meyer is encouraging new entrants to farming to ensure they are trained in the industry’s best practices, and added that especially the small- and medium-sized businesses are pushing accepted boundaries to improve animal welfare.
Initially, for one year, more than EUR1.9 million are available to pig farmers and almost EUR950,000 for egg producers. The scheme may be offered again in 2016 to increase gradually farm animal welfare over time. As well as the changes to production procedures, those who work with the animals will be expected to participate in sessions offering advice and training.
The chamber of agriculture is now in the process of assessing the applications, and in the second half of this year, approved pig producers will participate in consultation sessions. The first premiums for the higher welfare standards will be paid in December 2015.
With the applications covering almost 700,000 animals in both organic and standard systems among these applications, the agriculture minister of Lower Saxony says the farmers of the region are setting a very good example of their commitment to improving animal welfare.
According to the Minister, Christian Meyer, around 600,000 laying hens and more than 115,000 finishing pigs will benefit from this engagement by small- and medium-sized producers.
He expressed his surprise at the high level of applications, while confirming that the available funding will be sufficient to cover the premiums, which amount to EUR16.50 (US$18.22)per pig with an undocked tail and better housing conditions, and EUR1.70 (US$1.88) per hen with an intact beak and more space.
Meyer is encouraging new entrants to farming to ensure they are trained in the industry’s best practices, and added that especially the small- and medium-sized businesses are pushing accepted boundaries to improve animal welfare.
Initially, for one year, more than EUR1.9 million are available to pig farmers and almost EUR950,000 for egg producers. The scheme may be offered again in 2016 to increase gradually farm animal welfare over time. As well as the changes to production procedures, those who work with the animals will be expected to participate in sessions offering advice and training.
The chamber of agriculture is now in the process of assessing the applications, and in the second half of this year, approved pig producers will participate in consultation sessions. The first premiums for the higher welfare standards will be paid in December 2015.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Tyson investigating allegations of abuse at farm
Tyson Foods is investigating claims of animal abuse at a farm that grows chickens for Tyson, after animal rights group Mercy for Animals circulated a video that was allegedly filmed at that farm.
In its video, Mercy for Animals shows scenes of unhealthy chickens, and it accuses Tyson Foods of improper animal care and handling procedures.
“Animal well-being is a top priority for us,” Tyson Foods said in a statement. “We do not tolerate improper animal treatment and take claims of animal abuse very seriously. We are investigating this matter.
“We have programs and policies in place to protect the health and well-being of all our animals. This includes the Tyson FarmCheck program that involves third-party auditors who check on the farm for such things as animal access to food and water, human-animal interaction and worker training. We’re continually looking for ways to improve how we operate and this includes animal well-being. We’re constantly researching new ways to keep our chickens healthy and safe.”
Tyson Foods and the National Chicken Council (NCC) pointed out that the video was shot at a time when birds at the farm were sick with a respiratory illness, and that illness can lead to higher mortality rates.
“Just like humans, birds get sick. But it is not indicative of this farm or broilers as a whole,” stated Tom Super, NCC senior vice president of communications.
Tyson Foods added that the illness shown by birds in the video does not pose a threat to food safety.
NCC also expressed concerned about how it appeared that Mercy for Animals was more intent on spreading an anti-agriculture message than trying to prevent chickens from suffering.
“It's unfortunate - and disturbing - that this group, whose goal is to make everyone vegans, sat on the video for more than four months, if they thought abuse was occurring,” Super said.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Egg, chicken retailers recognized in welfare awards
Poultry products dominated the recent Compassion in World Farming’s Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards ceremony, held recently in Milan, Italy.
In total, 41 awards were presented to across a range of categories. Twenty of them were Good Egg Awards spanning retailers, manufacturers and food service companies from across the world, with a further four Good Chicken Awards being presented to some of the same businesses.
Companies including McDonald’s, Ferrero, Pret A Manger, Whole Foods Market and KLM were among the recipients of a Good Egg Award for their commitment to using cage-free eggs either as whole eggs or as product ingredients, or both. Whole Foods Market was also presented with a Good Chicken Award, as was Quizini, the Dutch convenience product manufacturer.
Dr. Tracy Jones, director of food business at Compassion in World Farming, said: “The Good Egg Award was launched in 2007 and it’s great to see that after eight years there is real momentum behind it with 20 businesses this year committing to using only cage-free eggs, or cage-free egg products.”
Widening participation
This year’s award presentations saw a number of firsts.
Whole Foods Market is the first U.S.-based retailer to receive a Good Egg Award for sourcing only cage-free eggs for both its whole eggs and ingredients eggs. Its policy extends to its Canadian and U.K. stores. Whole Foods Market U.K. was also given a Good Chicken Award this year for its decision to sell only free range chicken from birds that are slower growing, can roam outside and have more space inside the sheds.
Coop Sweden, the second market leader in the retail sector in Sweden, was the first Swedish retailer to receive a Good Egg Award.
Foster Farms responds to video, launches investigation
Foster Farms and law enforcement officers are investigating possible animal abuse at a Foster Farms facility after animal rights group Mercy for Animals released a video showing inhumane conditions at a poultry facility it said is operated by Foster Farms.
“Foster Farms has been made aware of an online video showing company employees in Fresno, California, mishandling birds in their care. We have already begun a comprehensive investigation to determine the source and location, including a fully cooperative effort with all appropriate authorities. The behavior of the individuals in this video is inappropriate and counter to our stringent animal welfare standards, procedures and policies,” Foster Farms said in a statement.
The video also features television personality and animal rights activist Bob Barker, who criticizes the American Humane Association, for putting its American Humane Certified seal on Foster Farms products.
Foster Farms stated that animal welfare is a top priority for the company and it has been since it was founded in 1939. Foster Farms employees receive annual training in animal welfare policies and the proper handling of birds in their care.
“We believe raising chickens humanely is simply the right thing to do, and we take our commitment to humane values very seriously,” the company said.
Any employee willfully violating Foster Farms’ animal welfare policies and procedures is subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal, the company added.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Costco: Hillandale Farms behaving appropriately
U.S. store chain Costco is defending the practices of Hillandale Farms, a company that provides the chain with eggs. The two companies were targeted in a recent video released by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
The video, shot at a Hillandale Farms facility, depicts scenes of hens that are not being treated according to Hillandale Farms’ animal welfare standards. Costco is challenged in the video to live up to its past pledge to move toward selling cage-free eggs.
In response to the video, Hillandale initiated an internal investigation. Costco, in a statement, said it also conducted an inspection of the facility, located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
“Inspections that we have conducted there as recently as this week confirmed for us that Hillandale is behaving appropriately. Hillandale has identified some areas in which it believes it can improve, including process improvement and more training for its employees. We support these efforts,” Costco stated.
In its statement, Hillandale Farms says the video was shot by a former Hillandale Farms employee, who unknown to the company, was actually an undercover animal rights activist. Hillandale has also said that the person that shot the video was actually hired to prevent the types of incidents that were shown in the video from happening.
In response to pressure from HSUS about selling cage-free eggs, Costco noted that it sells more than 50 million dozen cage-free eggs annually, and over the last nine years has increased the number of organic and cage-free eggs it sold by more than twenty-fold.
Friday, June 12, 2015
HSUS undercover video targets Hillandale, Costco
A former Hillandale Farms employee -- whom the company did not know was an undercover animal rights activist -- has distributed a video depicting what Hillandale views to be unacceptable animal welfare practices at a company farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The company further stated that some of the scenes shown in the video were situations the person was hired to prevent from happening.
The video, circulated by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), challenged Costco, a retailer to which Hillandale supplies eggs, to live up to its pledge to move toward selling cage-free eggs.
“We believe our high standards were compromised by this undercover employee, who shot the video in a barn where he was the primary caretaker, with responsibility to maintain cleanliness in the barns, address any equipment issues and remove mortality on a daily basis. It appears clear that he disregarded required operational procedures and then videotaped the barn and flock with the intent to misrepresent Hillandale Farms,” the company said in a statement.
“A full internal investigation by our team and by independent outside academic experts in food safety and hen welfare confirmed our belief – that the images in the video reflect an isolated incident in a barn where the undercover worker held primary responsibility. It was his job to identify and address the types of issues that were shown, and he did not adequately perform his job requirements.”
According to Hillandale Farms, HSUS provided a copy of the video to ABC News, which intended to use the footage in a report on its “Nightline” program. Hillandale decided to use the video as an opportunity to show its animal well-being practices and in turn granted an ABC reporter and producer access to the farm in question. The reporter also interviewed Dr. Gregory Martin of Penn State University, a recognized national egg safety and hen care expert, as well as members of the Hillandale management team. Hillandale provided ABC with copies of recent audits, all of which report excellent results for the farm.
The company further stated that it has identified some areas of production that can be improved, and measures to make those improvements and to expand training for employees has already started.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Animal ag groups commit to responsible antibiotic use
More than 150 shareholders in the veterinary health, human health and animal agriculture industries joined the Obama administration for the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship on June 2 to express their commitment to the responsible use of antibiotics.
The United States government departments and agencies, along with the involved human and animal health stakeholders, are committing to implement changes over the next five years to a create meaningful impact on antibiotic stewardship, slow the emergence of resistant bacteria, and prevent the spread of resistant infections.
The goal of the forum was to exchange ideas on ways public and private sector stakeholders can collaborate to improve responsible antibiotic use and to discuss opportunities for further improvement.
Many of the participants, including Elanco Animal Health and Foster Farms, revealed their antibiotic stewardship plans in conjunction with the forum.
Actively participating in the forum were the following animal agriculture-related companies and organizations:
Veterinary and animal health companies and organizations: Elanco Animal Health, Merck Animal Health, Zoetis, American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Avian Pathologists, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Federation of Animal Science Societies, National Association for the Advancement of Animal Science, American Animal Hospital Association, and Animal Health Institute
Poultry and livestock organizations: National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and National Milk Producers Federation, North American Meat Institute
Animal protein companies and retailers: Foster Farms, Cargill, Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, Bell & Evans, Costco, McDonald’s, Panera Bread
Animal feed industry organizations: National Grain and Feed Association and American Feed Industry Association
8 steps to Elanco’s antibiotic stewardship plan
Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company, has unveiled its multi-faceted approach to combat the growing concern about antibiotic resistance.
The release of it comprehensive antibiotic stewardship plan coincided with the company’s participation in the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship, which was held on June 2.
The 8 steps of Elanco’s antibiotic stewardship plan are:
1. Act with responsibility globally - not just according to U.S. regulation - by working with food producers and retailers to provide training and encourage policies that reduce shared-class antibiotic use and increase veterinarian oversight.
2. Cease marketing of growth promotion uses for shared-class antibiotics and complete full regulatory change to end growth promotion use of shared-class antibiotics globally by the end of 2016.
3. Help customers eliminate continuous use of shared-class antibiotics for therapy purposes by providing an alternative.
4. Eliminate over-the-counter sales of shared-class antibiotics globally - including injectable products - where veterinarian oversight exists.
5. Eliminate concurrent use of shared-class antibiotics to treat the same disease.
6. Support veterinary oversight and responsible use, including helping build infrastructure globally.
7. Develop new animal-only antibiotics. No animal should ever be treated with a shared-class antibiotic if an animal-only option exists. Animal-only antibiotics optimize animal welfare without compromising human use antibiotics.
8. Create alternatives. Elanco commits to invest two-thirds of our food animal research budget to quickly evaluate 25 candidates and deliver 10 viable non-antibiotic development projects that address diseases where there are few, or no, alternatives to shared-class antibiotics.
In one year, Elanco will host an animal health accountability summit to provide a progress report on its effort to deliver non-antibiotic alternatives. Along the way, the company will collaborate with customers, academics and appropriate regulatory authorities, which will include establishing an expert advisory panel. Finally, Elanco will collaborate with its industry association and other technology companies to advance this effort as quickly as possible.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Walmart adopts positions on antibiotics, animal welfare
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Walmart and Sam's Club announced new positions that seek to end the use of antibiotics for growth promotion purposes and find alternatives to layer cages and gestation crates.
Walmart and Sam’s Club of the United States have adopted a new position seeking responsible use of antibiotics in farm animals, as well as new standards for animal welfare for the companies that are meat, poultry and egg suppliers for the company. The company released its new positions on May 22, but no timeline on implementing the new positions has yet been given.
Company seeks alternatives to gestation crates, layer cages
The company's new animal welfare standards involve working with its suppliers to “find and implement solutions to address animal welfare concerns” that include animal housing systems. Walmart and Sam's Club specifically mentions finding alternatives to gestation crates for pigs and battery cages for laying hens. The company also has provisions that seek alternatives to veal crates.
The company is also expecting its suppliers to not conduct potentially painful procedures such a pig tail docking and cattle dehorning without using proper pain management practices.
Limiting animal antibiotic use
Walmart stated that the company believes antibiotics should be used responsibly in farm animals. With that in mind, it is asking suppliers to adopt and implement the Judicious Use Principles of Antimicrobial Use from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), including accurate record-keeping, veterinary oversight, and limiting antimicrobial treatment to animals that are ill or at risk, effectively eliminating the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion purposes.
Additionally, the company wants to promote transparency by having suppliers provide a report on antibiotics management to Walmart and publicly report antibiotic use on an annual basis.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Charges dropped in case of 300,000 dead Pilgrim’s birds
Charges have been dropped against a man suspected of breaking into poultry houses that are owned by contract growers for Pilgrim’s, a vandalism spree that led to the deaths of more than 300,000 chickens.
James Laverne Lowery, 44, was arrested at his home in Sumter County, South Carolina, on April 7 on eight counts of second degree burglary and four counts of malicious injury to animals over $100,000. Lowery, a former grower for Pilgrim’s whose contract was not renewed, had been tied to the case where he was accused of tampering with alarms to the chicken houses and tampering with heating units that would ultimately cause death to the birds. The crimes occurred in February at eight farms in Clarendon County, South Carolina. Damages were estimated around $1.7 million.
However, this week, Clarendon County Chief Magistrate Judge Percy Harvin said there was not sufficient evidence to further pursue the prosecution of the case, reported Manning Live. But Harvin added that Lowery could still be prosecuted, should the solicitor’s office choose to present the case to a grand jury for an indictment.
Pilgrim’s had earlier offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the crime.
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