A recent investigation found that nearly all farm animals — even those that apparently come from "humane" farms — are subject to some kind of suffering or abusive conditions before being sent to the slaughterhouse, and the policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are doing little to change that.
What's happening?
The report from Vox stated that "only a tiny sliver of livestock are actually reared on the small, higher-welfare farms that many companies conjure on their packaging with quaint red barns and green rolling hills — and even those operations can be rife with animal suffering." The outlet said that over the summer, the USDA "had an opportunity to fix the false advertising problem pervasive in the meat aisle" with new guidelines around animal welfare claims on packaging labels.
But, Vox found, the "new guidance barely changed anything."
Why is this important?
How corporations truly impact the environment is incredibly important for any consumer to understand so they are aware of where their food, energy, and material possessions are coming from, especially if corporations tell them they are sustainable when they actually are not.
This is something that has and continues to pervade the meat industry in particular, as companies lie to consumers by concealing the truth about the factory farming origins of their meat, dairy, and eggs, sustaining the suffering of farm animals while meeting consumer demand.
"Some of the things are just horrific," veterinarian Gail Hansen told Vox.
At least 98.1% of U.S. livestock is raised on megafarms. This is not only awful for the environment, as it creates high concentrations of waste and air pollution, but it also increases the risks for diseases and cross-contamination because there are so many animals in one place.
There are recent examples of this with Listeria and E. coli outbreaks that led to the recall of thousands of pounds of poultry, beef, and other meat products this year.
Though the USDA updated its guidelines for companies that make animal welfare claims on their labels, Vox reported that it is hardly upholding standards necessary to address the problem.
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The guidelines state that if a meat company wishes to make an animal welfare or environment-related claim on product packaging, it has to fill out a form with an explanation about how the animals are raised, how they will ensure the claim is valid from birth to slaughter to sale, and (optionally) whether or not a third-party organization certified it.
However, the USDA reportedly does not conduct any surprise audits or basic verification to determine whether the company is telling the truth — or if it does, it is so seldom that Vox found no evidence of these efforts. As Vox said, "It is, in essence, an honor system."
What's being done about this?
Organizations such as Farm Forward are taking direct action to oppose humane-washing campaigns and help consumers identify them.
Changing regulations and providing greater protections for poultry and other farm animals would require legislation from Congress.
As the use of warm-and-fuzzy ad campaigns continues to cause damage to our planet, it is more important than ever to know how to recognize greenwashing and humane-washing to ensure you do not fall for them. Check out the TCD Guide for more on greenwashing and other topics related to upping your climate action, sustainability, and clean energy game.
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