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What Is Global Animal Partnership

April 15th, 2022

* The standards specify what would be considered a “low level of mortality”. For Stage 4, a response plan must be implemented if herd mortality exceeds 0.35% over a 24-hour period. This exceeds the norm for steps 1 to 3, which is 0.5% mortality over a 24-hour period. In addition to Whole Foods, GAP certified animal products are distributed by Tender & True Pet Nutrition, Boulder Natural Meats and Creminelli Fine Meats. [5] [6] For beef, the standards state that animals must spend at least three-quarters of their lives on pasture if seasonal conditions permit, and that animals cannot be removed from pasture for more than four months a year or more than a quarter of the animal`s life. Pastures are not defined, except to say that at least 50% of the occupied area must be covered with vegetation. Their labels offer consumers an easy way to see how the animals were raised while allowing for continuous improvement on the farm. The CAP ensures that animal welfare standards are met on each farm, not just in a sample. This level of detail is important so that, when consumers see the CAP label, they can feel good about the meat they eat. GAP certified products are available in stores across North America.

Routine horn tilting, i.e. removal of the ends of the horns, and complete removal of adult horns are both prohibited. Budding or cauterization of horn buds before they become horns is allowed only before the age of 6 weeks. Tilting is only allowed if “it is necessary to prevent the horns from growing into the animal`s head or in response to behavior that endangers other animals or dog handlers.” This corresponds to steps 1 to 4. Desensitization is prohibited for steps 5 and 5+. At all stages, animal by-products are prohibited in animal feed, including mammalian and bird proteins. In 2015, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit against Whole Foods on the grounds that labeling animal products with the 5-step evaluation program had deceived customers. PETA`s complaint states: “The entire process of auditing Whole Foods` animal welfare standards is a deception as it rarely happens and violations of the standards do not result in the loss of certification.

Standards that are not actually enforced give the false impression that they guarantee a more humane and high-quality animal product – when in reality they do not guarantee anything like this.[9] The lawsuit was dismissed in April 2016 on the grounds that PETA had failed to demonstrate that Whole Foods` alleged misrepresentations had defrauded consumers. According to Justice Nathanael Cousins, “retailers are not required to disclose product information unless it relates to a consumer safety issue,” and PETA did not raise any safety concerns. [10] Pregnancy boxes and farrowing cages are prohibited at all stages, a standard that goes beyond the industry standard of accommodating pregnant sows (sowing sows) and sows with piglets (farrowing sows) in boxes that are too small for the animal to turn over or move freely. In our analysis, we found that the Stage 3 standards do not meet what consumers might expect from a marketing claim to “improve access to outdoor spaces” because the minimum space required for the extended outdoor space for chickens and pigs is very small. GAP standards cover approximately 290 million livestock. According to the Open Philanthropy Project, the GAP reaches this scale mainly through contracts with major producers such as Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms and Whole Foods. Whole Foods only offers GAP-certified chickens, cows, pork and turkey. [4] Global Animal Partnership standards prohibit the use of antibiotics, with the exception of chickens, at all stages. If an animal on the market gets sick and needs to be treated with antibiotics, that animal must be identified and removed from the Global Animal Partnership program. The standards also state that sick or injured animals should be treated individually immediately in order to minimize pain and suffering. In January 2016, a number of animal rights groups, including DxE, PETA, Last Chance for Animals and the Christian Vegetarian Association, signed an open letter to Whole Foods condemning GAP`s rating system.

[11] Although standards are generally consistent for all species, there is one inconsistency: beef, turkey, pork and bison from animals treated with antibiotics cannot be sold as CAP certified at any stage, while all stages for chickens allow for the therapeutic use of antibiotics.* Although there are no slaughter standards for beef and chickens, Standards for all levels require pigs to be slaughtered in a successful facility that performs an up-to-date third-party animal welfare audit based on the American Meat Institute`s recommended guidelines and audit guide. Slaughterhouses must meet all basic and ancillary criteria with a minimum total score of 90 percent. An effective stunning/killing rate of at least 95% on the first attempt is required, which means that the standards allow up to 5% of animals to suffer between a first failed attempt and the second or successful attempt, whichever comes later. For all levels, with the exception of chickens, the use of antibiotics is prohibited (except for the treatment of sick animals, which then cannot be sold with the Global Animal Partnership label). Growth hormones, growth-promoting drugs and animal by-products in food are prohibited for all stages and species. WHAT IS GLOBAL ANIMAL PARTNERSHIP? Global Animal Partnership (GAP) is one of the largest animal welfare certification programs in North America. They set the standard for farm animal husbandry and have a positive impact on 416 million farm animals® each year through their 5-step animal welfare certification program. Detussking, cutting teeth, routine teeth grinding/filling and nose buzzing are also prohibited. However, exceptions are possible: if it is necessary to cut the tusks, this should be done without cutting into the sensitive dough chamber and without using bolt cutters / chopping devices.

The buzzing of the nose is prohibited in market animals or pigs bred for slaughter. But the procedure is allowed in some cases: for example, sows (pigs raised for slaughter) can damage soil structures in some grazing areas; In these cases, nasal buzzing is allowed. If the sow loses the ring, it can not be replaced. Slap marking (a temporary tattoo) and tattooing are acceptable for identification. No more than two ear tags are allowed per animal, one in each ear. In pigs, the ear notch should be carried out before the age of 10 days. Steps 2 to 4 require environmental enrichment (not 5 and 5+, as these pigs live mainly outdoors). Enrichment should be provided for the weaning of sows, replacement animals, sows and pigs throughout the growing season. Global Animal Partnership defines environmental enrichment as a material provided to animals to “add complexity to their environment, promote the expression of natural behavior, and reduce the expression of abnormal and harmful behaviors.” Examples of indoor environmental enrichment include straw bales, hay, silage, wood chips, branches, peas and barley for whole plants, compost, peat or other natural materials.

Step 1 – Basic Certification Step 2 – Enriched Environment – such as straw bales for chickens or shade structures and scratching posts for cattle Step 3 – Outdoor access – Animals that can go out Step 4 – Pasture – Access to pasture and nature all year round Step 5 – Animal-centric – Still allowed to graze and without physical changes Step 5+ – Life on the same farm At our wholesale partner Whole Foods Market, see the information on the 5 steps behind the meat counter. It`s a convenient way to remember what each step means. GAP certified labels have been used at Whole Foods for over a decade for their 365 brand. The 5-step animal® welfare certification program includes specific species-specific animal standards for beef, bison, chicken, goat, laying hens, pigs, sheep and turkey. Since each species has different needs, GAP standards are tailored to each type of animal. You can view the species-specific standards by clicking here to view them on the APG website. The label means the animals have been raised on farms that have been proven to meet the animal welfare standards of the Global Animal Partnership, a non-profit organization that says it “promotes and facilitates the continuous improvement of animal welfare, promotes animal welfare farming practices, and educates consumers about the farming systems they support.” THE GAP`S 5-STEP ANIMAL WELFARE ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME IS EXTREMELY RIGOROUS AND INVOLVES COLLABORATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM FARMERS, SCIENTISTS, VETERINARIANS, INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND CERTIFIERS TO ASSIGN THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF CERTIFICATION FOR ANIMAL WELFARE. Also in 2016, GAP announced a partnership with the Redlaw Sauce Company, where Redlaw will donate 5% of its profits to GAP.

[7] In order to protect public health and combat the global threat of antibiotic resistance, antibiotics should only be used in livestock farming to treat diagnosed diseases. It is the industry standard to use antibiotics to prevent and control disease, as well as to treat disease. The Global Animal Partnership`s standards exceed industry standards for the use of antibiotics, with the exception of chickens. .

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