AWA and Soil Association Publish New Report

Animal Welfare Approved program director Andrew Gunther is pleased to announce that AWA has partnered with the U.K.’s Soil Association to publish a new report, “Lies, Damn Lies.” This report casts doubt on two frequently quoted statistics that say that globally we need to increase food production by 50% by 2030 or that it needs to double by 2050.

Lies, Damn Lies CoverAnimal Welfare Approved program director Andrew Gunther is pleased to announce that AWA has partnered with the U.K.’s Soil Association to publish a new report, “Lies, Damn Lies.” This report casts doubt on two frequently quoted statistics that say that globally we need to increase food production by 50% by 2030 or that it needs to double by 2050.

“This report clearly demonstrates that the figure currently used to illustrate future demand for food is inaccurate. Many of those using these inflated claims are justifying the need for more intensive agricultural practices and, in particular, the need for further expansion of GM crops,” remarked Andrew Gunther. He continued, “At AWA we believe that it is possible to feed the world without confining animals and destroying the very planet we rely on to nourish us. The AWA program represents a very real option to feed the world without making medicines redundant and making our rivers and oceans dead zones.”

The report is available for download.

Dairy Cattle Antibiotic Residue Review

The seemingly ever increasing number and volume of meat recalls has made consumers aware of the risks of food borne illnesses that may be transmitted via contaminated meat. Between 2004 and 2009 466 million pounds of meat were recalled. This includes the staggering 143 million pounds in the single recall of February 2008 from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Fifty seven percent of all meat recalled was beef and the major reasons for recall were Listeria and E. Coli contamination.

The onus to avoid potential risks from contaminated meat has been moved from the meat industry to the consumer. Consumers are becoming used to advice to avoid potential infection from tainted meat by cooking it thoroughly and using a meat thermometer to make sure it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees—sound advice if there is a chance of acid resistant E. Coli from feedlot production. However, far fewer consumers are aware of the scale of a different contamination and one that cannot be mitigated by good hygiene or cooking practice. The issue in question is antibiotic residue in meat and it appears that the dairy sector is the biggest offender.

Meadows Family Farm – Julian, NC

Kenneth and Dani Strader raise Animal Welfare Approved beef cattle, laying hens, and hogs on Meadows Family Farm in Julian, NC. Meadows Family Farms has been owned, operated, lived on and loved by four generations of the Strader family. Kenneth and Dani have been the current stewards for 35 years, raising all four of their children on the farm. Today they watch as their granddaughter chases chickens around the yard and are proud to know that their choice to manage their land and animals ethically and sustainably is helping to preserve and enhance the farm for future generations.

Leigh’s Pork and Beef – Plymouth, NC

Haywood and Retha Leigh operate a small family farm near Jamesville, North Carolina. Jamesville is a sleepy farming community near the beautiful waters of the Albemarle Sound and the Roanoke, Cashie, and Chowan rivers.

Ross Farm – Granger, TX

Betsy Ross raises Animal Welfare Approved beef cattle on Ross Farm in Granger, TX. At Ross Farm, Betsy believes in the necessity of healthy soil in order to create healthy beef. The farm’s sister company, Liquid Compost Extract, helps farmers increase their soil’s organic matter without using fertilizers herbicides, or insecticides. The philosophy at Ross Farm is that healthy soil means healthy forage, and healthy forage means healthy beef, and healthy beef means happy and healthy families! As Betsy writes, “We want to produce healthy, excellent meats for our family, friends, and customers, to return the land to a balanced state in terms of soil fertility, quality forages, animal health and enhanced quality of our lives.”