Butterball expands corporate citizenship program

Butterball has introduced an expanded corporate citizenship platform that showcases its efforts to create a positive impact in all areas of operation. The program, “Traditions with Purpose,” comprises the focus areas of people, plate, planet and philanthropy, and includes a signature commitment to animal care and well-being, as well as commitments to protecting associates, preserving the environment and investing in local communities.
Butterball’s “Traditions with Purpose” program centers on making delicious and nutritious food in a responsible way, seeking progress in:
People: Butterball believes its associates are the heart of the business, so their safety, health and satisfaction rate among Butterball’s top priorities. Its award-winning safety programs and processes demonstrate this commitment: Butterball’s enterprise-wide recordable injury rate is consistently at least 50 percent better than the poultry industry average, according to the company.
Plate: Butterball commits to providing high-quality and nutritious products to its consumers. This begins with providing the best possible care for its turkeys. In partnership with family farmers, the company works to achieve industry-leading results in the area of animal care and well-being. To accomplish this, Butterball has developed an Animal Care and Well-Being Council, engages associates in a comprehensive training curriculum, has secured American Humane Association (AHA) certification and is making ongoing operational enhancements at all of its facilities. 
Planet: Butterball recognizes its responsibility to protect the planet, preserve the natural resources it relies on to produce Butterball foods and ensure that Butterball families and future generations enjoy a thriving environment. Since 2007, Butterball has measured and reduced its impact on key natural resources and focused efforts where it can make the biggest difference: in transportation, manufacturing facilities and packaging.
Philanthropy: Since local communities are where Butterball’s consumers and associates live and raise their families,  Butterball commits to serve the communities it calls home. Butterball supports local community needs through financial and in-kind donations, and partners with national and local nonprofit organizations such as Feeding America.
“As a respected corporate citizen, it is our responsibility to make positive impacts throughout our business,” said Kerry Doughty, Butterball president and CEO. “Our new corporate citizenship platform helps define this important role, particularly our signature commitment to animal care and well-being.”
Butterball earns American Humane Association certification
As part of the company’s signature commitment to animal care and well-being within the Plate focus area, all Butterball products received certification under the American Humane Certified (AHC) program. AHC is the nation’s first independent, third-party humane certification program for farm animals. Butterball branded products will bear the AHC seal by fall 2014, verifying that turkeys raised on Butterball’s family-owned farms meet or exceed the rigorous, science-based American Humane Association standards for animal care.
“Becoming an American Humane Certified producer signifies that Butterball is committed to the welfare of the animals in its care, meeting some 200 rigorous, scientifically based standards ensuring everything from adequate space to proper lighting, air quality, humane treatment, and the ability to engage in natural behaviors,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association. “As the country’s first national turkey brand to attain certification from American Humane Association, Butterball has demonstrated its dedication to animal care. We’re delighted Butterball shares our passion for humane care.”
Butterball is dedicated to continuous improvement across all “Traditions with Purpose” initiatives, in order to set a higher standard for the company, as well as the industry.

Love A Child launches chicken cooperative farm in Haiti

Love A Child Inc. hosted a dedication ceremony for the new Poul Mirak Chicken (Miracle Chicken) Cooperative Farm at Gwo Mache Mirak in Fond Parisien, Haiti on September 17. At the ceremony, a newly expanded sustainability program backed by the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) International Poultry Development Program.
The program is expected to produce a unique source of sustainable income and nutrition for Haitian families in the region.
On hand for the dedication ceremony were representatives from the USAPEEC, Haitian dignitaries, customs officials, management from Haiti Broilers and administrative staff members from Love A Child, a non-profit Christian humanitarian organization serving the needs of children in Haiti.
One of eight interconnected sustainability initiatives developed by Love A Child, the Poul Mirak project is composed of nine chicken coop buildings. Each chicken house will hold about 500 chickens that will be raised by the newly trained cooperative members. The chickens will grow to maturity in only six weeks and the goal is to sell at least 500 each week at the Gwo Mache Mirak marketplace.
In a country where nearly 50 percent of the food is imported and 80 percent live below the poverty line, families often struggle to survive on around US$2 a day. The positive impact of Poul Mirak could be transformative. Having successfully operated a smaller chicken co-op program in 2013, where the farmers raised and sold 500 chickens within six weeks and profited around US$1.39 from the sale of each chicken, this newly expanded initiative supplies an increased opportunity for meaningful employment at living wages.
“Not only will Poul Mirak offer locals in the community of Fond Parisien an opportunity to buy fresh, protein-rich food, but it will also provide a new model for sustainability in Haiti that shows the world how chicken cooperatives can produce sustained economic results,” said Bobby Burnette, founder and director of Love A Child.
Funded through grants from the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program, Mike Welch, and Larry Guest, as well as gifts from Love A Child partners, the chicken co-op will provide more than just a stable source of income for the chicken farmers. There are five cooperative members who together will bear all the responsibility for operating costs, labor and share in the profits. The five co-op members have received training and ongoing mentorship will also be provided from personnel of Harrison Poultry, Bethlehem, Georgia; and from the Love A Child missionary staff. Through ongoing mentorship, the program is expected to continue to grow as a resource for helping Haitians break the cycle of poverty for the long term.
Additional sustainability initiatives developed by Love A Child include an agricultural training center, edible plant nursery, life skills training, financial services, and reforestation projects. 

Cobb, Roslin Institute get UK grant for genome project

A joint project by Cobb Europe and the Roslin Institute in Scotland has been awarded a grant of almost GBP650,000 (US$1.07 million) from the UK’ s innovation agency, Innovate UK, for genome biobanking to optimize valuable broiler genetic stocks.
The award, under its Agri-Tech Catalyst program, will fund cryopreservation and cutting-edge sequencing technologies to address food security and production efficiency. New stem-cell preservation technology will be used to enable biobanking of pure lines to ensure these current genetic resources are available in the future.
The project is projected to cost GBP815,904 (US$1.35 million). Most of that is being provided by the Innovate UK grant. The work will also further mine the genome of Cobb poultry resources to understand the genetic drivers of key economic traits and exploit existing genetic variation to drive significant improvements in commercial performance for emerging markets.
The award is made in the context of a need to double global poultry production in the next 25 years to meet growing demand for animal protein in the developing world. Traditional commercial genetic resources will need to have the genetic potential to meet local environmental conditions, which include severe climate and disease challenge pressures.
“Our investment and collaboration with the Roslin Institute represents a major initiative to address the genetic basis for improved breeder and broiler performance in an era of changing management programs and an ever-growing demand for animal protein,” said Dr Mitch Abrahamsen, Cobb-Vantress vice president of research and development.
“The awarding of funding from the UK government to support our collaboration is a significant recognition of the quality of the researchers involved and validation of our research strategies to assure food security and improving production efficiency.”
Earlier this year, it was announced that Cobb-Vantress is putting more than GBP600,000 (US$1 million) in a three-year joint research programme with the Roslin Institute facilitating collaboration on avian disease resistance, genome analysis and genome preservation.
Catalysts are run jointly by Innovate UK and the Research Councils. A Catalyst is a form of research and development funding which focuses on a specific priority area and aims to help take projects from research to as close to commercial viability as possible. The Catalyst model supports projects in priority areas where the UK research base has a leading position and where there is clear commercial potential. Current Catalysts include: Biomedical Catalyst, Agri-tech Catalyst and the Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst.

US corn, soybean forecasts expected to increase

Forecasts for the U.S. corn and soybean markets are expected to be increased beyond the already large production outlooks in the October 10 Crop Production report, according to University of Illinois agricultural economist Darrel Good.
“Larger crop expectations stem from expectations for higher yield forecasts, with some disagreement about the prospects for changes in acreage estimates. The implication of large crops for the magnitude of year-ending stocks obviously depends on the consumption response,” Good said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected 2014-15 marketing year exports for corn at 1.75 billion bushels, 175 million less than last year. The decline reflects an expected decline in world trade, as opposed to a loss of market share.
As of September 11, 513.3 million bushels of U.S. corn had been sold for export. That is 7 million bushels less than a year earlier. Sales to China are down by 122 million bushels, but larger to Japan and several other countries including Colombia.
“Export inspections during the first three-and-a-half weeks of the marketing year were about twice as large as in the same period last year. The variation in the seasonal pattern of both export sales and shipments from year to year, however, means that early-season activity is not always a good indicator of marketing-year export demand. Still, the current pace of export activity is encouraging,” Good said.
Marketing year exports of U.S. soybeans are projected at 1.7 billion bushels, 55 million bushels more than last year. As of September 11, 935.7 million bushels of U.S. soybeans had been sold for export, 95 million more than a year ago.
Good says current indicators of corn and soybean consumption do not point to 2014-15 marketing year consumption that would deviate much from USDA projections.

CP Cambodia to build second feed mill in Cambodia

CP Cambodia, a subsidiary of Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Company Ltd., plans to open its second animal feed plant in Cambodia next year, according to a report.
The new, $8 million facility, set to begin operations in mid-2015 in Pailin province, will produce 180,000 tons of animal feed per year. The company’s first feed plant is in Kandal province.
The president of CP Cambodia, Uthai Tantipimolphan, says construction, which has already started, should last about eight months.
Chhil Chhen, deputy director of Pailin’s provincial department of agriculture, said the move is good for the area’s farmers and the company.
“Pailin is one of the big cassava and red corn producers in Cambodia. CP Cambodia saw the province’s potential to produce cassava and red corn, which is then used as raw materials to produce animal feed,” Chhen said in the report.
“If Pailin cannot supply enough raw materials to the animal feed mill, CP Cambodia can also buy cassava and red corn from farmers in nearby provinces such as Battambang and Bantey Meanchey, who are also big producers of the crops," Chhen said.
Song Sarom, a red corn trader in Pailin province and a supplier to CP Cambodia’s Kandal animal feed plant, said: “This is good news for both farmers and traders. We will have an additional market for our products. I hope the company will offer market prices for Pailin farmers and not dump prices during the harvest period,” he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s 2013 annual report showed there were seven animal feed mills operating throughout Cambodia, producing around 1 million tons of animal feed per year.

UK’s 2 Sisters looks to collaborate in sustainability initiative

The U.K.’s 2 Sisters Food Group has launched what it describes as a “ground-breaking partnering project” with 2degrees, the global collaboration platform for sustainable business, to gather views on its sustainability plan.
The company’s Feeding Our Future plan is a business-wide initiative, which brings together internal operational plans with the external influences on its global supply chain. The business is now seeking views from all stakeholders – customers, other companies, governments, non-governmental organizations and trade bodies – to ensure its planning takes full account of its sustainability agenda.
Andrew Edlin, group environment and sustainability director, commented: “One of the things we know about sustainability is that we can’t internalize it and tackle it alone.
“For example, we are one of the biggest customers of the U.K. farming industry. We source our ingredients from over 50 countries as well as supplying around 50 percent of U.K. poultry and 10 percent of the U.K.’s beef and lamb.
“Our sustainability vision nationally and internationally has never been more important for us. Our reach across the global supply chain is widespread, which we hope we have reflected in our targets.
“We’re keen to gather as much feedback on our draft plan as possible. Although we have done that in a number of areas already, we need to work in collaboration with stakeholders to secure and improve a future for global food supply chains.” 

EPA won’t appeal Alt Clean Water Act ruling

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided not to appeal a federal ruling that sided against the EPA and favored West Virginia poultry farmer Lois Alt. The federal court in October 2013 ruled that the EPA had no legal right to force Alt to obtain water pollution permits for litter, dust and feathers that may wash away and that runoff is not in violation of the Clean Water Act.
 “Although EPA thinks that the district court decision is wrong, we also think that it is time to stop spending resources on litigation about this CAFO [concentrated animal feeding operation]. EPA is not going to appeal this decision; our resources are better spent remedying more serious, ongoing pollution across the country,” Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the EPA, wrote in a blog. “A smart and strategic enforcement program requires us to make choices about where to spend our time for the biggest benefit to the public. We stand firm on this commitment to protect public health and the environment.”
The dispute between Alt and the EPA dates back to 2011, when the agency threatened to fine Alt if she didn't seek a permit for her farm. The order said Alt would have to pay $37,500 in fines each time stormwater came into contact with dust, feathers or small amounts of manure outside of her poultry houses.
Alt responded by filing her own legal challenge to the agency in June 2012. The EPA eventually withdrew the fines, but with the help of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the West Virginia Farm Bureau, Alt kept her case alive.
AFBF, while pleased that the EPA wouldn’t appeal the ruling, said it was confident that Alt would have prevailed if the agency had pressed on.
“By dropping its appeal, EPA presumably hopes to avoid a loss in the appellate court. EPA appears to be saying it will continue to enforce its position against other farmers, even though it’s not willing to defend that position in court,” said Ellen Steen, AFBF general counsel.
AFBF President Bob Stallman added: “For most of us, standing firm doesn’t mean walking away just because you are afraid you won’t like the outcome. EPA might call that smart and strategic, but I call it cynical and cowardly. Lois Alt should be proud of her environmental stewardship and her courage in standing up to EPA. She won an important court victory that will benefit many others, and we are proud to have supported her efforts.”