animal welfare approved
ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED Winter 2009 · Volume 2 · Issue 4
PACIFIC NATURAL FOODS:
PRODUCING BETTER FOOD FOR A BETTER FUTURE A Vision for a Different Way of Doing Things
“The goal was always to do simple things that tasted good,” he explains. “We’ve always felt that it was better to have a connection back to the farms and better to support the local infrastructure that’s been destroyed over the years as mass agriculture has developed.”
•
•
Farm Aid 2009 - pg. 8
Knowing that you want to do something differently and actually bringing that vision to fruition can be challenging. As Pacific Natural Foods began to grow, Chuck found it tricky to craft a mission to guide his company. “I’ve always found it difficult to start off with making lots of money being the mission,” he says. He solved his problem in 1994. While traveling, he browsed through an airport bookstore, picking up a book
•
Non-compliant Ingredients in Mineral Blocks and Other Feedstuffs - pg. 14
Pacific Natural Foods
Food is Chuck Eggert’s life. As a kid, he grew up in an agricultural area, working summers in the fields and processing plants. As a college student, he majored in food science. He got his professional start working in frozen vegetables and found himself at a french fry processor right before books such as Fast Food Nation began chronicling the problems with the food industry. “At the time, those of us working in the food industry didn’t think we were doing anything wrong by supporting bigger agriculture,” Chuck states simply. But when he founded Pacific Natural Foods in 1987, he knew that he wanted things to be different.
IN THIS ISSUE:
After purchasing two dairies, the Eggerts dismantled the conventional confinement operations and converted to organic, high-welfare farming. Their cows now enjoy a healthy life outside, on pasture, and the herds are two of the highest performing organic herds in the nation.
Grassfed and Methane: It's time to set the record straight
- pg. 3 •
AWA Lands in Hawaii:
Eden Earthworks, Hawaii Lowline Cattle Company and Kauai Kunana Dairy Earn Certification - pg. 6
by Charles Handy called The Hungry Spirit and it all came into focus. “The Hungry Spirit showed me you can balance social, environmental and employee responsibility with being a success in business. You can still be fair to your employees and hold them accountable. You can still run a good business and meet your social responsibilities. And if you do all these things, you’re also going to be successful financially.” Pacific Natural Foods’ mission statement is simple: To make Pacific the most respected brand in Natural Products by providing a safe, positive environment in which we produce the highest-quality, innovative products that benefit our employees, customers and the environment. “So many times,” Chuck says, “people feel they have to apologize for their jobs. In the segment of the business (continued on pg.10)
(continued from pg.1)
Pacific Natural Foods is a true family-run company. From left to right: Chris Eggert with wife Karen and daughter Elizabeth; Patrick Eggert; Charlie Eggert with wife Brenda and sons Charlie and Zach; Meredith Eggert.
we’re in, natural and organic, you’re not having to apologize for what you put in your product.”
Building Sustainability According to Rory Schmick, Sustainability Director for Pacific Natural Foods, the company likes to focus on doing things rather than talking about them. He explains, “Sustainability is a hot topic right now and a lot of companies look at having a sustainability director as purely a marketing vehicle. They spin some pretty exciting stories that don’t have depth when you really look into it, so what’s been critical in our communications with consumers is authenticity and humility. This is a core part of who we are. We’re doing things because it’s the way we do things not because we might gain some market share.”
10
Chuck concurs. “Rory started here about three years ago, and we told him, ‘Don’t talk about anything until we’re actually doing it.’” Pacific Natural Foods’ innovative Certified to the Source program was already a centerpiece of its sustainability and accountability efforts. The program traces every ingredient in every product back to its origin, allowing the company to build long-lasting relationships with its farmers and suppliers and help ensure their viability. Established in 1997, it was developed just as the local food movement was gaining national attention. Pacific Natural Foods was also addressing issues such as waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and wildlife habitat protection. Rory’s job was
Sustainability initiatives at Pacific Natural Foods currently encompass three wetlands projects, a total assessment of all energy and environmental needs at the farms, conversion to a manure digester and green digester to generate electricity, and buffering and protecting water. “We’re trying new things. Sometimes we find out that something didn’t work out, so we’ll try something else,” Rory says. “Sustainability is a journey.”
Making the Best Choice for the Animals As Pacific Natural Foods evolved, more and more emphasis was given to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Two years ago, Chuck and his family purchased two dairies, now run by Chuck’s son Charlie, and were in the process of converting them from conventional confinement operations to organic. The Eggerts were disturbed by the practices they encountered at their new dairies. “What we saw was pretty eye-opening
and it started us down the path to finding the best welfare certification,“ Charlie says. “As we started the transition from conventional to organic and high welfare, I can remember a lot of conversations with my dad, saying, ‘Do you realize they do this and do you realize they do that?’ Even being in the food industry like we were, we didn’t know or realize some of the practices that were occurring at the dairies— and they were pretty alarming to us. Docking tails, disbudding, housing, crowding, the way cows are fed—all of this led us down the path. It led us to say we want to make the choices that will be best for the animals.”
his excitement when he took the first call from Pacific Natural Foods. “All along, we’ve been told by the industry and other naysayers that our work and our label were supporting a niche market—people would be able to find our products in a few farmer’s markets and white tablecloth restaurants, but for the most part the meat, dairy and eggs our farmers produce would remain out of reach of mainstream consumers—both in price and availability. Getting that first phone call from Pacific Natural Foods was a salutary experience—it signaled the program was moving to the next level.”
The Eggerts came to the conclusion that they couldn’t remain true to the Pacific Natural Foods mission if their efforts didn’t include the animals. Rory started looking into animal welfare label claims, industry quality guidelines and third-party certifications. During his research, he always kept in mind something Chuck had told him: If you’re running a race you never say, “Well, let’s try for third place.”
Seeking third-party certification for animal welfare felt right from a business perspective for Pacific Natural Foods. The Eggerts and Rory
“I really honed in on that,” Rory says. “We set our target for first place or the gold standard. We didn’t know if it would be obtainable or possible, but that’s what led to the initial discussion with Animal Welfare Approved. In terms of public input, independent verification, no conflict of interest and transparency, time and time again, AWA was not only at the top, but head and shoulders above the rest.” Andrew Gunther, Program Director for Animal Welfare Approved, remembers
Working Together
believed in the benefits of having an independent set of eyes look at how they were doing things plus it gave their customers the added reassurance of a respected certification. Charlie knew that their herdsman, who had spent most of his career working in conventional dairies, might be pessimistic about the program. According to Rory, however, their fears were unfounded. “What was so interesting with the AWA staff was that right away—whether it was our herdsman, our vet, our nutritionist—right away we could tell these people have experience in animal agriculture and the standards weren’t just feel-good things. They were science-based, which created a space for dialogue that was dynamic and pretty exciting to watch.”
Pacific Natural Foods
Pacific Natural Foods
to put all these efforts into a framework and apply the same rigorous metrics and key performance indicators Pacific Natural Foods uses for other aspects of its business. Along the way, Chuck and Rory discovered something unexpected. “We learned we could save money,” Chuck states. “If you recycle and take care of the energy requirements and do things the right way, you also save money, which was one of those ‘Oh, that’s nice!’ moments.”
Pacific Natural Foods founder Chuck Eggert with grandson Zach in the milking parlor.
Join our e-mail list at w w w. AnimalWelfareApproved.org
11
(continued from pg.1)
Pacific Natural Foods is a true family-run company. From left to right: Chris Eggert with wife Karen and daughter Elizabeth; Patrick Eggert; Charlie Eggert with wife Brenda and sons Charlie and Zach; Meredith Eggert.
we’re in, natural and organic, you’re not having to apologize for what you put in your product.”
Building Sustainability According to Rory Schmick, Sustainability Director for Pacific Natural Foods, the company likes to focus on doing things rather than talking about them. He explains, “Sustainability is a hot topic right now and a lot of companies look at having a sustainability director as purely a marketing vehicle. They spin some pretty exciting stories that don’t have depth when you really look into it, so what’s been critical in our communications with consumers is authenticity and humility. This is a core part of who we are. We’re doing things because it’s the way we do things not because we might gain some market share.”
10
Chuck concurs. “Rory started here about three years ago, and we told him, ‘Don’t talk about anything until we’re actually doing it.’” Pacific Natural Foods’ innovative Certified to the Source program was already a centerpiece of its sustainability and accountability efforts. The program traces every ingredient in every product back to its origin, allowing the company to build long-lasting relationships with its farmers and suppliers and help ensure their viability. Established in 1997, it was developed just as the local food movement was gaining national attention. Pacific Natural Foods was also addressing issues such as waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and wildlife habitat protection. Rory’s job was
Sustainability initiatives at Pacific Natural Foods currently encompass three wetlands projects, a total assessment of all energy and environmental needs at the farms, conversion to a manure digester and green digester to generate electricity, and buffering and protecting water. “We’re trying new things. Sometimes we find out that something didn’t work out, so we’ll try something else,” Rory says. “Sustainability is a journey.”
Making the Best Choice for the Animals As Pacific Natural Foods evolved, more and more emphasis was given to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Two years ago, Chuck and his family purchased two dairies, now run by Chuck’s son Charlie, and were in the process of converting them from conventional confinement operations to organic. The Eggerts were disturbed by the practices they encountered at their new dairies. “What we saw was pretty eye-opening
and it started us down the path to finding the best welfare certification,“ Charlie says. “As we started the transition from conventional to organic and high welfare, I can remember a lot of conversations with my dad, saying, ‘Do you realize they do this and do you realize they do that?’ Even being in the food industry like we were, we didn’t know or realize some of the practices that were occurring at the dairies— and they were pretty alarming to us. Docking tails, disbudding, housing, crowding, the way cows are fed—all of this led us down the path. It led us to say we want to make the choices that will be best for the animals.”
his excitement when he took the first call from Pacific Natural Foods. “All along, we’ve been told by the industry and other naysayers that our work and our label were supporting a niche market—people would be able to find our products in a few farmer’s markets and white tablecloth restaurants, but for the most part the meat, dairy and eggs our farmers produce would remain out of reach of mainstream consumers—both in price and availability. Getting that first phone call from Pacific Natural Foods was a salutary experience—it signaled the program was moving to the next level.”
The Eggerts came to the conclusion that they couldn’t remain true to the Pacific Natural Foods mission if their efforts didn’t include the animals. Rory started looking into animal welfare label claims, industry quality guidelines and third-party certifications. During his research, he always kept in mind something Chuck had told him: If you’re running a race you never say, “Well, let’s try for third place.”
Seeking third-party certification for animal welfare felt right from a business perspective for Pacific Natural Foods. The Eggerts and Rory
“I really honed in on that,” Rory says. “We set our target for first place or the gold standard. We didn’t know if it would be obtainable or possible, but that’s what led to the initial discussion with Animal Welfare Approved. In terms of public input, independent verification, no conflict of interest and transparency, time and time again, AWA was not only at the top, but head and shoulders above the rest.” Andrew Gunther, Program Director for Animal Welfare Approved, remembers
Working Together
believed in the benefits of having an independent set of eyes look at how they were doing things plus it gave their customers the added reassurance of a respected certification. Charlie knew that their herdsman, who had spent most of his career working in conventional dairies, might be pessimistic about the program. According to Rory, however, their fears were unfounded. “What was so interesting with the AWA staff was that right away—whether it was our herdsman, our vet, our nutritionist—right away we could tell these people have experience in animal agriculture and the standards weren’t just feel-good things. They were science-based, which created a space for dialogue that was dynamic and pretty exciting to watch.”
Pacific Natural Foods
Pacific Natural Foods
to put all these efforts into a framework and apply the same rigorous metrics and key performance indicators Pacific Natural Foods uses for other aspects of its business. Along the way, Chuck and Rory discovered something unexpected. “We learned we could save money,” Chuck states. “If you recycle and take care of the energy requirements and do things the right way, you also save money, which was one of those ‘Oh, that’s nice!’ moments.”
Pacific Natural Foods founder Chuck Eggert with grandson Zach in the milking parlor.
Join our e-mail list at w w w. AnimalWelfareApproved.org
11
“It was nice to talk to AWA because they came at it saying, ‘This is where we’ve seen this work in another situation and this is why we think it’s appropriate,’ and it was based on reason,” Charlie says. “Our herdsman came out of the first meeting feeling like this was something he could accomplish and it was something he wanted to do. That was the best aspect of dealing with AWA— everything was based in reality.”
The payoff of adhering to AWA standards has already been seen. The animals are happier. They’re healthier. Charlie credits the new diet with the fact they haven’t had a cow with a twisted gut so far this year—saving the dairies thousands of dollars in vet bills—and there’s been no drop off in milk production, something conventional farmers had assured them would happen. Chuck believes that their herds are two of the highest
Pacific Natural Foods
Look for the Animal Welfare Approved label on Pacific Natural Foods products beginning in 2010.
AWA’s most significant recommendation for increasing animal welfare involved the housing of the calves and changing the feed, necessitating that the farms move calves from individual huts and into groups. After a few modifications to the plan, the farms are moving ahead with housing all the calves in groups, which is a more natural way of life for these highly social animals. AWA also recommended a change in diet for the animals.
12
performing organic herds in the country, both in production and health, and Charlie says that happier animals also make for happier employees.
Moving into the Future The Eggerts are working towards getting all the farms supplying Pacific Natural Foods to be Animal Welfare Approved. The two dairy farms recently approved are the biggest dairy herds in the AWA program. Chuck sees a bright future for Pacific Natural Foods and AWA farmers.
“The growth in natural foods has been huge,” he recounts. “We see it as a changing and evolving thing. There’s a perfect storm for these products: animal welfare, people wanting to know what goes into their food, where it comes from, all without compromising quality—in fact you get higher quality.” Rory agrees. “What’s really exciting is that it’s an opportunity to show you can achieve multiple objectives. You can have high welfare, high environmental stewardship, good social responsibility and still have products that are safe and taste good and are at the right price point.” Andrew says that many Animal Welfare Approved farmers have told him it’s an exciting time to be a sustainable, high-welfare farmer. “It’s a true era of change,” he says, “a real shift in how we meet a basic human need and it gives everyone—our farmers, our staff—a real feeling of accomplishment and pride to be a part of it.” Chuck’s take on what Pacific Natural Foods is achieving is simple. “There are very few things you can look at and say, we can make a difference. We believe in our area of the world, we can make a difference and show it can be done without costing a lot of money. If everybody focused on the things they can change, collectively it would all add up. We view working with AWA as an opportunity to make a change in our little world. That’s what we’re working on—making things better.”
PACIFIC NATURAL FOODS:
PRODUCING BETTER FOOD FOR A BETTER FUTURE A Vision for a Different Way of Doing Things
“The goal was always to do simple things that tasted good,” he explains. “We’ve always felt that it was better to have a connection back to the farms and better to support the local infrastructure that’s been destroyed over the years as mass agriculture has developed.”
•
•
Farm Aid 2009 - pg. 8
Knowing that you want to do something differently and actually bringing that vision to fruition can be challenging. As Pacific Natural Foods began to grow, Chuck found it tricky to craft a mission to guide his company. “I’ve always found it difficult to start off with making lots of money being the mission,” he says. He solved his problem in 1994. While traveling, he browsed through an airport bookstore, picking up a book
•
Non-compliant Ingredients in Mineral Blocks and Other Feedstuffs - pg. 14
Pacific Natural Foods
Food is Chuck Eggert’s life. As a kid, he grew up in an agricultural area, working summers in the fields and processing plants. As a college student, he majored in food science. He got his professional start working in frozen vegetables and found himself at a french fry processor right before books such as Fast Food Nation began chronicling the problems with the food industry. “At the time, those of us working in the food industry didn’t think we were doing anything wrong by supporting bigger agriculture,” Chuck states simply. But when he founded Pacific Natural Foods in 1987, he knew that he wanted things to be different.
IN THIS ISSUE:
After purchasing two dairies, the Eggerts dismantled the conventional confinement operations and converted to organic, high-welfare farming. Their cows now enjoy a healthy life outside, on pasture, and the herds are two of the highest performing organic herds in the nation.
Grassfed and Methane: It's time to set the record straight
- pg. 3 •
AWA Lands in Hawaii:
Eden Earthworks, Hawaii Lowline Cattle Company and Kauai Kunana Dairy Earn Certification - pg. 6
by Charles Handy called The Hungry Spirit and it all came into focus. “The Hungry Spirit showed me you can balance social, environmental and employee responsibility with being a success in business. You can still be fair to your employees and hold them accountable. You can still run a good business and meet your social responsibilities. And if you do all these things, you’re also going to be successful financially.” Pacific Natural Foods’ mission statement is simple: To make Pacific the most respected brand in Natural Products by providing a safe, positive environment in which we produce the highest-quality, innovative products that benefit our employees, customers and the environment. “So many times,” Chuck says, “people feel they have to apologize for their jobs. In the segment of the business (continued on pg.10)
(continued from pg.1)
Pacific Natural Foods is a true family-run company. From left to right: Chris Eggert with wife Karen and daughter Elizabeth; Patrick Eggert; Charlie Eggert with wife Brenda and sons Charlie and Zach; Meredith Eggert.
we’re in, natural and organic, you’re not having to apologize for what you put in your product.”
Building Sustainability According to Rory Schmick, Sustainability Director for Pacific Natural Foods, the company likes to focus on doing things rather than talking about them. He explains, “Sustainability is a hot topic right now and a lot of companies look at having a sustainability director as purely a marketing vehicle. They spin some pretty exciting stories that don’t have depth when you really look into it, so what’s been critical in our communications with consumers is authenticity and humility. This is a core part of who we are. We’re doing things because it’s the way we do things not because we might gain some market share.”
10
Chuck concurs. “Rory started here about three years ago, and we told him, ‘Don’t talk about anything until we’re actually doing it.’” Pacific Natural Foods’ innovative Certified to the Source program was already a centerpiece of its sustainability and accountability efforts. The program traces every ingredient in every product back to its origin, allowing the company to build long-lasting relationships with its farmers and suppliers and help ensure their viability. Established in 1997, it was developed just as the local food movement was gaining national attention. Pacific Natural Foods was also addressing issues such as waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and wildlife habitat protection. Rory’s job was
Sustainability initiatives at Pacific Natural Foods currently encompass three wetlands projects, a total assessment of all energy and environmental needs at the farms, conversion to a manure digester and green digester to generate electricity, and buffering and protecting water. “We’re trying new things. Sometimes we find out that something didn’t work out, so we’ll try something else,” Rory says. “Sustainability is a journey.”
Making the Best Choice for the Animals As Pacific Natural Foods evolved, more and more emphasis was given to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Two years ago, Chuck and his family purchased two dairies, now run by Chuck’s son Charlie, and were in the process of converting them from conventional confinement operations to organic. The Eggerts were disturbed by the practices they encountered at their new dairies. “What we saw was pretty eye-opening
and it started us down the path to finding the best welfare certification,“ Charlie says. “As we started the transition from conventional to organic and high welfare, I can remember a lot of conversations with my dad, saying, ‘Do you realize they do this and do you realize they do that?’ Even being in the food industry like we were, we didn’t know or realize some of the practices that were occurring at the dairies— and they were pretty alarming to us. Docking tails, disbudding, housing, crowding, the way cows are fed—all of this led us down the path. It led us to say we want to make the choices that will be best for the animals.”
his excitement when he took the first call from Pacific Natural Foods. “All along, we’ve been told by the industry and other naysayers that our work and our label were supporting a niche market—people would be able to find our products in a few farmer’s markets and white tablecloth restaurants, but for the most part the meat, dairy and eggs our farmers produce would remain out of reach of mainstream consumers—both in price and availability. Getting that first phone call from Pacific Natural Foods was a salutary experience—it signaled the program was moving to the next level.”
The Eggerts came to the conclusion that they couldn’t remain true to the Pacific Natural Foods mission if their efforts didn’t include the animals. Rory started looking into animal welfare label claims, industry quality guidelines and third-party certifications. During his research, he always kept in mind something Chuck had told him: If you’re running a race you never say, “Well, let’s try for third place.”
Seeking third-party certification for animal welfare felt right from a business perspective for Pacific Natural Foods. The Eggerts and Rory
“I really honed in on that,” Rory says. “We set our target for first place or the gold standard. We didn’t know if it would be obtainable or possible, but that’s what led to the initial discussion with Animal Welfare Approved. In terms of public input, independent verification, no conflict of interest and transparency, time and time again, AWA was not only at the top, but head and shoulders above the rest.” Andrew Gunther, Program Director for Animal Welfare Approved, remembers
Working Together
believed in the benefits of having an independent set of eyes look at how they were doing things plus it gave their customers the added reassurance of a respected certification. Charlie knew that their herdsman, who had spent most of his career working in conventional dairies, might be pessimistic about the program. According to Rory, however, their fears were unfounded. “What was so interesting with the AWA staff was that right away—whether it was our herdsman, our vet, our nutritionist—right away we could tell these people have experience in animal agriculture and the standards weren’t just feel-good things. They were science-based, which created a space for dialogue that was dynamic and pretty exciting to watch.”
Pacific Natural Foods
Pacific Natural Foods
to put all these efforts into a framework and apply the same rigorous metrics and key performance indicators Pacific Natural Foods uses for other aspects of its business. Along the way, Chuck and Rory discovered something unexpected. “We learned we could save money,” Chuck states. “If you recycle and take care of the energy requirements and do things the right way, you also save money, which was one of those ‘Oh, that’s nice!’ moments.”
Pacific Natural Foods founder Chuck Eggert with grandson Zach in the milking parlor.
Join our e-mail list at w w w. AnimalWelfareApproved.org
11
(continued from pg.1)
Pacific Natural Foods is a true family-run company. From left to right: Chris Eggert with wife Karen and daughter Elizabeth; Patrick Eggert; Charlie Eggert with wife Brenda and sons Charlie and Zach; Meredith Eggert.
we’re in, natural and organic, you’re not having to apologize for what you put in your product.”
Building Sustainability According to Rory Schmick, Sustainability Director for Pacific Natural Foods, the company likes to focus on doing things rather than talking about them. He explains, “Sustainability is a hot topic right now and a lot of companies look at having a sustainability director as purely a marketing vehicle. They spin some pretty exciting stories that don’t have depth when you really look into it, so what’s been critical in our communications with consumers is authenticity and humility. This is a core part of who we are. We’re doing things because it’s the way we do things not because we might gain some market share.”
10
Chuck concurs. “Rory started here about three years ago, and we told him, ‘Don’t talk about anything until we’re actually doing it.’” Pacific Natural Foods’ innovative Certified to the Source program was already a centerpiece of its sustainability and accountability efforts. The program traces every ingredient in every product back to its origin, allowing the company to build long-lasting relationships with its farmers and suppliers and help ensure their viability. Established in 1997, it was developed just as the local food movement was gaining national attention. Pacific Natural Foods was also addressing issues such as waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and wildlife habitat protection. Rory’s job was
Sustainability initiatives at Pacific Natural Foods currently encompass three wetlands projects, a total assessment of all energy and environmental needs at the farms, conversion to a manure digester and green digester to generate electricity, and buffering and protecting water. “We’re trying new things. Sometimes we find out that something didn’t work out, so we’ll try something else,” Rory says. “Sustainability is a journey.”
Making the Best Choice for the Animals As Pacific Natural Foods evolved, more and more emphasis was given to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Two years ago, Chuck and his family purchased two dairies, now run by Chuck’s son Charlie, and were in the process of converting them from conventional confinement operations to organic. The Eggerts were disturbed by the practices they encountered at their new dairies. “What we saw was pretty eye-opening
and it started us down the path to finding the best welfare certification,“ Charlie says. “As we started the transition from conventional to organic and high welfare, I can remember a lot of conversations with my dad, saying, ‘Do you realize they do this and do you realize they do that?’ Even being in the food industry like we were, we didn’t know or realize some of the practices that were occurring at the dairies— and they were pretty alarming to us. Docking tails, disbudding, housing, crowding, the way cows are fed—all of this led us down the path. It led us to say we want to make the choices that will be best for the animals.”
his excitement when he took the first call from Pacific Natural Foods. “All along, we’ve been told by the industry and other naysayers that our work and our label were supporting a niche market—people would be able to find our products in a few farmer’s markets and white tablecloth restaurants, but for the most part the meat, dairy and eggs our farmers produce would remain out of reach of mainstream consumers—both in price and availability. Getting that first phone call from Pacific Natural Foods was a salutary experience—it signaled the program was moving to the next level.”
The Eggerts came to the conclusion that they couldn’t remain true to the Pacific Natural Foods mission if their efforts didn’t include the animals. Rory started looking into animal welfare label claims, industry quality guidelines and third-party certifications. During his research, he always kept in mind something Chuck had told him: If you’re running a race you never say, “Well, let’s try for third place.”
Seeking third-party certification for animal welfare felt right from a business perspective for Pacific Natural Foods. The Eggerts and Rory
“I really honed in on that,” Rory says. “We set our target for first place or the gold standard. We didn’t know if it would be obtainable or possible, but that’s what led to the initial discussion with Animal Welfare Approved. In terms of public input, independent verification, no conflict of interest and transparency, time and time again, AWA was not only at the top, but head and shoulders above the rest.” Andrew Gunther, Program Director for Animal Welfare Approved, remembers
Working Together
believed in the benefits of having an independent set of eyes look at how they were doing things plus it gave their customers the added reassurance of a respected certification. Charlie knew that their herdsman, who had spent most of his career working in conventional dairies, might be pessimistic about the program. According to Rory, however, their fears were unfounded. “What was so interesting with the AWA staff was that right away—whether it was our herdsman, our vet, our nutritionist—right away we could tell these people have experience in animal agriculture and the standards weren’t just feel-good things. They were science-based, which created a space for dialogue that was dynamic and pretty exciting to watch.”
Pacific Natural Foods
Pacific Natural Foods
to put all these efforts into a framework and apply the same rigorous metrics and key performance indicators Pacific Natural Foods uses for other aspects of its business. Along the way, Chuck and Rory discovered something unexpected. “We learned we could save money,” Chuck states. “If you recycle and take care of the energy requirements and do things the right way, you also save money, which was one of those ‘Oh, that’s nice!’ moments.”
Pacific Natural Foods founder Chuck Eggert with grandson Zach in the milking parlor.
Join our e-mail list at w w w. AnimalWelfareApproved.org
11
“It was nice to talk to AWA because they came at it saying, ‘This is where we’ve seen this work in another situation and this is why we think it’s appropriate,’ and it was based on reason,” Charlie says. “Our herdsman came out of the first meeting feeling like this was something he could accomplish and it was something he wanted to do. That was the best aspect of dealing with AWA— everything was based in reality.”
The payoff of adhering to AWA standards has already been seen. The animals are happier. They’re healthier. Charlie credits the new diet with the fact they haven’t had a cow with a twisted gut so far this year—saving the dairies thousands of dollars in vet bills—and there’s been no drop off in milk production, something conventional farmers had assured them would happen. Chuck believes that their herds are two of the highest
Pacific Natural Foods
Look for the Animal Welfare Approved label on Pacific Natural Foods products beginning in 2010.
AWA’s most significant recommendation for increasing animal welfare involved the housing of the calves and changing the feed, necessitating that the farms move calves from individual huts and into groups. After a few modifications to the plan, the farms are moving ahead with housing all the calves in groups, which is a more natural way of life for these highly social animals. AWA also recommended a change in diet for the animals.
12
performing organic herds in the country, both in production and health, and Charlie says that happier animals also make for happier employees.
Moving into the Future The Eggerts are working towards getting all the farms supplying Pacific Natural Foods to be Animal Welfare Approved. The two dairy farms recently approved are the biggest dairy herds in the AWA program. Chuck sees a bright future for Pacific Natural Foods and AWA farmers.
“The growth in natural foods has been huge,” he recounts. “We see it as a changing and evolving thing. There’s a perfect storm for these products: animal welfare, people wanting to know what goes into their food, where it comes from, all without compromising quality—in fact you get higher quality.” Rory agrees. “What’s really exciting is that it’s an opportunity to show you can achieve multiple objectives. You can have high welfare, high environmental stewardship, good social responsibility and still have products that are safe and taste good and are at the right price point.” Andrew says that many Animal Welfare Approved farmers have told him it’s an exciting time to be a sustainable, high-welfare farmer. “It’s a true era of change,” he says, “a real shift in how we meet a basic human need and it gives everyone—our farmers, our staff—a real feeling of accomplishment and pride to be a part of it.” Chuck’s take on what Pacific Natural Foods is achieving is simple. “There are very few things you can look at and say, we can make a difference. We believe in our area of the world, we can make a difference and show it can be done without costing a lot of money. If everybody focused on the things they can change, collectively it would all add up. We view working with AWA as an opportunity to make a change in our little world. That’s what we’re working on—making things better.”
