Through ongoing collaboration with animal rights groups, nearly 52% of Perdue’s farms are now windowed and 25% of its chickens are provided outdoor access.
MARK MCCAY & LEAH GARCES: Historically, meat companies and animal rights organizations have been more foe than friend. This is certainly how the relationship began between Perdue and Mercy For Animals. In 2015, Mercy For Animals released an undercover video of a Perdue chicken farm showing abuse by contract workers. All too commonly, companies go into defense and denial mode when faced with such footage.
But if you flip the coin, a business can find opportunity in this sort of exposure. It is a rare moment when a company humbly embraces the harder — but ultimately more rewarding — path. Perdue knew that what the video had shown represented not only an opportunity but also a responsibility to animals, customers, and consumers to uphold the company’s standards. So Perdue picked up the phone and did something meat companies rarely do: It called Mercy For Animals.
A stunned Mercy For Animals sat at the other end of the call. Here was Perdue thanking the organization for the investigation that had exposed animal handling contrary to the company’s standards — and promptly acting to remedy it. Perdue also invited Mercy For Animals, along with other animal advocacy organizations, to a discussion about continual improvement to animal-raising practices…
Just months after the investigation’s release, Perdue, with praise from Mercy For Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, and Compassion in World Farming, committed to the most comprehensive animal welfare policy of any U.S. poultry company. Perdue didn’t claim to be perfect but charted a path toward industry leadership and continual improvement in animal welfare…
But working together had its pitfalls. Mercy For Animals risked looking like a sellout. Perdue took a risk by admitting it had “gotten away from the farm.” That’s a lot of risk — and tension — bundled into one situation. But sometimes taking risks pays off enormously… Perdue made a promise, and Mercy For Animals works closely to provide feedback through informal meetings and participation in Perdue’s Animal Care Summit.
The relationship is sustained by our firm mutual commitment to ongoing progress… Each year, through ongoing conversation, Perdue moves up the ladder of animal welfare; nearly 52% of Perdue’s conventional farms are now windowed — and as the No. 1 supplier of USDA organic chicken, Perdue provides 25% of its chickens with outdoor access…
Everyone involved is benefiting. Each year, Perdue publishes an animal care report and hosts a conference to report progress toward existing goals and share new ones, and invite feedback and ideas for continual improvement. Chickens benefit from Perdue’s dedication to the Better Chicken Commitment, a set of animal welfare standards supported by animal advocacy groups.
This commitment requires companies to meaningfully reduce animal suffering by giving chickens more space and a better environment, minimizing their suffering during slaughter, and using breeds not prone to painful and debilitating conditions… We hope the food industry and those working to improve it will be inspired by our collaborative approach. SOURCE…
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