Our Recent Achievements 

For 2016 through 2019, the UK-based Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) named Cargill one of only a handful of companies globally to achieve Tier 1 or Tier 2 status, the two highest animal welfare levels in the organization’s six-tier ranking system.

The BBFAW is designed to improve corporate reporting on farm animal welfare management, policies, practices, processes and performance and, over time, contribute to tangible improvements to the welfare of the animals raised for food within company supply chains.

It is the first global measure of farm animal management, policy commitment, performance and disclosure in food companies and is designed to enable investors, companies, NGOs and other stakeholders to understand the relative performance of food companies in this area. The program is supported by founding partners, Compassion in World Farming and World Animal Protection, who provide technical expertise, guidance, funding and practical resources. In 2014, Collar Capital joined the program as a partner.

The 2019 report validates Cargill’s commitment to animal welfare best practices, policies, processes and performance. Cargill maintained its Tier 2 ranking for 2019.

View our 2019 survey responses to BBFAW here.

Download the report

Cargill employs remote video auditing (RVA) by a third party for animal welfare purposes at our North America animal processing facilities, including beef, turkey and chicken plants. We were the first to implement RVA at beef plants.

RVA empowers a third-party auditing firm to identify any deviations from Cargill’s animal welfare policies and protocols. The audit firm provides immediate notification to Cargill management, which ensures any variances are efficiently and effectively identified and addressed.

RVA provides the transparency necessary to demonstrate Cargill is adhering to its commitments and provides the company with an independent evaluation of our processes that aid in our continuous improvement efforts.

Cargill’s third-party RVA provider audits nearly 250,000 head of cattle annually at the company’s processing facilities, in addition to auditing more than 42,000 Canadian broiler chickens weekly, and more than 47,000 turkeys weekly in the U.S.

Another technological advancement deployed for poultry

We are currently working with Oxford University in the UK to develop video motion equipment that will enable early detection of certain potential disease issues in flocks.

Meeting consumers’ expectations

• We offer products and solutions that align with our customer and consumer values. These include:  
• Our Honest Turkey™ is an antibiotic-free turkey product line available across the U.S.
• Our Honeysuckle White® and Shady Brook Farms® turkey brands ended the use of gentamicin – an antibiotic used in both human and animal healthcare. Turkeys continue to receive antibiotics for control and treatment of disease.
• In 2016, Cargill was the first major beef processor to announce a 20 percent reduction of antibiotics used for people and animals in the beef supply it controls.
• Cargill offers a variety of cage-free egg products in the U.S.
• Cargill is working with third parties to establish a certified and audited claim for humanely raised beef in the U.S. and Canada.
• Cargill’s Central America business is demonstrating its commitment to continuous improvement by learning and implementing cutting edge best practices at our Costa Rica chicken processing facility.
• We are partnering with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom on a project to evaluate and optimize bird handling and welfare. At the end of 2018, our facility and bird handlers will receive Poultry Welfare Officer certification.
• Poultry Welfare Officer (PWO) Training courses were designed and initiated in 1994 and have since evolved, based on science, legislation and commercial practice. The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC - a UK Government independent advisory committee) stated in its 2003 report that the Animal Welfare Officer course developed by the University of Bristol, has attained a high level of recognition and the role of the Animal Welfare Officer should be formalized in legislation and their responsibilities should be outlined in the relevant code of practice.
• The position and job description of PWO’s was formalized in EC Regulation 1099/2009 from 1 January 2013 therefore, the University of Bristol PWO training courses have resulted in legislative change across Europe.

We offer products to meet a variety of consumer desires around animal welfare and health.  Here are some examples of new protein solutions we have delivered for our customers and consumers:

• In 2016, Cargill ended the use of gentamicin – an antibiotic used in both human and animal healthcare – for disease prevention in turkeys processed for its two largest U.S. brands, Honeysuckle White® and Shady Brook Farms®. Turkeys will continue to receive antibiotics for control and treatment of disease.
• In 2016, Cargill expanded its antibiotic-free turkey products in the U.S. through the creation of its new Honest Turkey™ product line. These products come from turkeys that are never treated with antibiotics, unlike conventional turkey products.
• In 2016, Cargill was the first major beef processor to announce a significant reduction (20 percent) of antibiotics used for people and animals in the beef supply it can control
• Cargill offers a variety of cage-free egg products in the U.S.
• Cargill is working with third parties to establish a certified and audited claim for humanely raised beef in the U.S. and Canada.
• Our Central America business is demonstrating its commitment to continuous improvement by learning and implementing cutting edge best practices at our Costa Rica chicken processing facility.  We are partnering with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom on a project to evaluate and optimize bird handling and welfare. At the end of 2018, our facility and bird handlers will receive Poultry Welfare Officer (PWO) certification. The University of Bristol PWO certification is widely recognized by retailers, industry and policymakers throughout the UK and European Union, as providing highly regarded animal welfare training. 

In 2014 and 2015, our poultry business in China was recognized with China’s first animal welfare award by the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association, the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

In 2018, Cargill received China’s Good Chicken Production Award from Compassion in World Farming. The Award recognizes Chinese producers that are making significant commitments to improving the welfare of broilers by addressing the stocking density, breed and the need for environmental enrichment.