American Farmers Network bolsters beef transparency amid consumer ethical meat demands

08 Apr 2024 --- The American Farmers Network (AFN) is planning to develop comprehensive certification criteria for regenerative grass-fed beef production across the entire beef category. The move aims to bolster transparency and trust in meat choices for consumers who increasingly demand ethical meat and advocate animal well-being causes.

The collaboration between AFN and third-party certifying organizations is inspired by the principles of regenerative agriculture, which prioritize soil health, biodiversity and animal welfare.

“We are perfectly positioned to lead the effort for the regenerative movement to become a viable certification program in the US,” says Sanin Mirvic, CEO of AFN, affirming their readiness to bolster these efforts.

“We hope to work closely with different regenerative alliances and organizations to help further define and strengthen certification criteria for the beef industry.”

The organization intends to bridge the gap between philosophical and practical methods to further instill validity, trust and credibility for all stakeholders involved, he adds.

The United States Department of Agriculture has reportedly approved the company to use the Regenerative Agriculture claim on its packaging for products currently distributed through retail chains nationwide, notes the farmer organization.

Better meat
AFN claims it has already established and implemented criteria for regeneratively raised beef standards throughout its extensive network of family ranchers.

“We believe that better meat should be accessible to everyone,” underscores Mirvic. 

“With a certification seal backed by rigorous audits, consumers can confidently make ethical choices at the meat counter.” 

As per the AFN, the best way to produce high-quality, delicious meat is to give animals freedom to roam and graze on nutrient-rich pastures.The certification criteria will cover various aspects of beef production, including grazing management, soil health, animal welfare and social responsibility. The ranches meeting these criteria will receive formal certification to differentiate their products in the marketplace as “exemplars of sustainability and ethical standards,” details the AFN.

The initiative aims to incentivize more producers to adopt regenerative farming practices, while the organization will focus on its retail, food service and institutional partners to deploy and ensure availability of regeneratively raised beef to consumers in the country.

AFN was established in 2002 and claims its grass-fed beef to be certified humane, non-GMO project verified, as well as born, raised and processed in the US.

Beef struggles
Beef is currently facing the heat of activists and researchers who flag the meat as an “emissions-intensive” food.

Producing the same amount of protein from beef requires 20 times more land than nuts and 35 times more than grains, says a research conducted by Leiden University in the Netherlands. 

This resource allocation counters the EU’s goal to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Supermarkets are also providing consumers the option to reduce their meat intake, with Netherlands-based Jumbo eliminating meat promotions to facilitate the transition to plant-based diets last month.

Interestingly, a European survey funded by the EU’s Smart Protein project revealed that over half of the region’s consumers are actively reducing their meat intake.

Meanwhile, in February, scientists in South Korea combined rice grains with beef fat cells to develop a lab-grown pink hybrid to make beef a “more economical” protein source compared to traditional beef with reduced carbon emissions.

By Insha Naureen