Join our growing network of Grocers, Restaurants, & Producers
Natural and organic foods have been
among the fastest growing grocery categories in recent years.
Now grocers, retailers, restaurants, food service operators
and producers can benefit from opportunities for sales and
profits with Certified Humane Raised & Handled.
The Demand for Humane Products
As media from the Washington Post, to the New York Times Magazine
to 60 Minutes and more share the conditions of mega-scale
farming today, the public is increasingly concerned about
the source of its food. Recent research by Mintel Consumer
Intelligence with over 1,000 U.S. adults concluded, “the
majority of consumers… want to know that the animals
they eat have been treated well and raised in a safe and healthy
environment.”The
report also noted a majority of respondents about mad cow
disease and antibiotics or hormones in meat. Other studies
from Colorado State University, The Leopold Center / Iowa
State University and Better
Homes and Gardens document consumer
apprehension about intensive agriculture practices and willingness
to pay more for alternatively produced products.
Savvy businesses are responding to the demand for humanely
produced food. According to an executive of the Food Marketing
Institute, “the retail
industry has said the issue of farm animal welfare is a front-burner
issue”
The Need for Independent
Certification
Informed consumers can be skeptical. A study by The Hartman
Group revealed that only 21% of environmentally conscious
customers trusted environmental claims made by manufacturers,
while another discovered that 74% rated certification as extremely
or very important to trusting an environmental label. The
independent verification by Humane Farm Animal Care, along
with our partnerships with leading animal welfare organizations,
ensures your customers that they can believe in Certified
Humane Raised and Handled products.
A Proven Concept
The Certified Humane Raised & Handled program is based
on the Freedom Foods effort in the U.K. The RSPCA launched
Freedom Foods in 1994. Accredited farms now represent 90%
of all non-caged egg production and 25% of all retail shell
eggs. Eggs stocked at all major supermarkets, total eggs 77
million/month. Freedom Foods’ share of pork is estimated
at 5% and a variety of products are sold under private label
through a leading retailer.
