A CLASH IN THE ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY: Several animal welfare groups are showing a united front after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals accused the groups of lending legitimacy to a “humane-washing” labeling program. The program, Global Animal Partnership, is one of the nation’s most well-known animal welfare certification programs — and is used by Whole Foods. Consumers often pay a premium for animal products boasting the label. A letter from PETA is roiling a community dedicated to reshaping the animal agriculture industry to be less cruel. Animal welfare groups still on GAP’s board argue that engaging with the program from the inside is more effective at improving the lives of millions of animals than PETA’s strategy. Context: PETA was also briefly on the board of GAP when the certification scheme was formed. Animal rights groups believed that partnering with such an organization would help improve animal welfare by giving retailers a financial incentive to stock certified suppliers knowing that consumers would pay more for the assurance that animals were raised more ethically. Now, PETA and its allies argue that GAP’s program smacks of “humane-washing.” In 2020, Farm Forward also withdrew after more than a decade on the GAP board, arguing “GAP is no longer a tool for change, but is increasingly a marketing scheme functioning to benefit massive corporations.” Details: PETA is demanding the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Compassion in World Farming leave the board of GAP after PETA exposed severe animal welfare violations at a GAP-certified farm. The incident, at Plainville Farms in Pennsylvania in 2021, resulted in former workers being charged with 141 counts of cruelty to animals. There have been 10 convictions. GAP ultimately suspended the farm from the program. According to Amber Canavan, PETA’s vegan campaign project manager, the 10th conviction in the case prompted PETA’s public demands. The organization is also working on a public petition. Canavan argued that GAP’s program is failing to reverse or slow the trend toward increasingly concentrated livestock operations, known as concentrated animal feeding operations. The Humane Society deferred a request for comment to a blog post on the issue. Response to PETA: Madison Longenecker, a spokesperson for Compassion in World Farming, said that the group “has always maintained a pragmatic approach.” However, Longenecker said the PETA’s letter does not change its position on being on GAP’s board because such certifications “can play an important role” and “ultimately end the cruelties of factory farming.” Likewise, a spokesperson for ASPCA acknowledged the limitations of certification schemes, noting that they can’t prevent deliberate instances of animal cruelty. Still, such programs are critical for accountability, said Daisy Freund, ASPCA vice president of farm animal welfare, said in a statement. For its part, a GAP spokesperson called PETA’s allegations wrong and irresponsible, pointing to a new GAP certification standard created as a result of the Plainsville case. “Certification programs minimize the risk of objectionable practices, swiftly punish it when it is uncovered and tirelessly reduce missteps,” the spokesperson said.
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