Walmart Pushes for Improved Animal Welfare and a Cut in Antibiotic Use

25 May 2015 --- Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club U.S. have announced new positions around animal welfare and the responsible use of antibiotics in farm animals, as a next step in continuously improving the sustainability of items it sells. Walmart is committed to a sustainable supply chain and food system, which means offering customers choices and transparency into how their food is grown and raised, and helping to further the fair treatment of animals.

“Walmart is committed to selling products that sustain people and the environment,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and senior vice president of Walmart sustainability. “We have listened to our customers, and are asking our suppliers to engage in improved reporting standards and transparency measures regarding the treatment of farm animals.”

Highlights of Walmart’s new animal welfare and antibiotics positions include:

Humane Treatment of Farm Animals: Walmart is committed to offering affordable products in a way that is sustainable for people and the planet. Walmart believes that animals should be treated humanely throughout their lives. As part of its animal welfare position statement, Walmart will not tolerate animal abuse, supports the globally recognized “Five Freedoms” of animal welfare, and is committed to working with supply chain partners to implement practices consistent with the Five Freedoms. Walmart is asking suppliers to:
• Report and take disciplinary and corrective action in cases of animal abuse.
• Find and implement solutions to address animal welfare concerns in housing systems, painful procedures and euthanasia or slaughter.
• Promote transparency by providing progress reports to Walmart and publicly reporting against their own corporate animal welfare position on annual basis.

Responsible Use of Antibiotics in Farm Animals: Walmart believes that antibiotics should be used responsibly in farm animals, and with that in mind, the company is asking suppliers to:
• Adopt and implement the Judicious Use Principles of Antimicrobial Use from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) including accurate record-keeping, veterinary oversight, and limiting antimicrobial treatment to animals that are ill or at risk.
• Adopt and implement Voluntary Guidance for Industry #209 from the Food and Drug Administration in their own operations and their industry producer programs, including eliminating growth promotion uses of medically important antibiotics
• Promote transparency by providing a report on antibiotics management to Walmart and publicly report antibiotic use on an annual basis.

In October 2014, Walmart announced its commitment to a sustainable food system, outlining four key pillars to reach this goal: improving the affordability of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier, and improving the safety and transparency of the food chain. By releasing its new antibiotic and animal welfare positions today, Walmart continues to build on this important commitment.

“Our customers want to know more about how their food is grown and raised, and where it comes from. As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is committed to using our strengths to drive transparency and improvement across the supply chain,” said McLaughlin. “We believe it’s important to promote transparency in this process, helping to put our customers in charge of their food choices by providing clear, accurate information about food ingredients. We appreciate the leadership our suppliers have shown to help us accomplish these goals.”

Smithfield Foods welcomed the announcement and said that it is already compliant with the newly announced policies on its company-owned farms and encourages the rest of the industry to develop programs consistent with these guidelines.

Smithfield ceased using human-grade antibiotics for growth promotion in its pigs on company-owned and contract farms more than two years ago. This move voluntarily aligned Smithfield with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) guidelines 209 and 213 years ahead of schedule.

"We understand that potential antibiotic resistance is a public health concern, and that's why we are leading the pork industry in ensuring the responsible use of antibiotics within our operations," said C. Larry Pope, Smithfield's president and chief executive officer.

In addition, back in 2007 Smithfield Foods was the first in its industry to announce that it would transition pregnant sows to group housing systems on its company-owned operations in the U.S. The company reported that as of December 2014, more than 71%—or seven out of every 10—of its pregnant sows on company-owned farms had been transitioned to group housing. The project should be completed by 2017.

"We've accepted our role as the world's largest pork producer and have led the charge by addressing challenging issues facing the industry while improving our sustainability program and processes to meet the ever-changing needs and demands of our customers and consumers," Pope said.