Tyson Foods' Audit Program, FarmCheck, Under Fire

Tyson Foods' Audit Program, FarmCheck, Under Fire

Tyson Foods' Audit Progarm, FarmCheck, Under Fire

Tyson Foods announced last week it is launching a new program called FarmCheck - to audit how animals are treated at livestock and poultry farms that supply the company. After the break, we’ll learn about two very different organizations that both are displeased with FarmCheck, I’m KayDee Gilkey with Open Range after this.

Tyson Foods President and CEO Donnie Smith explains more about the why behind the new program.

Smith: “We know more customers want assurance that their foods been produced responsibly and we think two important ways to do that are by number one, conducting on-farm audits while of course also continuing, number two, to research ways to improve how farm animals are raised. See, we know that the farmers that supply us are the best in the world and I think these audits are going to verify that. But if we do find problems then we want to work with the farmer to fix those problems right away.”

Well earlier this week, R-Calf objected to the program and stated in its news release, “Where else but in a monopoly controlled market can a corporation infringe on the private property rights of independent farmers and ranchers to extract valuable marketing information without having to pay a dime?”

While R-CALF believes the audits will go too far, Humane Society of the United States says, in their new release that Tyson’s program does not go far enough.

Interestingly enough Tyson hasn’t even yet released the standards for the program.

I’m KayDee Gilkey with Open Range on the Ag Information Network.  

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