HERNDON, Va., OCTOBER 19, 2015 — Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), the leading international nonprofit certification program improving the lives of millions of farm animals in food production in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Peru, announced that São Bento Farm in Cachoeira Paulista – São Paulo State, Brazil, is the first dairy farm in South America to qualify for the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program.
The Certified Humane® label assures consumers that the meat, poultry, egg, or dairy products they purchase have been produced according to HFAC’s precise Animal Care Standards for humane farm animal care. Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behaviors. Farms must follow 100% of these standards in order to qualify to use the Certified Humane® label on their food products.
Sergio Costa, a 4th generation farmer, took over his family’s 370-acre dairy farm in 2008. Costa first heard about the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program through Korin, a Brazilian poultry producer and the first farm in South America to become Certified Humane in 2009.
“I felt the Certified Humane program fit our farm’s ‘ethical quality principles,’ which considers the balance between animal welfare, team welfare, education and training, and respect for the environment,” said Costa. “It’s not just about feeding and shelter animals. Our mission is to go above and beyond with their care to ensure we are meeting the highest standards for farm animal welfare.”
According to Adele Douglass, Executive Director for HFAC, very few dairy farms in the U.S. want to meet the standards required by the Certified Humane® program. “Our standards are very stringent and most dairy farms aren’t willing to make the necessary changes to qualify for certification,” said Douglass. “We’re very impressed with how conscientious this farm is about animal welfare.”
HFAC conducts independent, third-party inspections of all farms annually to ensure compliance with the Animal Care Standards. Since HFAC launched in the U.S. in 2003, more than 96.7 million farm animals are now in the Certified Humane® program.
To find a store that sells Certified Humane® products, visit HFAC’s Where to Shop page or download Certified Humane’s free mobile app. For more information on HFAC and the Certified Humane® label, visit www.certifiedhumane.org.
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São Bento Farm becomes first Certified Humane® dairy farm in Brazil More than 96.7 million farm animals in 4 countries are now in the program
Posted: October 16, 2015 by Adele Douglass
HERNDON, Va., OCTOBER 19, 2015 — Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), the leading international nonprofit certification program improving the lives of millions of farm animals in food production in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Peru, announced that São Bento Farm in Cachoeira Paulista – São Paulo State, Brazil, is the first dairy farm in South America to qualify for the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program.
Sergio Costa, a 4th generation farmer, took over his family’s 370-acre dairy farm in 2008. Costa first heard about the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program through Korin, a Brazilian poultry producer and the first farm in South America to become Certified Humane in 2009.
“I felt the Certified Humane program fit our farm’s ‘ethical quality principles,’ which considers the balance between animal welfare, team welfare, education and training, and respect for the environment,” said Costa. “It’s not just about feeding and shelter animals. Our mission is to go above and beyond with their care to ensure we are meeting the highest standards for farm animal welfare.”
According to Adele Douglass, Executive Director for HFAC, very few dairy farms in the U.S. want to meet the standards required by the Certified Humane® program. “Our standards are very stringent and most dairy farms aren’t willing to make the necessary changes to qualify for certification,” said Douglass. “We’re very impressed with how conscientious this farm is about animal welfare.”
HFAC conducts independent, third-party inspections of all farms annually to ensure compliance with the Animal Care Standards. Since HFAC launched in the U.S. in 2003, more than 96.7 million farm animals are now in the Certified Humane® program.
To find a store that sells Certified Humane® products, visit HFAC’s Where to Shop page or download Certified Humane’s free mobile app. For more information on HFAC and the Certified Humane® label, visit www.certifiedhumane.org.
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This press release has been picked up by over 300 publications including:
Boston Business Journal
Chicago Business Journal
MarketWatch
Miami Herald
The Daily Herald
Washington Business Journal
CONTACTS:
Humane Farm Animal Care, 703-435-3883, info@certifiedhumane.org
Category: press