Last year, our Executive Director, Adele Douglass, was interviewed for At the Fork, a farm animal welfare documentary released this month that follows the film’s two directors, an Austin couple – one a vegetarian and one an omnivore – as they visit farms across the nation to explore how farm animals are raised for food.
As an organization whose mission is to improve the lives of farm animals in food production, Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) was pleased to be a part of this movie and hope it elevates the conversation about how farm animals are raised.
When one considers animal suffering, there is no doubt that farm animals in food production top the list of the animals who suffer the most at the hands of humans. With billions of animals raised for food annually, the stakes couldn’t be any higher for them. Factory farming forces cows to stand in milking tie stalls 24/7, pigs to live in gestation crates, and chickens to share small battery cages with up to a half a dozen birds. These animals don’t have places to walk, root around, flap wings or live natural lives.
At factory farms, animals are not treated like animals, but like objects that can be used and abused. Whatever one’s belief about eating meat and poultry, the bottom line is this; just because an animal is raised for food doesn’t mean it shouldn’t also be raised humanely.
The beginning of a movement
Sadly, there were no organizations in the United States that fully addressed the welfare of farm animals raised for food until the early part of this century. While groups worked to protect pets, wildlife, animals in testing, and even animals in film, no organizations raised awareness about the welfare of farm animals in food production.
Than
kfully, since HFAC launched in 2003, we have witnessed a rapid change in the public’s perception over the treatment of farm animals. We established a scientific committee of more than three dozen animal welfare scientists and veterinarians from around the world whose entire body of work is research on the welfare of farm animals. These experts created HFAC’s Animal Care Standards for several species of farm animals, including beef cattle, dairy cows, laying hens, broiler chickens, pigs, dairy goats, and bison. The standards provide for the mental, physical and emotional needs of farm animals and insure that these animals are treated humanely throughout every step of their lives.
To be in the Certified Humane® program, farmers must pass an inspection by third-party independent inspectors before they can use the Certified Humane® logo on their products. Inspections are conducted regularly to ensure standards continue to be met on these farms going forward. In 2016, we conducted 515 inspection days – through third party inspectors who are experts in their field of farm animal welfare – for more than 2,000 farms in the program to ensure the humane treatment of more than 152 million farm animals.
Consumer demand has made the difference
Over the last decade, consumer demand has finally brought attention to farm animal issues and the desire for the humane treatment of farm animals in the food industry. In 2003, 143,000 farm animals were raised Certified Humane® in the U.S.; in 2016, more than 152 million farm animals were raised Certified Humane in five countries. We’re proud to say that over these last 14 years, more than 667 million farm animals have been raised in the Certified Humane® program.
This amazing progress couldn’t have been made without a growing community of people demanding humanely-raised food. Farmers are listening, too. They are choosing to become Certified Humane® to demonstrate to consumers their unwavering commitment to the welfare of farm animals.
At every step of their lives, HFAC believes farm animals deserve to be treated with compassion. And, “we are just getting started in a movement that is going to forever elevate the care and treatment of farm animals in food production,” says Douglass.
We are committed to certifying farmers who meet our Animal Care Standards by letting them use the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label and educating and encouraging consumers to be change-makers by shopping for Certified Humane in grocery stores and restaurants.
We believe the demand for humanely-raised food will only continue to grow. At the Fork helps shed light on this issue and further helps consumers think about the welfare of farm animals and how their food is raised.
To support Certified Humane® farmers, please visit our “Where to Buy” page or download our free Certified Humane® app.
Posted: March 7, 2017 by Certified Humane®
Broad Brook Acres, Preston, Connecticut
Michael and Christian Swanson raise Certified Humane® pigs at Broad Brook Acres in Preston, Connecticut.
Christian’s been in agriculture for most of her adult life. She attended the University of Connecticut for Animal Science with a focus on livestock management and has managed beef cattle and alpaca herds. She put agricultural work on hold for a few years to work as animal control officer. But her love for farming was rekindled when she met her husband Michael, who attended culinary school before serving nine years in the US Marine Corps and Reserves.
As a couple, Michael and Christian started raising pigs together on a friend’s pasture. They purchased their farm in 2014, to raise registered Berkshire pigs and crossbred hogs on pasture and woodland lots. The couple breeds Berkshire pigs, which love the cold weather, and purchase crossbred pigs from a reputable producer in the area. They are one of only two registered Berkshire breeders in Connecticut.
“The pigs were a good choice for our property since their rotational grazing habits have helped clear the wooded areas and improve the pasture land,” says Christian.
Broad Brook Acres Berkshire piglets are born in outdoor farrowing sheds where they live with their mother until they are around six-weeks-old. Once weaned, the piglets are moved to a grow-out pen until they are ready to transition to one of the farm’s pasture lands. All of the pigs are kept in rotational groups based on size and age until they are ready for processing, at roughly five to seven months.
“My husband and I began raising pigs because we both strongly disagree with the way pork is raised on commercial farms in this country,” says Christian. “Not only does the meat lack flavor, but the animals live a sad life on concrete where they cannot exhibit their natural behaviors for a happy, healthy life.”
The couple learned about Certified Humane from the Ledyard Vocational Agriculture School, which also raises Certified Humane pigs, sheep, and laying hens. Their pigs have access to the outdoors 24-7. They also spend time observing their animals, paying attention to their needs and making sure they are getting everything they need to stay healthy and happy.
“As producers, animal welfare is important to us,” says Christian. “We enjoy watching our pigs rooting around in the dirt and knowing that their needs have been met in the most natural way. We spend time with our pigs, rubbing bellies, scratching behind ears and giving treats to ensure they are happy.”
Christian says animal welfare is extremely important to their customers, too. While area residents love to visit the farm to see how the pigs are raised, not everyone can visit a farm – that’s where the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label tells their farm story. “Certified Humane® sets the standards,” says Christian. “Our animals live the best life we can give them and being in the Certified Humane® program shows our customers that we take those standards very seriously.”
Posted: February 24, 2017 by HFAC
DXE, Again!
It’s tiresome, but every few months we have to write about DXE, an animal liberation organization who is against farming and doesn’t believe farm animals should be raised for any reason, like food or clothing (wool). That’s because every few months, they produce a fundraising video of them breaking into a farm in the middle of the night using dishonest editing to falsify their story.
They don’t attack factory farms. They attack farmers who are working to give farm animals more natural lives. And, they attack us, a nonprofit organization working to improve the lives of farm animals.
Of course, if a farm is questioned in any way, we reassure consumers by conducting unannounced inspections to make sure the farm is in compliance with our Animal Care Standards. You can scroll to the end of this blog to read the surprise inspection of the farm in question. This inspection is in addition to the inspection each farm receives annually.
DXE has produced videos where they claimed they were on a Certified Humane® farm when, in fact, they were not, which is also disingenuous.
Here’s what we know about DXE and their videos.
If you don’t believe farm animals should be raised for food, there is nothing we can say or do to convince you otherwise. But if you are part of the 95% of the U.S. population that eats meat, we want you to know that as a nonprofit organization, it’s our mission to help farm animals raised for food live more natural lives.
Here is the farm inspection report about the most recent farm in question. Our inspectors are all Ph.D.’s or DVM’s who are experts in their field of farm animal welfare and provide us with third-party reporting on Certified Humane® farms.
Farm Inspection Report
The scope of this inspection was to determine the welfare and living conditions of Certified Humane hens at the Pepper Ranch location of Rainbow Farms. The managers were sure that House #2 had been broken into, but were unsure if the other two houses had also been compromised. Therefore, all three houses were inspected. The inspection was performed on February 17th, 2017.
House 1: This house had 47 week old ISA Brown hens. All birds observed were well-feathered and alert. The litter was in great condition, and hens were observed dust-bathing and forging. Hens were observed utilizing all parts of the housing system. House records indicated low mortality except for a piling incident, which was explained by a thunderstorm. The thunder scared the birds and they panicked, causing a piling scenario.
House 2: This house had 70 week old ISA Brown hens. All birds observed were alert and dust-bathing and foraging. Litter was in good condition. Hens had variable feather cover, ranging from fully feathered to moderate feather loss. No hens observed showed severe feather loss. Most of the hens had evidence of pin feathers, indicating new feather growth and that the birds were molting.
House 3: This house had 82 week old ISA Brown hens, close to being depopulated. Again, litter was in good condition with hens observed dust-bathing and foraging. Hens had variable feather coverage, slightly worse than in House 2, but appropriate for their age. Pin feathers were observed on some of these hens as well, and there were a small number of hens that were fully feathered.
No wounds were observed on any hens from any houses. No sick or lethargic hens were observed at the time of the inspection. When first entering all houses, hens appeared crowded at the front of the pens. When looking down the houses, open space could be observed in the aviary systems as well as the litter areas. When walking the litter areas, hens had great freedom of movement, were inquisitive toward the inspector, and there was plenty of open space for the hens.
Overall, the hens in all three houses at this Ranch were in good condition, with feather coverage appropriate for their ages. Litter was in good condition, and hens had freedom of movement. Mortality in all houses was generally low, based on house records.
Posted: January 25, 2017 by HFAC
21st century brings more awareness of farm animal welfare
Last year, our Executive Director, Adele Douglass, was interviewed for At the Fork, a farm animal welfare documentary released this month that follows the film’s two directors, an Austin couple – one a vegetarian and one an omnivore – as they visit farms across the nation to explore how farm animals are raised for food.
As an organization whose mission is to improve the lives of farm animals in food production, Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) was pleased to be a part of this movie and hope it elevates the conversation about how farm animals are raised.
When one considers animal suffering, there is no doubt that farm animals in food production top the list of the animals who suffer the most at the hands of humans. With billions of animals raised for food annually, the stakes couldn’t be any higher for them. Factory farming forces cows to stand in milking tie stalls 24/7, pigs to live in gestation crates, and chickens to share small battery cages with up to a half a dozen birds. These animals don’t have places to walk, root around, flap wings or live natural lives.
At factory farms, animals are not treated like animals, but like objects that can be used and abused. Whatever one’s belief about eating meat and poultry, the bottom line is this; just because an animal is raised for food doesn’t mean it shouldn’t also be raised humanely.
The beginning of a movement
Sadly, there were no organizations in the United States that fully addressed the welfare of farm animals raised for food until the early part of this century. While groups worked to protect pets, wildlife, animals in testing, and even animals in film, no organizations raised awareness about the welfare of farm animals in food production.
Than
kfully, since HFAC launched in 2003, we have witnessed a rapid change in the public’s perception over the treatment of farm animals. We established a scientific committee of more than three dozen animal welfare scientists and veterinarians from around the world whose entire body of work is research on the welfare of farm animals. These experts created HFAC’s Animal Care Standards for several species of farm animals, including beef cattle, dairy cows, laying hens, broiler chickens, pigs, dairy goats, and bison. The standards provide for the mental, physical and emotional needs of farm animals and insure that these animals are treated humanely throughout every step of their lives.
To be in the Certified Humane® program, farmers must pass an inspection by third-party independent inspectors before they can use the Certified Humane® logo on their products. Inspections are conducted regularly to ensure standards continue to be met on these farms going forward. In 2016, we conducted 515 inspection days – through third party inspectors who are experts in their field of farm animal welfare – for more than 2,000 farms in the program to ensure the humane treatment of more than 152 million farm animals.
Consumer demand has made the difference
Over the last decade, consumer demand has finally brought attention to farm animal issues and the desire for the humane treatment of farm animals in the food industry. In 2003, 143,000 farm animals were raised Certified Humane® in the U.S.; in 2016, more than 152 million farm animals were raised Certified Humane in five countries. We’re proud to say that over these last 14 years, more than 667 million farm animals have been raised in the Certified Humane® program.
This amazing progress couldn’t have been made without a growing community of people demanding humanely-raised food. Farmers are listening, too. They are choosing to become Certified Humane® to demonstrate to consumers their unwavering commitment to the welfare of farm animals.
At every step of their lives, HFAC believes farm animals deserve to be treated with compassion. And, “we are just getting started in a movement that is going to forever elevate the care and treatment of farm animals in food production,” says Douglass.
We are committed to certifying farmers who meet our Animal Care Standards by letting them use the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label and educating and encouraging consumers to be change-makers by shopping for Certified Humane in grocery stores and restaurants.
We believe the demand for humanely-raised food will only continue to grow. At the Fork helps shed light on this issue and further helps consumers think about the welfare of farm animals and how their food is raised.
To support Certified Humane® farmers, please visit our “Where to Buy” page or download our free Certified Humane® app.
Posted: January 10, 2017 by Certified Humane®
BRF Brasil
BRF– one of the largest food companies in the world – joined the Certified Humane® program in 2016 for some of their integrated chicken farms in Goiás (Midwest Brazil) and some turkey farms in Santa Catarina (Southern Brazil) to fully demonstrate their commitment to animal welfare to their consumers. In 2017, the chicken project was renewed with the integrated farms, and a new chicken project was certified in Mato Grosso state (Midwest Brazil). BRF produces chicken and pork products sold under the Sadia, Perdigão and other recognized brands. Sadia is the leading chicken and processed food brand offered to the Brazilian market.
“BRF is improving the lives of millions of birds under the Certified Humane® Brasil program,” said Luiz Mazzon, Director of Certified Humane® in South America. “We expect this program to continue to grow as more and more consumers demand humanely-raised food.”
Headquartered in Middleburg, Virginia, Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), which launched in 2003, introduced the Certified Humane® program in South America in 2011. The Brazilian office is responsible for overseeing the expansion of the Certified Humane® program and the certification of farms and food animal producers under the Certified Humane® Raised and Handled label in South America.
BRF ranks as one of the ten most innovative companies in the world, according to Forbes Magazine, and one of the 100 most sustainable on the planet, according to the Global Compact 100 Stock Index, which recognizes companies committed to the incorporation of UN Global Compact principles within their business models.
Animal welfare is an essential part of BRF’s culture and strategy and carries out actions towards the humane treatment of animals in all stages of the production process. Since 2014, when BRF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NGO World Animal Protection (WAP), the company has been identifying opportunities for improvement and key trends and practices that improve animal welfare.
“Animal welfare for BRF is not a temporary program, but a real cause they work on at multiple levels within the organization,” says Mazzon. BRF’s commitment to animal welfare is an integral component of the company’s ethical principles, which allows for improvements in the working environment and the human-animal relationship. “We have a team of ambassadors called “Animal Welfare Officials,” who are trained to ensure compliance with these guidelines, commitments, and targets,” says Hugo Urso, Agriculture Director at BRF. “The program includes the assessment of improvement gaps and opportunities, with short-, medium- and long-term plans formulated to ensure the attainment of our goal of maximizing animal welfare.”
According to Urso, BRF maintains a strict policy of zero-tolerance towards animal mistreatment, whether by abuse or negligence. It also relies on standards to provide guidance on best practices that range from the poultry farm to humane slaughter, emergency plans, and transportation. With these company-wide commitments in place, BRF Sadia wanted to take the next step and become part of Certified Humane’s international certification program, which not only outlines humane standards of care the company must follow, but provides third-party independent inspections and audits to ensure compliance of these standards are being met for consumers. “In joining the Certified Humane® program, BRF wants to positively transform its entire global chain by acting even more ethically and responsibly,” says Josiane Busatta, Quality Assurance Specialist at BRF. “Its core activity is producing animal proteins, so animal welfare is naturally one of the great causes we advocate not only within our company, but also outside the BRF universe. Certified Humane® is the most internationally-recognized certification program focused on animal welfare. To be certified by this organization is to have a serious seal for our proposal and program.”
BRF participates in animal welfare discussions at industry organizations, such as the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), and its research arm, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). They also share their technical knowledge, make financial contributions, and support scientific congresses on the topic of animal welfare at top universities, such as the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil.
Under the Certified Humane® program, BRF must follow HFAC’s precise Animal Care Standards for the humane treatment of farm animals raised for food production and consent to third party inspections and audits to ensure compliance with the Certified Humane® program. Through the program, farm animals must receive a nutritious diet without preventive use of antibiotics, hormones or animal by-products and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behaviors, like spreading their wings, perching on posts, and living cage-free lives. Adele Douglass, Founder and CEO of HFAC, says BRF’s commitment to humane farm animal care will resonate with other food producers and farms around the world. “Having one of the largest food companies in the world commit to raising their animals Certified Humane® shows that any producer of any size can commit to raising farm animals humanely,” she says. “BRF will set a high bar that other food producers and farmers will want to follow.”
Posted: December 27, 2016 by HFAC
Certified Humane continues making progress for farm animals
Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) is on a mission to create a Certified Humane® world for farm animals. And thanks to our supporters, 2016 has been an extremely successful year.
• We’ve added more than 49 million farm animals to the program, going from 103 million farm animals raised Certified Humane® in 2015 to more than 152 million in 2016.
• Since HFAC launched in 2003, more than 667 million farm animals have been raised in the Certified Humane® program.
• HFAC now operates in five countries – the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Chile and Peru.
• Certified Humane® cat food and dog treats became available to pet owners in 2016, in addition to the Certified Humane® dog food already in the program.
• BRF Brasil – one of the largest food companies in the world – joined the Certified Humane® program for 33 of their chicken farms and eight turkey farms in 2016.
• Korin Agropecuária, the largest organic chicken producer in Brazil and the first Brazilian company to attain Certified Humane® certification in 2009, began exporting frozen chicken with the Certified Humane® label to more than 80 supermarkets operating in Hong Kong.
Thanks to our supporters, we’re able to work with farmers and producers, hire third-party inspectors – all farm animal welfare experts – to ensure our program standards are met. We also can educate consumers about how to download our free Certified Humane® app to find Certified Humane® meat, pork, chicken, eggs, dairy and pet food products near them.
We couldn’t make a difference without the support of many compassionate people who care about the welfare of farm animals in food production. Thanks to everyone who helped in 2016.