Animal Welfare... What is this All About?

HELLO! I am finally done with school for the summer and have another year of school under my belt! Over the year, I had the opportunity to discuss topics like animal welfare in some of my classes and how the way consumers products are handled and treated can effect the demand in the consumer market. Just within the last month, I have also had the opportunity to sit in on meetings and participate in educational events where I saw first hand both the concerns and views of producers and consumers. For example, Dairy producers are concerned that the public and media can help to portray a negative image on the way their farms are run. Likewise, concerned consumers have questions for the producers of their food, and tend to be misinformed primarily because of media hype.

Animal welfare and animal rights has been a hot topic thus far in 2008 across the animal agriculture industry. In February, the USDA ordered the largest meat recall in U.S. history after substantial evidence showing that the Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing company from Chino, California was not preventing unambulatory cows from entering the food supply. I was very frustrated when I saw videos posted and headlines around the U.S. bashing the animal ag. industry. The employees that worked for that meat packing company, which were fired, are to blame for this matter and people like them are helping the media by dragging the animal ag. industry through the mud.

As a producer, my goal is to help promote our industries in a positive way by educating and informing the public. Sometimes it could be as simple as letting them know that producers want to produce the best product possible, and in doing so must be responsible and take good care of their animals. I guess my takehome message would be for consumers is to ask question directly to the producers because that is where you are going to get factual answers; as for the producers, don't be afraid to get out there and inform the public of your business (i.e., farm tours and classroom education).

If you have any other of thoughts, comments or questions about this - feel free to add something in!