Do something about inhumane chicken farming
In the U.S. the labeling of farm products is not regulated or verified independently by the USDA. So, a meat or egg producer can claim anything they want on their packages for marketing purposes – it does not mean it is true.
For example, "free range" does not necessarily mean the chickens are outside with plenty of room to roam. More often than not, it just means the egg laying hens are not crammed in cages, they are packed tightly into a shed, similar to the facilities used for broiler chickens. Eggland's Best defines cage-free as: "hens allowed to move freely within their house" which sounds good, but with thousands of chickens in a house the reality is not much better than the cage scenario.
Perdue, one of the largest poultry producers in the U.S., started marketing some of their chicken as humanely raised and USDA Process Verified which includes these claims:
About the claim "free range"
The USDA definition of free range or free roaming: Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed continuous, free access to the outside for over 51 percent of their lives. Producers can demonstrate this through testimonials and affidavits, or through certifications from certifying entities if USDA has evaluated the entity's "free range" or "free roaming" animal raising standards and determined that they are truthful and not misleading.
The USDA does not physically inspect the "free range" facilities, they take the word of the producers. Any group that has no oversight and is left to regulate itself will inevitably become corrupt. In the quest for profit, corporations often cut corners to reduce the cost of production to the point of jeopardizing safety and welfare of people and animals.
Broiler chickens have always been cage-free and packed into an environmentally controlled shed. Advertising that the chicken is free roaming is misleading to the consumer who believes they are making a more humane choice. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States has filed a lawsuit against Purdue for the fraudulent claims on its packaging.
About the claims "natural, no hormones, no antibiotics and organic"
"All Natural" is a strange claim since this refers to chemically altered food the "additives and preservatives" in packaged food which has never been used in poultry production.
The "no hormones" claim is also deceptive since growth hormones have no been used in poultry since the late 1950's. The rapid growth is due to selective breeding and environmental manipulation.
The claim that Perdue chickens are organic and antibiotic free is unable to be independently verified since the USDA does not investigate these claims from producers. USDA defines the no antibiotics certification as: The term "no antibiotics added" may be used on labels for meat or poultry products if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the Agency demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics. It is unclear what documentation is provided to prove antibiotics were not used during meat production.
Resources for Making Healthy Humane Choices
One of the best things you can do is attend local farmer's markets, these smaller and usually family owned farms tend to have more sustainable farming and husbandry practices. Ask them how they raise their livestock and grow their food. Most farmers do not mind if you want to visit their farm to see for yourself how they operate. Apart from the humane choice to buy from a farm that practices old-fashioned husbandry, buying local is also more environmentally friendly since the farms are relatively close and do not need to ship their products, therefore less carbon is emitted into the air.
If you live in Virginia and Maryland here is an excellent source for meat and eggs:
http://www.polyfacefarms.com/taste.aspx
The farm uses true free roaming and free range practices which are also environmentally sustainable.
Other resources
Animal Welfare Approved: http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/product-search/
type in your zip code and click submit, the database will search for farms, restaurants and stores in your area that are animal welfare approved or sell animal welfare approved items.
American Humane Certified: http://thehumanetouch.org/certified-producers/profiles
This organization is enthusiastically endorsed by the ASPCA.
Making these choices will improve the welfare of animals, improve your health, lessen your carbon footprint, and if you buy from farmers markets you support your local community.
