Statement on “Undercover” Video at CA Processor
August 24, 2012 – The Animal Agriculture Alliance is disturbed by the images of alleged animal cruelty documented in a video released this week by an animal rights activist group. The Alliance has long condemned the abuse and mistreatment of animals raised for food and works to promote animal care guidelines on all farms across the United States.
In a statement from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association cattleman and animal care expert Dr. Dave Daley said this about the video:
“The vast majority of cattlemen stand firm in adhering to the absolute best animal care and handling guidelines established by veterinarians and other experts,” Daley said. “We do not condone any mishandling of livestock on the farm or ranch or in the packing facility. In fact, we firmly believe that those knowingly and willfully committing any abuse to animals should not be in the business — period.”
Farmers and ranchers realize that the public trusts in them to provide safe, quality food products- and they take that trust seriously. Management practices during every step of the production process, from farm to processing, are selected with animal well-being, food safety, and product quality in mind. Most farmers and ranchers follow species-specific animal welfare guidelines to ensure that their animals are comfortable and healthy. The Beef Quality Assurance program provides comprehensive animal care standards for cattle production. The National Milk Producers Federation’s National Dairy FARM Program was developed by veterinarians and animal care experts and includes on-farm audits that showcase producers’ commitment to animal welfare. The FARM Program includes a guide to help farmers know when to cull animals that cannot be safely transported to market. The American Meat Institute, representing the meat processing
industry, has long promoted animal handling guidelines that exceed federal requirements. Additionally, all meat processing facilities are audited by federal or state inspectors to protect animal well-being and food safety.
It is critical that everyone involved in animal agriculture – farmers, ranchers, processors, and government inspectors – do the right thing. Concerns of animal mistreatment should be immediately reported and addressed.
Compassion Over Killing (COK), the animal rights extremist organization responsible for the video, claims the footage was filmed in June 2012 – meaning the organization held on to the footage for at least two months, allowing any alleged mistreatment to continue. It is also important to note that the “undercover” activist did nothing to stop or prevent the actions shown, nor did he/she report any concerns to the plant’s owners, managers or authorities.
To be clear: the ultimate objective of groups like COK is not to improve animal well-being but to promote their animal rights and vegan agenda while running farmers and ranchers out of business with legislation and bad press.
The Alliance encourages those seeking more information about farm animal care and handling get the facts from experts in farm animal behavior, rather than activists with extreme, biased agendas. Renowned animal welfare expert Dr. Temple Grandin responded to the video:
“I have reviewed the video posted today by Compassion Over Killing several times. In general, the narration of the video misleads the viewer into thinking some things are happening that are not.”
The narration and images shown in this video do not accurately reflect the animal care and handling practices currently in place at farms and processing facilities across our nation. For more information about the animal agriculture industry’s commitment to animal care and to learn more about the real motives of animal rights extremist organizations, visit the Animal Agriculture Alliance website at animalagalliance.org.
If you would like to learn more about today’s farm practices, visit the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s Youtube channel to watch a collection of videos, including farm tours and interviews with the people who care for their animals and the environment everyday – farmers and ranchers.
About the Alliance:
The Animal Agriculture Alliance is an industry-united, nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation. Find the Alliance on Facebook and Twitter.
Category: Press Releases
Tag: Alliance Statement, Humane Society of the United States, Pork, Undercover Videos,