São Bento Farm in Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil, is the first South American dairy farm to qualify for the Certified Humane Raised and Handled program.
The Certified Humane label guarantees that animal products being purchased have been produced according to Humane Farm Animal Care’s (HFAC) defined animal care standards.
“I felt the Certified Humane program fit our farm’s ‘ethical quality principles,’ which considers the balance between animal welfare, team welfare, education and training, and respect for the environment,” Sergio Costa, a HFAC certified farmer, said. “It’s not just about feeding and shelter animals. Our mission is to go above and beyond with their care to ensure we are meeting the highest standards for farm animal welfare.”
Under HFAC’s standards, animals must be fed a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones in addition to being raised with shelter, resting areas and space. Farms must follow 100 percent of these standards in order to put the Certified Humane label on their food products.
“Our standards are very stringent and most dairy farms aren’t willing to make the necessary changes to qualify for certification,” Adele Douglass, executive director for HFAC, said. “We’re very impressed with how conscientious this farm is about animal welfare.”
