Program Term Archive
Farmed Animals
Some Companies Promise Improvements in Chicken Welfare
Farmed AnimalsIn other corporate responsibility news, restaurants and producers are beginning to make commitments to improve the lives of chickens raised for meat (known to the industry as “broiler” chickens). For...
USDA Declines to Improve Slaughter Regulations
Farmed AnimalsAt a slaughterhouse in Pennsylvania last year, an employee made three attempts to render a pig unconscious with a rifle, with the animal vocalizing after each shot to the head....
Statement in Response to Second Delay of Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule
Press StatementMay 10, 2017Farmed AnimalsThe American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), and Farm Forward implore the USDA to implement the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices...
Animal Welfare Advocates Criticize Proposal Allowing Killing of Animals by Live Burial, Baking
Press ReleaseApril 13, 2017Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) today criticized guidelines proposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) that permit the use of inhumane killing...
New Report Examines Humane Slaughter Enforcement at Federal, State Level
Press ReleaseApril 6, 2017Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) released today a new report, “Humane Slaughter Update: Federal and State Oversight of the Welfare of Farm Animals at Slaughter.” Key findings of the report—which...
Audit of USDA Research Center Underwhelms
Farmed AnimalsNear the end of 2016, the USDA Office of Inspector General released an audit intended “to evaluate the research practices and operations of MARC” (the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center...
Organic Animal Welfare Standards Published, but Put on Hold
Farmed AnimalsAWI has worked to improve animal welfare standards under the US Department of Agriculture’s Certified Organic label for over 15 years. In early 2017, our efforts helped lead the USDA...
Updates to Humane Slaughter Regulations Long Overdue
Farmed AnimalsIn September, at a federally inspected slaughterhouse in Pennsylvania, a pig was shot three times in the head, but remained alive—vocalizing after each shot. The facility did not have a...
AWI Applauds USDA for Improving Welfare of Animals under Certified Organic Label
Press ReleaseJanuary 18, 2017Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for releasing its final rule to improve the welfare of animals raised under the Certified Organic label. Dena...
Hardly Humane: Stricter Standards Needed for Food Product Labels
Farmed AnimalsIn an attempt to clarify its procedures, the US Department of Agriculture published a new guidance document that explains the department’s approval process for animal raising claims such as humanely raised, free...