This morning I stumbled upon this video on Facebook that does a great job of modeling the transparency that is needed in Agriculture to share our story. There are many discrepancies around the web including videos and stories about everything from how livestock are handled to welfare during transport and at the harvest facilities. Which is why it's even more important that we share the "true" story on what happens on a farm on a day-to-day basis. Who better to tell the story of agriculture than the people producing food?
U.S. cattle producers do their best to provide the best care possible to their cattle in order to ensure a safe and wholesome product for the consumer. The Beef Quality Assurance program educates people on how to provide optimal care for cattle at every stage in the production process. In addition to guidelines that ensure proper care for cattle on the farm, there are also guidelines and checkpoints in place at harvest facilities to make sure each animal is handled properly so that stress is reduced and the well-fare of animals are not compromised.
Take a look at the video below that was directed by the American Meat Institute and narrated by Temple Grandin. Temple is well-known for her work with animals and her ability to connect and relate with them to keep them calm and minimize stress. She has spent a lot of career developing guidelines for humane livestock handling and standards for humane harvest of animals in harvest facilities.
There are a few graphic scenes in this video, but it is an honest look at how things are done RIGHT in a harvest facility. For more information on this video and the American Meat Institute visit http://blog.meatami.com/2012/08/glass-walls-a-look-inside-a-typical-large-beef-plant/.
