Humane seal of Approval

[Guest guest]

The 'Humane' Seal Of Approval

BUCKEYSTOWN, Md., May 23, 2003

Ryan Bapst, manager of Hedge Apple Farms in Buckeystown, Md., walks among

a herd of 100 breeding Angus cattle, grazing on clover and grass, and

certified as humanely treated. (AP)

The Humane Farm Animal Care certification standards prohibit the use of

growth hormones, turning sick animals into meat, keeping pregnant pigs in

metal " gestation crates, " confining egg-laying hens in cages and tying

dairy cows in stalls.

(AP) Contented cows can now offer proof: labels certifying their milk and

beef came from livestock raised under what several animal welfare groups

consider humane conditions.

 

The rectangular labels reading, " Certified Humane Raised & Handled, "

should start appearing in about a month on meat, poultry, dairy and egg

products, Adele Douglass, executive director of Humane Farm Animal Care,

said Thursday.

 

The program, backed by 10 animal welfare groups, certifies producers and

processors who meet certain standards for animal treatment. Participants

are charged modest royalty fees - 50 cents a pig, for example - and pay

for annual inspections at $400 a day.

 

Humane Farm Animal Care will pay the U.S. Agriculture Department to check

some farms' documents to verify that the group is meeting its own

certification standards.

 

" This is not necessarily an approval of these marketing claims or handling

techniques, " said Randall Jones, an associate deputy administrator in the

agency's Agricultural Marketing Service.

 

The program reflects a growing movement in the United States and abroad

seeking better treatment of farm animals. On May 1, KFC announced new

standards to ensure humane treatment of its chickens. A Gallup poll

released Wednesday found most Americans support passing strict laws for

farm animal treatment.

 

" The consolidation of the agriculture business and the creation of

industry farms means too many farm animals across the country are treated

inhumanely, " Douglass said.

 

While the certification coalition aims to encourage humane practices,

other animal-rights groups have drawn attention for tactics including

sneaking onto egg farms to document poor conditions and staging protests

dressed as crippled turkeys. Last November, Florida voters became the

first in the nation to ban the confinement of pregnant pigs.

 

The Humane Farm Animal Care certification standards prohibit keeping

pregnant pigs in metal " gestation crates, " confining egg-laying hens in

cages and tying dairy cows in stalls. They prohibit the use of growth

hormones and selling the meat of animals who are too sick to walk.

 

A similar labeling program sponsored by the Denver-based American Humane

Association in 2000 failed after receiving little funding. Douglass said

the new program's broader base should ensure its success.

 

Douglass said consumers who buy foods bearing the blue, green and white

labels will " send a powerful message to the agriculture industry that the

humane care and treatment of American farm animals should be a priority. "

 

National Pork Producers Council spokeswoman Kara Flynn said the labeling

program is part of " an anti-meat agenda " with no scientific basis.

 

" It's saying if you don't adhere to this, you're going to be seen as

someone who's not rearing or treating animals humanely, and that's false, "

she said.

 

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, based in Denver, disagreed with

the program's ban on feeds containing antibiotics, but said many of the

standards are similar to guidelines it is developing.

 

" I see this program to be very compatible and very consistent with our

desire to see that cattle are cared for in a humane manner, " said Gary

Weber, the association's executive director of regulatory affairs.

 

Douglass said five producers have been certified, and her group, based in

Herndon, Va., is inspecting slaughterhouses for compliance with the

American Meat Institute Standards, a higher standard for slaughtering farm

animals than the Federal Humane Slaughter Act.

 

One certified producer, Hedgeapple Farm of Buckeystown, raises black Angus

beef cattle on 250 acres about 40 miles north of Washington. The

free-ranging animals eat as much fresh grass, rather than grain or hay, as

the seasons allow. They are protected from disease by vaccinations, not

feed additives that could accumulate in their meat.

 

" It just makes good sense to treat your production animals right, " said

John Jorgensen, president of the family foundation that owns the farm.

 

He said the techniques cost no more than grain-feeding the animals in

crowded feedlots, and he charges about 25 percent more for the beef, which

is available only at the farm.

 

" You can market your product at a premium because people are willing to

pay for that type of certification, " Jorgensen said.

 

The Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are among the program's supporters.

 

The Gallup poll released Wednesday was based on telephone interviews May

5-7 with 1,005 adults nationwide. It found 62 percent in favor and 35

percent opposed to passing strict laws concerning the treatment of farm

animals. The poll had margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

 

By David Dishneau © MMIII The Associated Press. . This

material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

 

" Falsehood is the child of fear. "

--Aleister Crowley