Program Term Archive
Farmed Animals
Over 82,000 Say “No” to Slaughtering Chickens Even Faster
Press ReleaseDecember 13, 2017Farmed AnimalsA coalition of animal welfare, consumer safety, and worker rights organizations announced today that more than 82,000 concerned members of the public, workers and allies have raised their voices against...
New Report Exposes Pattern of Animal Mistreatment in Some US Poultry Plants
Press ReleaseNovember 15, 2017Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) today released a new report describing the poultry industry’s level of compliance with humane handling regulations and guidelines. The report covers activities related to the treatment of...
No Longer Growing: The Diminishing Use of rBST
Farmed AnimalsAccording to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), between its peak in 2002 and the most recent survey in 2014, the use of the hormone recombinant bovine...
Slaughterhouse in Vermont Violates Humane Handling Laws
Farmed AnimalsSince October 2016, Vermont Packinghouse—a small slaughter facility in Springfield, Vermont—has received four suspensions and over a dozen noncompliance records documenting humane slaughter violations. The plant was issued the suspensions...
Birds’ Eye: Tyson Implements Video Welfare Monitoring
Farmed AnimalsTyson Foods recently announced a new welfare initiative for its chicken production. Slaughtering 1.8 billion chickens per year, Tyson is the largest poultry producer in the United States. Likely as...
AWI Urges Defunding, Closure of USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center Following Appalling New Inspection
Press ReleaseAugust 11, 2017Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is calling on Congress to permanently revoke all research funding of the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. The request follows a July...
Animal Welfare Groups Warn USDA Pig Slaughter Rule Will Risk Animal Welfare
Press ReleaseJuly 25, 2017Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) condemn the USDA’s imminent plan to allow pig slaughterhouses to kill pigs at...
AVMA May OK Grisly Killing Methods for Flu-Exposed Birds
Farmed AnimalsAvian influenza (“bird flu”) returned to the United States in 2017, two years after the disease was responsible for the worst animal disease outbreak in US history, with the loss...
AWI Report: Humane Slaughter Enforcement up, but Serious Problems Remain
Farmed AnimalsIn 1996, animal scientist Dr. Temple Grandin conducted an audit of 24 federal slaughter plants for the US Department of Agriculture. She found that only 30 percent of the plants...
Report Examines Corporate Commitments to Farm Animal Welfare
Farmed AnimalsThe Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) released a report in early 2017 that scored restaurants, producers, and grocery stores on their commitment to farm animal welfare. The report...