September 21, 2000

The American Humane Association (AHA) has begun a "Free Farmed Certification Program" to certify that farm animals are raised in a humane manner. A "Free Farmed" label "will assure consumers that the dairy, beef, and poultry products they purchase come from animals that were treated according to animal welfare standards developed by AHA," association officials said at a news conference in Washington.

Tim O'Brien, president and chief executive officer of AHA said animals raised for food "often endure conditions of extreme confinement, where they cannot express their normal behaviors. This program will go far in changing that. The Free Farmed Program responds not only to our own mission, but also to the demands of consumers who are concerned about farm animals being humanely raised."

Consumers have consistently indicated that they would like to have the option of choosing humanely produced products and would be willing to pay more for them, AHA said. According to a 1999 survey by the Animal Industry Foundation, consumers said they would pay up to five percent more for meat and poultry products labeled as "humanely raised."

"We hope the launch of the Free Farmed program will increase public awareness of farm animal treatment, and serve as a national standard for improving farm conditions," O'Brien said. "If consumers purchase products bearing the Free Farmed label, they can rest assured that they're getting humanely raised products."

There are other indications, however, that consumers profess a willingness to pay higher prices for "humanely raised" products, but that willingness wanes when prices are compared to products that are cheaper and have the same taste qualities.

The Free Farmed Certification Program will be administered and monitored by Farm Animal Services (FAS), a nonprofit organization created by AHA. FAS will oversee the inspection, certification, and compliance of producers and other businesses that have applied for Free Farmed certification. USDA, through the Agricultural Marketing Service, will verify FAS's inspection process. AMS costs for such oversight will be paid by the companies involved.

FAS will use animal welfare standards developed by the AHA Standards Scientific Committee. The standards outline the housing, feeding and environmental conditions for the animals, and also contain training and education standards for farm management and staff.