Granja Siete Hermanos, S.R.L – Crespo, Entre Ríos state, Argentina

The Granja Siete Hermanos S.R.L., located in the province of Entre Ríos in the City of Crespo, Argentina, is owned and operated by the Eberle brothers. Founded by Don Jorge Roberto Eberle in the 1960s with a few cage-free hens, the farm has been family-operated for more than three generations. Today, seven Eberle brothers work side-by-side managing the daily operations of the farm.

While the farm started cage-free in the 60s, it moved to battery cages in the 70s. “I still remember telling dad that we were going to move the laying hens to a barn and put them in battery cages,” says Hector Humberto Eberle, General Manager for Granja Siete Hermanos. “He told me that the chickens had to be free and that they were going to die locked up all day. I didn’t know how we were going to put so many chickens in a barn. We did, but my dad was right. It wasn’t a humane way to raise the birds.”

While many other farms in Argentina still operate with traditional pyramidal cages and battery cages, Granja Siete Hermanos is the first farm in Argentina to import a cage-free aviary system to meet Humane Farm Animal Care’s animal welfare standards for Certified Humane® laying hens.

“We learned about the Certified Humane® program through a client’s recommendation,” says Hector. “Once we learned about everything related to the welfare of the animals and that the guidelines were written by farm animal welfare experts, we decided to adopt their humane standards of care. We saw that you could respect animals, the environment and people while still being efficient in egg production.”

But Hector remembers being a little apprehensive when the new aviary system arrived. “The manufacturers told us that one of the biggest hurdles would occur at sunset when the laying hens would all be trying to find a place to sleep and none should be on the floor,” says Hector. “We were worried, but at sunset, we watched in amazement as every hen found a place to perch and sleep. It was unforgettable. We also worried that the hens would not use the nests to lay their eggs, but we were wrong. The hens wanted privacy, and they were very comfortable with these new nesting spaces.”

Hector says that once the farm implemented HFAC’s animal welfare standards and saw how easily the laying hens adapted to their new aviary, they knew they were making the right decision and trusted the Certified Humane® practices would contribute to the overall welfare of their laying hens.

“We can see the impact on the hens every day,” says Hector. “We are raising happy animals that are free to express their natural behaviors, like stretching their wings, scratching, perching and nesting. Our farm is proof that you can raise Certified Humane® laying hens and not impact production parameters.”

Hector says, “More and more news stories, books, films, and reports draw attention to how farm animals should be treated. As a result, consumers want products from animals that are humanely-raised. The Certified Humane ® label identifies our products for businesses and consumers looking for those products… Being Certified Humane® is good for our business, our animals and our customers.”

Tecnovo S.A. – Crespo, Entre Ríos, Argentina

Tecnovo S.A. is a modern egg company that produces egg products for use in the food supply chain. It began as a production company in the main poultry basin in Crespo, Entre Ríos, Argentina, in 1995. Since then, it has become a leader in its sector providing processed egg products, like liquid whole egg, egg powder, liquid or powder albumin, and liquid or powdery yolk, for large food manufacturers throughout the world.

Tecnovo S.A. is committed to using Certified Humane® eggs to produce their liquid and powdered egg products, which are then sold to food manufacturing companies to be used in the production of foods such as mayonnaise, pasta, puddings, sweetbreads, pastries, and cookies. This means that Tecnovo S.A. only sources Certified Humane® eggs before moving them along in the supply chain to large food manufacturers.

“The Certified Humane® movement has had an enormous impact on the growth of global food chains, especially as they apply in Latin America,” says Luiz Mazzon, Director-General for Certified Humane® Latin America. “More and more companies are considering animal welfare when choosing their supplier of animal ingredients. The Certified Humane® program is innovative because it allows the use of the label even by companies that do not raise or handle animals directly, but are committed to using Certified Humane® products.” The philosophy of Tecnovo S.A. founders was to create a value chain that enhances the natural resources of the area, incorporating skilled labor and appropriate technology to enable it to access the food producers worldwide.

Tecnovo S.A. is the only company that joined the Global Compact in 2004 – an initiative of the United Nations (UN), which seeks to favor the development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) worldwide, promoting a set of universal values that are considered essential to meet the needs of the world population.

Tecnovo S.A. also guarantees the quality of the products by working under GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) standards with food certification systems FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification) for continuous improvement of the food safety management system with the aim of ensuring the supply of safe food to consumers.

Liang Kee Farming, Perak, Malaysia

Healthier and Happier Birds

“I started to explore the cage free system first as a personal experiment and for my own family’s consumption of eggs. School students came to visit our farm and I realized that their feedback was very positive in support of the Free-range system,” explains Tan. He also says that people tell him eggs are tastier and that the chickens seem to be healthier and happier in this kind of environment.

Like many other producers, Tan heard about the Certified Humane® label while researching egg production. He always wanted to differentiate his production from the traditional ones. That was when he realized that he needed to invest in quality regardless of the quantity. “We farmers see a lot of chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones being used to increase production at the lowest costs. I always told my children and relatives avoid this type of product. On my farm, we use the best feed ingredients for animals,” says Tan.

Liang Kee Farming Values Animal Welfare

Tan Leng Yee believes in the importance of animal welfare for his operation. “Like any other thing, if you treat the animals well, they will treat you well in return, “he says. For Tan, there are many benefits to investing in animal welfare such as higher quality food, preservation of the environment, and less use of unnecessary medications – such is the food supply chain. Additionally, the product has more added-value and the producer may establish a higher price for his product when animal welfare practices are in place. Everybody wins.

On the laying hen farm, employees receive proper training and Tan makes sure to guarantee that they are happy with their work. “This is the best ingredient to create animal welfare. Happy employees have happier attitudes… and the result is happier chickens.”

The pilot production at Liang Kee Farming is still small but it has a large growth potential. “I am happy to receive the Certified Humane label. HFAC is aligned with the philosophy of my company, since we both believe that animal welfare achieves larger production and profits. I am pretty sure that the eggs on my farm stand out among the rest,” concludes Tan.

First Light leading the charge on animal welfare: becomes first New Zealand meat company to earn Certified Humane® status

First Light has become the first New Zealand meat company to be awarded internationally recognised Certified Humane® accreditation, another milestone in the business’ continued commitment to animal welfare.

Certified Humane® is a recognised global animal welfare standard administered by Humane Farm Animal Care, the US’s leading non-profit certification organisation dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production, from birth to slaughter.

“The goal of the programme is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. We are encouraged that a New Zealand meat company is taking animal welfare seriously. The extreme need for improvement in farm animal welfare is a global challenge we at Certified Humane® are prepared to help address,” says Humane Farm Animal Care’s chief operating officer Mimi Stein.

“When consumers see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label, they are assured that the food product has come from a facility that meets precise standards for farm animal treatment, including the quality of feed, the absence of sub-therapeutic antibiotics or growth hormones and environmental considerations such as the animal never being kept in a cage, crate or stall. Additionally, the processors must comply with the American Meat Institute standards, a slaughter standard written by world renown scientist Dr Temple Grandin,” she adds.

For First Light, the certification is another step in ensuring animal welfare remains its priority across the entire grass-fed Wagyu supply chain, from breeding to processing.

“We have always prided ourselves on not cutting corners and doing things right. We decided to align with Certified Humane® because we wanted a peer review of our animal husbandry standards. We also like the fact that it is grounded in care for the animal, while recognising the practical aspects of life on the farm,” says First Light director Jason Ross.

“It is also essential to have accreditation to supply major US customers and also for our retail consumers. The benefit for consumers is that they can buy with confidence, knowing the meat, poultry, egg and dairy products come from animals who have been raised humanely without overcrowding in confinement systems and without unnecessary antibiotics. It’s better for the animals, the environment and the farmers who receive a fair price for their efforts.”

To earn Certified Humane® status, an audit was conducted on a selection of First Light farms and processing facilities across the country. To uphold the standards, annual inspections will be held by specialist scientists and veterinarians.

For more information, please visit their website www.firstlight.farm

NestFresh was started as a family company with local farms in Colorado. The family wanted to create an egg company focused on animal welfare and environmental sustainability. They believed that treating animals humanely would benefit both hens and humans.

In the early years, NestFresh Eggs were produced and sold exclusively in Colorado, but soon they became Colorado’s favorite eggs, so they set out to offer their eggs across the country. They wanted to spread the NestFresh mission of providing more people with locally produced eggs and more hens with happy cage free lives. To do so, they partnered with regional, family-owned farms to produce and supply farm fresh NestFresh Eggs in a local system.

Now NestFresh produces Certified Humane®, USDA Organic, and Non-GMO Project verified eggs at family farms all over the country—from California to Texas to Pennsylvania. Each family farm in the NestFresh network is a business that shares NestFresh’s commitment to animal welfare and stewardship of the land. This network of family farms benefits farmers, communities, and the environment. The farms are able to provide jobs within local communities, support other local businesses, and reduce their impact on the environment.

The Certified Humane® logo that NestFresh proudly bears ensures that each farm meets the same high standards for laying hen welfare. These farmers give their birds the healthy, humane lives they deserve.

NestFresh is part of the Certified Humane program because they believe that the statements on their cartons are more than empty marketing claims. NestFresh relies on experts to validate the humane aspects of their animal husbandry practices. Their products include Cage Free, Free Range, and Pasture Raised Eggs.
For more information about NestFresh farms and products as well as recipes visit www.NestFresh.com.