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  PROGRAM NAME:
Humane Farm Animal Care Certification Program
 
WHAT THIS LABEL MEANS:
The "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" is designed to certify that animals raised for dairy, lamb, poultry and beef products are treated in a humane manner. Under the program, growth hormones are prohibited and animals are raised on a diet without antibiotics. Antibiotics can be used in the treatment of sick animals. Access to clean and sufficient food and water; and a safe and healthful living environment is also required from birth through slaughter. Producers also must comply with environmental standards. Processors must comply with the American Meat Institute Standards, a higher standard for slaughtering farm animals than required by the Federal Humane Slaughter Act. The standards for the "Certified Humane" program were developed by a team of animal scientists and veterinarians that make up the program's Scientific Committee and were based in part on the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals standards developed in the United Kingdom.

All farms wishing to be certified must be inspected and standards must be met before a product can be certified. Inspectors have training and education in Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, or other relevant backgrounds and several are also members of the Scientific Committee. In addition, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Seed Program verifies the inspection process of the Certified Humane Raised and Handled program.


  ORGANIZATION NAME AND CONTACT INFO:
Humane Farm Animal Care
P.O. Box 727
Herndon, VA 20172
Phone: 703-435-3883
URL: www.certifiedhumane.org
Email Contact: info@certifiedhumane.org
 
ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:
HISTORY
Humane Farm Animal Care began certifying products as "Certified Humane" in 2003. The Director and Scientific Committee of the program had previously left another animal welfare label program (Free Farmed) and began Humane Farm Animal Care in partnership with several other animal welfare organizations.

FUNDING
Funding for the Humane Farm Animal Care Program comes from several animal welfare organizations, as well as individuals and foundations. These organizations include the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), the Humane Society of Vero Beach, the Hawaiian Humane Society and The Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

STRUCTURE
Changes to the Certified Humane label standards are made by the Scientific Committee, Standards Committee while the Board has final review and approval authority.

Scientific Committee
Leading animal scientists, veterinarians and producers have worked with Humane Farm Animal Care to develop the Animal Care Standards for humane farming –

Michael Appleby, PhD - Trade Policy Manager, World Society for the
Protection of Animals, London, England

Brenda Coe, PhD - Extension Specialist at Penn State University
Brittany Bock - Ford Hayes University

Temple Grandin, PhD - Associate Professor, Colorado State University

Patricia Hester, PhD - Professor, Purdue University

Pam Hullinger, DVM - Program Coordinator at California Department of Food and Agriculture, Animal Health Branch

Kirsty Laughlin, PhD, Director, Animal Science Programs, HFAC

Joy Mench, PhD - Professor at University of California

R. Newberry, PhD - Associate Professor, Washington State University

Suzanne Millman - University of Guelph, Canada

Ed Pajor, PhD - Assistant Professor, Purdue University

Txema Peralta, DVM, Center for Animal Resources and Education, Cornell University

Martin Potter, PhD - Consultant in Animal Welfare, Member of FAWC, United Kingdom

Joe Regenstein, PhD - Professor, Cornell University

Dr Mohan Raj - Bristol University, UK

Carolyn Stull, PhD - Extension Specialist in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis

Janice Swanson, PhD - Professor at Kansas State University

Bill VanDresser, DVM - Retired Extension Veterinarian

Adroaldo Zanella. PhD - Associate Professor, Michigan State University

Steve Zawistowski, PhD - Sr. VP and Science Advisor to the ASPCA
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
(The HFAC Board of Directors includes members with experience and expertise in animal welfare, natural and organic foods, meat and poultry production and marketing, communications, public policy and financial management.)

Gini Barrett- Associate Professor in biomedical ethics and public policy
at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health
Sciences in Pomona, California

Adele Douglass- Executive Director HFAC

Jim Emerman- Vice President of Civic Ventures

Patricia A. Forkan- Executive vice president of the Humane Society of
the United States (HSUS)

Carol Jenkins- Founding president of The Women's Media Center and a
founding member of the board of directors

Andrew Kimbrell-Public interest attorney, activist, and author

Mae Mendelson, M.S.W, Ph.D- Founded the Travel & Learn Company,
professor in residence at Chaminade University, and a founder and
director of the Intergenerational Center at Chiminade

Daniel J. Murphy- 22 years of experience as an editor, reporter, and
commentator for business publications in the health care, food
processing, and manufacturing industries

Andrew Rowan, PhD- Chief-of-staff for the Humane Society of the United
States, has 28 years of experience worldwide in public policy
relating to animal and environmental issues

Kathleen Savesky- Executive director of the Leonard X. Bosack & Bette M.
Kruger Charitable Foundation

Ed Sayres- President of the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals

Michael Selmi, Esq- Lawyer for 17 years, and has spent the last nine
years as a law professor at George Washington University Law School
 
LABELS FROM THIS ORGANIZATION:
 
Certified Humane Raised and Handled
Program: Humane Farm Animal Care Certification Program
Label Category: Animal Welfare


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