What others are saying about Animal Welfare Approved

“I’ve found that most people care about buying meat from animals that were given a good life, but they don’t know what to buy and what to avoid. Farms that supply pork to Niman Ranch were the first to earn the Animal Welfare Approved seal. Now, the Animal Welfare Approved seal will help consumers select products from traditional farms that allow all their animals to move and socialize freely, breathe fresh air and grow naturally.”

- Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch, a network of traditional family farms well-known for its high standards of livestock husbandry

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“We demand the ultimate sacrifice of animals raised for food. Humans owe them a humane and dignified existence in return. The Animal Welfare Institute is setting the gold standard for how farm animals should be taken care of. I’ve worked closely with them for years and have seen their independence and deep commitment to humane animal farming.  How these animals live affects us all because good animal husbandry provides wholesome food and protects our air, water, and landscapes.” 

- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

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“Family farmers are the heart of this great country. And at their heart is a deep love and respect for the land and the animals they raise. The Animal Welfare Approved seal is a badge of honor for family farmers, since their attention to the health and well-being of their animals results in humane practices that is a model for all.”

                - Willie Nelson, legendary singer/songwriter

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“I’ve long been an avid supporter of the Animal Welfare Institute and its programs. Personally I have visited some of the small pig farms they approve in North Carolina and seen for myself what a wonderful life the pigs have on Animal Welfare Approved farms. I’m delighted the Institute is expanding its program to include other animals, so that conscientious consumers can have an even greater choice of products of humane husbandry.”

- Rosemary Harris, actor

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“The Animal Welfare Approved seal is one of the best things to happen to family farms in a long while. It is the first to distinguish birds like ours – standard bred poultry, that is, true heritage birds – from birds who are bred for rapid growth and suffer from skeletal deformities.”

- Frank Reese, owner of the Animal Welfare Approved Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch in Lindsborg, Kansas

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“Providing a comfortable environment for our animals is as important to us as it is to their well-being; for it adds an element of dignity to our profession of animal husbandry. And to be acknowledged for our work by a reputable organization such as the Animal Welfare Institute is a meaningful embrace from the bigger world…Kim and I applaud the goal of the Animal Welfare Institute, to strive for the highest level of husbandry at all times while respecting that each farm or ranch may reach for this goal in their own way. This is tremendously important because many farm families are concerned about reaching out to certification groups for the fear that they will be judged harshly, and only ‘told what to do.’ But the Animal Welfare Institute standards provide options and opportunities for farmers and ranchers to tailor practices to their own operation.”

- Richard Cates, grass fed dairy beef farmer, Cates Family Farm, Wisconsin

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“Here’s the beauty of the Animal Welfare Institute: their demands for husbandry standards, whether assuring the animal’s access to the outdoors, or securing proper bedding for sows, or the hundreds of other important things they watch out for, don’t just raise living standards and make for happier animals – they make for more delicious food. The Animal Welfare Approved seal is a seal of humanity and a promise for good flavor.”
- Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant in New York City

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"Ultimately, all life (us included), is part of the food chain. The AWI seal guarantees that our farm animals are treated with the respect and care that is due to every living thing."

- Peter Kaminsky, author Pig Perfect

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"The way we treat the animals we rely on for our sustenance defines who we are deep inside. Making the decision to support producers who raise and fell their animals with dignity and respect shows we are truly compassionate. Nature rewards this decision by providing the most glorious results for our pallets, our conscience, and our personal health. The Animal Welfare Institute understands the relationship of respect between humans and the animals they rely on that once existed, and has made it possible to recapture those times in today’s ever-changing food system. This is important to me as a chef with a conscience as there are so many standards to choose from. Unfortunately, this mish-mash of offerings does little more than to figuratively throw the freezing, sick and starving prisoner a half-empty pillow. AWI requirements assure consumers that the producers who follow them are applying the highest available standard."

- Michel Nischan, managing partner of Dressing Room, a Homegrown Restaurant and author, Taste Pure and Simple & Homegrown Pure & Simple

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"We are delighted to have the Animal Welfare Institute seal of approval draw attention to the conscientious husbandry of farmers in our program, beginning with the Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch network of farmers. Small family farms need as much attention as possible and an organization like AWI will help our farmers greatly."

- Patrick Martins, Co-founder, Heritage Foods USA

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"The Animal Welfare Institute seal of approval recognizes our farmers for doing the right thing for our animals.  I feel it is one of the highest compliments our farmers could receive."

- Paul Willis, Manager, Niman Ranch Pork Company

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"It is no coincidence that the most delicious foods are those  cultivated with respect for the health and welfare of the entire food chain and the AWI's Seal of Approval brings meaning to this simple idea.  Breeding animals for fast, cheap growth is by definition inhumane. Independent family farms are our best hope for true, sustainable food security and humane treatment is not a marketing strategy, but a guarantee that benefits us all.

- Andrea Reusing, chef and owner, Lantern Restaurant, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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"The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy salutes the Animal Welfare Institute on the release of the Animal Welfare Approved seal. This seal will help consumers vote for humane treatment of food animals with their dollars, one of the strongest votes for implementing change. AWI standards are devised to support humane treatment for the benefit of the livestock and poultry, not for solely economic benefit to agribusiness. Not only do the standards promote humane production practices in the usual sense, they also encourage the use of appropriate genetics for sustainable production systems."

- American Livestock Breeds Conservancy