July
28, 2004
Number 61, Volume 2
Check out our website: www.FarmedAnimal.net
Farmed
Animal Watch is sponsored by Animal
Place, Animal
Welfare Trust, Farm
Sanctuary, The Fund
for Animals, Glaser
Progress Foundation, and People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
-------------------------
Correction: The undercover investigation of a Pilgrim's
Pride chicken slaughtering plant conducted by PETA was in Moorefield,
West Virginia, not in Virginia as stated in the last issue of Farmed Animal
Watch.
-------------------------
1. VETERINARIANS AND SCIENTISTS FORM AUDITORS' GROUP; AVMA NEWS
A coalition of groups representing veterinarians and animal scientists
who work with farmed animals is forming a new certification program for
animal auditors. The Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization
(PAACO) has as its mission "to promote the humane treatment of animals
through education and certification of animal auditors and to promote
the profession of animal auditors." The effort is said to represent
the first time that veterinarians and animal scientists have organized
under one group to focus on the humane treatment of farmed animals. Officials
from the coalition's member groups say that the program will result
in a more highly trained force of inspectors who conduct on-farm audits.
The coalition's first board of directors meeting was held in St.
Louis, Missouri on July 24.
Another organization representing veterinarians - the American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA) - is denying an activist group the ability
to have a booth at its annual convention. The AVMA has come under fire
from farmed animal protection groups recently for their endorsement of
forced molting of egg-laying hens and intense confinement of gestating
pigs, among other issues. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal
Rights (AVAR), a group that co-sponsored an advertisement in the NY Times
in June starkly criticizing the AVMA, was denied attendance at the association's
conference (Also see: http://www.farmedanimal.net/Newsletters/Newslettern56v2.htm#4).
An AVMA spokesperson called the NY Times ad "inaccurate and misleading"
and said that "the association does not endorse inhumane practices." The
AVMA has more than 50,000 members throughout the US; AVAR represents approximately
3,000 veterinarians.
"Industry Forms Professional Animal Auditor Certification Group,"
Pork Magazine, July 23, 2004
http://www.porkmag.com/news_editorial.asp?pgID=675&ed_id=2830
"Group Booted From Veterinarians Convention," Associated
Press, Michael Rubinkam, July 23, 2004
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/9230082.htm
"AVMA Prohibits Veterinarians from Expressing Views at Convention,"
AVMA Press Release, July 22, 2004
http://www.avar.org/
2. NEW REPORT: USDA BEING "HIJACKED" BY AGRIBUSINESS INDUSTRY
A
new report from a coalition of farm industry and consumer groups strongly
criticizes the US Department of Agriculture for allowing its regulatory
policy to be "taken over" by former industry representatives. The report
draws from five "case studies" to illustrate the influence of industry
on USDA's policymaking. Specific examples from the report include the
department's support for factory farms, weakened slaughterhouse inspections,
mishandling of national BSE testing, and other issues. The report suggests
a review of employment ethics rules for all government officials, increased
congressional oversight, and analysis of USDA's dual role as both promoter
of US agribusiness and regulator of the safety of the US food supply.
The report issued by the Abribusiness Accountability Initiative (AAI)
is entitled, "USDA, Inc.: How Agribusiness has Hijacked Regulatory Policy
at the USDA."
"Groups Say USDA Taken Over by Big Business," Agriculture.com,
Dan Looker, July 23, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/3pc62 (Agriculture.com
website)
"USDA Regulatory Policy Has Been 'Hijacked' by Agribusiness Industry,"
US Newswire, July 23, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/3t4a2 (Yahoo!
News website)
Read the full report on the web site of the Agribusiness Accountability
Initiative:
http://www.agribusinessaccountability.org/page/325/1
3. FARMED ANIMALS AND WILD PREDATORS
About
a dozen ranching companies have signed onto a new program for "predator-friendly"
certification of meat products. Under the program administered by the
Predator Conservation Alliance, ranchers must not use any lethal methods
against predators. The program has also prompted some producers to discontinue
dehorning cows and keep both cows and chickens mobile to avoid easy predation.
The program, initiated by conservationists and ranchers in 2003, is also
meant to be used as a marketing tool for qualified producers to appeal
to wildlife- and environment-conscious consumers. Predation of farmed
animals is estimated to have cost farmers more than $51 million in 2000,
while producers are said to have spent about $185 million on non-lethal
methods of predator control. The primary wild predators of farmed animals
include coyotes, mountain lions, wolves, and grizzly bears.
"'Predator-Friendly' Ranching Avoids Conflicts," Associated Press, Becky
Bohrer, July 25, 2004
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0725/biz/stories/01biz.htm
"Got Predators?" Drovers Magazine, Suzanne Bopp, July 22,
2004
http://www.vancepublishing.com/FSI/eversion/0704predators.htm
4. FALLOUT CONTINUES FROM CHICKEN ABUSE INVESTIGATION
The
recent undercover investigation of a Pilgrim's Pride plant in Moorefield,
West Virginia continues for the company and one of its major customers,
KFC Corp. Admitting culpability for the incident that involved intense
abuse of "broiler" chickens, Pilgrim's Pride says that it has increased
monitoring at the plant and hired veterinarian Temple Grandin. Grandin
is an industry consultant specializing in "humane" slaughter and an advisor
to KFC. Additionally, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
sent three investigators to the West Virginia plant to interview employees.
As of July 26, Pilgrim's Pride's stock was trading at 10% below its level
prior to release of the undercover video.
"Pilgrim's Pride Stock Falls Again After Animal-Cruelty Charges,"
Associated Press, David Koenig, July 26, 2004
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/business/9248059.htm
"USDA Sends Investigators to Pilgrim's Plant; PETA Responds to
Criticisms," Meatingplace.com, Megan Sweas, July 26, 2004
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=12748
"At Last, a Company Takes PETA Seriously," NY Times, Donald
McNeil, Jr., July 25, 2004
http://tinyurl.com/6q3b2 (NY Times
website, registration required)
5. SPOTLIGHT: THE U.S. CHICKEN INDUSTRY
The
US chicken industry is booming while experiencing consolidation around
the operations of a few very large producers, including Tyson Foods, Pilgrim's
Pride, Perdue Farms, and Gold Kist. Together these four producers and
their contract growers make up more than 50% of the US chicken market.
More than 8.6 billion chickens were slaughtered for meat in 2003, for
a retail market estimated to be worth $44 million. Given the market power
of companies like Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride, the thousands of contract
chicken producers in the US are finding it difficult to make a profit.
A 1999 survey by Perdue University indicated that half of the poultry
producers are at least $100,000 in debt. The largest producers are doing
well by comparison. On July 27, 2004, Tyson Foods reported a quarterly
increase in sales of 5% and earnings growth of 60%; the company's chicken
sales increased approximately 13%. For Pilgrim's Pride, sales for the
same quarter were up more than 122%, although the company's earnings fell
by 65% compared to the same quarter of 2003.
For more information on the US chicken industry, visit:
-- http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib785/
-- http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/poultry/industry-structure/
-- http://www.nicwj.org/industry/poultry_corporations.html
"Tyson Reports Increased Third Quarter Earnings, Despite Beef Export
Woes," Meatingplace.com, Kristin Gagnon, July 27, 2004
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=12761
"Pilgrim's Pride Sales Up, Earnings Down for Third Quarter,"
Meatingplace.com, Megan Sweas, July 27, 2004
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=12759
"Poultry Growers at Mercy of Industrialized Agriculture,"
Winston-Salem Journal, Monte Mitchell, June 20, 2004
(No URL available for this article)
"Voluntary
COOL Bill Moves to Full House; Senate Opposition Likely," Meatingplace.com,
Bill McDowell, July 26, 2004
In brief: The US House of Representatives' Agriculture Committee approved
a voluntary alternative to the mandatory country-of-origin labeling introduced
in the 2002 Farm Bill; the bill now moves to the House floor.
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=12756
"UK: Investigation Calls for Better Labeling of Added Water in Fresh Meat,"
Just-food.com, July 16, 2004
In brief: An investigation shows that some of the UK's leading grocery
chains are selling raw meat injected with water and additives, without
consumers' knowledge.
http://just-food.com/news_detail.asp?art=58141
"UC Davis Corrals Cows in Bovine Bubbles to Study Air Emissions," Science
Daily / UC Davis, July 23, 2004
In brief: A researcher at University of California (Davis) will spend
the next two years monitoring dairy cows in air-tight bubbles to study
emissions of ammonia and other compounds.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/07/040723093355.htm
"An Egg a Day May Be Too Much for Some Women," Reuters, Amy Norton, July
27, 2004
In brief: A 14-year study of 9,300 women and men suggests that women who
eat one or more eggs each day are at higher risk of dying at an earlier
age.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=5786698
"97 Cows Needed for Family Living," Dairy Today eReport, July 23, 2004
In brief: A University of Minnesota study estimates it takes 97 cows for
a farm to generate enough income to cover average annual living costs
of $51,826; the state average herd size is estimated to be 78 cows.
http://tinyurl.com/6b8cb (Agweb.com
website)
"Geoduck Clam Farms Spread along Coastal Northwest," National Public Radio,
Austin Jenkins, July 21, 2004
In brief: Brief article and related audio clip discuss the economics of
and increasing interest in geoduck farming in the Pacific Northwest.
http://npr.streamsage.com/google/programlist/feature.php?wfid=3607092
CONTENTS
- Veterinarians and Scientists Form Auditors' Groups;
AVMA News
- New Report: USDA Being "Hijacked"
By Agribusiness Industry
- Farmed Animals and Wild Predators
- Fallout Continues from Chicken Abuse Investigation
- Spotlight: The US Chicken Industry
- Other Items of Interest
RESOURCES
-------------------------------
Compiled and edited by Hedy Litke and Che Green, Farmed Animal Watch
is a free weekly electronic news digest of information concerning farmed
animal issues gleaned from an array of academic, industry, advocacy and
mainstream media sources.
Please
go here to subscribe