Posted May 27, 2015
Walmart has
announced
stricter guidelines concerning animal welfare and the use of antibiotics in
farm animals, according to a Brownfield Ag News article available here.
ABC News also published an article available here
and USA Today here.
The new
policy eliminates gestation stalls in pork production and battery cages in egg
production. The guidelines also restrict antibiotics use to only when medically
necessary, with oversight of a veterinarian, and eliminating the use of
antibiotics to promote growth in animals.
Concerns
are growing that antibiotic overuse is leading resistance to the drugs, making
diseases more difficult to treat, according to ABC
News.
Shoppers
are also influencing changes by expression interest in where their food comes
from and if it’s considered healthy or natural.
Walmart
said its own research showed 77 percent of its shoppers said they will increase
their trust and 66 percent will increase their likelihood to shop at a retailer
that improves the treatment of livestock.
Mercy for
Animals conducted several investigations from 2012-2014 at pork farms that
supply Walmart, finding that pigs were abused and confined in gestation crates
for long periods of time. The group applauded Walmart, but said it should make
the guidelines mandatory, according to USA
Today.
"We
urge Walmart to add greater teeth to this announcement by making the new
guidelines a requirement rather than a mere recommendation, and to set
aggressive timelines for its suppliers to meet its expectations," MFA
President Nathan Runkle said. "While there is still work to be done,
Walmart's announcement is one of the most sweeping animal welfare policies ever
adopted by a major food company."
Walmart
did not give a specific timeline for the implementation of those policy
changes.
For more information on animal welfare, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
