Stores in the Washington, D.C., area are being encouraged to stock products bearing the new “Certified Humane” label.

Despite farmers’ arguments that the costs associated with updating farms to meet the new standards will drive up retail meat prices, consumer demand has begun to affect big business.

The Humane Society of the United States says it hopes consumers buying turkeys for Thanksgiving will look for the “Certified Humane” label on the birds that was launched earlier this year.

Part of the Fast Food series – Adele Douglass of Humane Farm Animal Care was interviewed in this the final part of the series.

Consumers shopping for meat from animals raised under humane conditions now have more options as Meyer Natural Angus becomes the first national beef supplier to receive certification to use the “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” label.

Certified Humane Raised and Handled is a new product labeling and certification program aimed at consumers that is getting national press attention.

They still end up on a Thanksgiving table. But the turkeys at the Organic Bread Basket in Winnipeg have enjoyed a better, if not longer, life than most.

Animal-welfare audits might someday become necessary for market access, but for now, a few producers are voluntarily participating in a certification process to add value and exploit a niche market.

The increased public concern about animal welfare has worked its way even to the major fast-food chains, which have adopted animal-welfare guidelines that producers must follow if they want to sell beef, chicken or eggs to the biggest buyers in the country.

Adele Douglass is the executive director of Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), a Virginia-based nonprofit organization that administers the “Certified Humane Raised & Handled” program.  What does “Certified Humane” signify, and why should consumers care?