America’s pork producers have a long, proud history of responsible farming and caring for the well-being of their animals. After all, their livelihoods are tied to the land and the health of the animals in their care. As an industry, they have understood the importance of improving their farming methods to meet market demands and consumer expectations for safe, nutritious pork products.
Production-oriented, best practices education has been an industry pillar for decades. Strides made over the last 30 years have resulted in the U.S. pork industry producing the highest quality, safest and most affordable pork in the world -- and in our nation's history. This has been achieved through responsible pork production and ongoing improvement in the industry's practices focusing on food quality and safety, animal well-being, the environment and animal science.
The We Care initiative, a joint effort of the Pork Checkoff, through the National Pork Board, and the National Pork Producers Council, is a promise to the public and industry stakeholders that pork producers engage in and actively promote responsible and ethical practices in all areas of pork production. We Care also shows that the industry is dedicated to continually evaluating and improving its practices. Pork industry programs that best exemplify this commitment include Pork Quality Assurance® Plus and Transport Quality Assurance®. These are just two examples of the many programs offered by pork industry for producers and their employees. Over 53,000 industry members have become certified in programs such as these, delivering on the promise embodied in the We Care initiative.
You can learn more about We Care at www.porkcares.org
Animal Well-Being
Pork producers are committed to protecting and promoting the well-being of their animals. Every day on farms across America, pork producers demonstrate responsibility and concern for their animals because they understand that raising healthy animals in a safe environment not only results in high-quality, safe products, but it’s the right thing to do. To support ongoing education for producers, the Pork Checkoff provides resources,education and training programs and funds research, all designed to promote and continually improve the industry’s best production practices. It’s important for everyone to understand the steps pork producers take to raise healthy animals and to produce a safe and nutritious food supply.
Maintaining Trust in the Industry
Over the years America’s pork producers have come to understand that they must provide assurances to customers and consumers alike that the best animal care, environmental stewardship and food safety measures are being implemented. It has taken time to earn the public trust and pork producers are more determined than ever to retain it.
Pork producers know that when people learn more about pork production in the U.S., the more confident they are that pork producers have always been committed to doing the right thing.
Ethical Principles
Pork producers are committed to producing safe, wholesome pork in a socially responsible way. No one cares more than U.S. pork producers about producing high-quality products, taking care of their animals and natural resources, and contributing to their communities.
Pork producers have adopted a Statement of Ethical Principles that guides their everyday actions. The ethical principles make clear the pork industry’s values in the areas of food safety, animal well-being, worker safety, community outreach, and protecting both the environment and public health.
The We Care initiative, a united effort of the Pork Checkoff, through the National Pork Board, and the National Pork Producers Council, seeks to share to pork industry's story of responsible farming and continuous improvement.
Specifically, We Care affirms the commitment and obligation of all producers to:
o Produce safe food
o Safeguard natural resources
o Provide a work environment that is safe and consistent with the other ethical principles
o Contribute to a better quality of life in their communities
o Protect and promote animal well-being
o Protect public health
Pork Stewardship Award
The Pork Checkoff, along with its cosponsor, National Hog Farmer magazine, has selected four pork production operations to receive the industry's highest environmental honor, which is the 2010 Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award. The award, now in its 16th year, honors Pork producers who demonstrate a firm commitment to safeguarding the environment and their local communities. The 2010 recipients are:
- Pembroke Oaks Farm, Wheatfield, Ind., represented by Malcolm DeKryger;
- Ranch Creek Farm, Carroll, Iowa, represented by Aaron and Peter Juergens;
- Pleasant Hill Farm, Barnett, Mo., represented by Charlie and Nancy Long;
- L&M Daughtry Farm, Clinton, N.C., represented by Mark and Lynn Daughtry.
To learn more about the 2010 Environmental Stewards,
click here.
The Environmental Steward award winners were selected by judges represented by pork producers and environmental organizations. The judges reviewed applications from pork producers who are committed to upholding the ideal relationship between pork production and the environment. Their businesses were evaluated on their manure management systems; water and soil conservation practices; odor-control strategies; farm aesthetics and neighbor relations; wildlife habitat promotion; innovative ideas used to protect the environment and an essay on the meaning of environmental stewardship.
"We're always excited to see another group of pork producers who are nominated for this prestigious award each year," said Randy Brown, chair of the Environmental Stewards selection subcommittee and member of the National Pork Board. As a producer and past Environmental Steward award recipient, he added, "Pork producers are natural protectors of the environment because they realize that taking good care of the environmental and natural resources is not only the right thing to do, but it's also smart business. This year's award recipients are real-world examples of how producers live the ‘We Care’ principles every day as natural protectors of the environment and as good neighbors in their communities.”
Pork Quality Assurance® Plus
No one better understands the importance of pork quality, safety and responsible production than pork producers. Responsible farming and good corporate citizenship are central to the pork industry's mission.
The Pork Quality Assurance© program was conceived as a process by which the entire pork industry could continuously improve its practices. Accordingly, the program has been regularly reviewed, revised and improved. Today, the program is known as Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus®). PQA Plus has maintained its strong food safety tradition while expanding to provide the training pork producer need to measure, track and continuously improve animal well-being.
The PQA Plus program achieves its goals through:
- Producer training by a certified PQA Plus advisor which results in the producer receiving PQA Plus certification
- An objective assessment of on-farm animal well-being which, when combined with the education of the producer through PQA Plus certification, results in the farm receiving PQA Plus site status.
- A PQA Plus survey designed to evaluate the implementation of PQA Plus in the industry. Survey results are used to identify opportunities for improvement of the program’s information and delivery.
In 2009, the National Pork Board set the goal of having all pork producer s certified in PQA Plus by 2010. To-date there is over 53,700 pork producers who have become certified. And while the industry is not quite there yet, this record number of producers certified demonstrates the commitment of pork producers to doing the right thing.
The National Pork Board also set a goal to have all operations site-assessed by the end of 2010. Right now, over 14,200 sites have been assessed which represent more than 77 percent of all the pigs in the country. The National Pork Board continues to assess new operations each week to continue to work on reaching the goal.
There is no end to the process of continuous improvement; pork producers will continue to adopt advances in their farming practices in keeping with the industry's commitment to responsible pork production.
For more information about the National Pork Board's commitment to environmental stewardship, animal welfare and sustainability, visit http://porkcares.org/