Toni Mikulka-Chang’s Post

We’re thrilled to share our NEW Blueprint on Sustainable Animal Protein Sourcing! 🆕 While the pet industry often flies under the radar in sustainability discussions, our industry plays a huge role in the global food system, affecting the environment, society, and animal welfare. Our Blueprint is here to help you navigate the challenges and make better decisions about sourcing animal proteins. Here's a quick look at what’s inside:  🐶 The pet food industry’s potential to lead in sustainability ❗ The biggest impacts and risks in your supply chain and how to tackle them 🐖 How to prioritize the environmental, social, and animal welfare impacts for common proteins in pet food 🌍 4 actionable procurement strategies that support a more sustainable agricultural system Check out the full Blueprint: https://hubs.li/Q02HnDdw0

We believe that overcoming complex sustainability challenges related to the health and welfare of livestock and pets requires strategic collaborations. From our partnership with Royal Canin Indonesia on World Rabies Day to our research collaboration with Blacksmith Medicines to reduce the dependency on antibiotic classes shared with human health to our work with Dairy Management Inc., and Texas A&M University that enables the modeling of environmental footprints of dairy and beef farms, we're focused on creating and driving adoption of key sustainable animal health solutions. Learn more in our 2023 Sustainability Report: https://lnkd.in/eNnCv3Y8 #Sustainability #ClimateAction #SustainableFuture

“Environmental impacts of these colossal animal feeding operations, hogs, cattle and chickens are evident for all to see, whose eyes and minds have not been clouded by the siren song of the large conglomerate meat processors, Wall Street investors, certain farm organizations and the lack of incentives for true family farmers for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly, animal husbandry.” - Senator Tom Harkin According to new data compiled by Food & Water Watch, CAFO-raised animals in Iowa produce 25 times as much manure as its people. It leads the country in animal waste at 109 billion pounds produced annually. “There operations are operating essentially as sewerless cities producing unprecedented amounts of waste,” Food & Water Watch Research Director Amanda Starbuck said at the conference. “We have about 1.7 billion animals living on factory farms producing about 941 billion pounds of manure each year. And just to put that in perspective, that is twice as much in human manure produced by the entire U.S. population.” https://lnkd.in/gGD27t5V OurWaters.org has the answers. *Food & Water Watch’s Factory Farm Nation 2024 report maps the density of factory farmed animals at the county level, covering 20 years of factory farm growth. (Food & Water Watch)*

Our chickens are free range and below are the benefits: "Free range chickens have several benefits compared to conventionally raised chickens. Some the key benefits include: 1. Better animal welfare: Free range chickens access to outdoor spaces where they can roam and exhibit natural behaviors like scratching and pecking. This leads to happier and healthier chickens. 2. Healthier eggs and meat: Eggs and meat from free range chickens are often higher in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins compared those from factory-farmed chickens. 3. Environmental sustainability: Free range farming practices typically have a lower environmental impact, as the chickens more space to move around their waste can be better managed. 4. Improved taste: Many people find that eggs and meat from free range chickens have a richer flavor compared to those from conventionally raised chickens. Overall, choosing free range chickens can lead to better quality products, improved animal welfare, and a more sustainable food system."

🌍🥚 Happy World Egg Day! 🥚🌍 Today, we celebrate not just the humble egg, but also the crucial values of animal welfare, sustainability, and responsible farming practices. Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition and an essential food source for millions, but the way we produce them matters just as much as their benefits. 🐔 Animal Welfare: Ensuring that hens are treated with care and respect is vital. Happy hens produce healthier eggs, vibrant yolks, and practices like TRUE free-range and pasture-raised farming help promote their well-being. ♻️ Sustainability: Sustainable farming practices minimize our environmental impact. By supporting farms and choosing eggs from producers who prioritize eco-friendly methods, we can contribute to a healthier planet for future generations! 🚜 Responsible Farming: It’s essential to support farmers who use humane and sustainable practices. They are the backbone of our food system, and their commitment to ethical methods make all the difference! Let’s use this day to advocate for better practices in the egg industry and promote a future where animal welfare and sustainability go hand in hand! #WorldEggDay #AnimalWelfare #Sustainability #FarmingPractices #Regenerative #PastureRaised #FreeRange

Is there such a thing as “better” meat? It’s complicated🙃🐄🌍 Companies and consumers are increasingly looking for more sustainable animal products. But reducing emissions is just one piece of the puzzle. So are... 💧Addressing water use 🌊Water pollution 🐞Biodiversity loss driven by animal agriculture 🐮Improving animal welfare 👨🌾Supporting local farmers and more There’s no single solution to tackle all these priorities at once. Read the New Analysis from WRI Food this Earth Day👉 https://lnkd.in/e-N95tNx #earthday #earthday2024 #environment #sustainablefood #food #sustainability #nonprofit

Get to know our Grassfed Certification! A label built on rigorous standards to guarantee animals live as nature intended; healthy, active and with respect for Mother Earth. 🐄 Our criteria cover various aspects of animal welfare, nutrition and eco-conscious practices. ✅Natural Diet: We insist on a diet rich in grass and forage, the true menu of our ancestors – with the exception of milk before weaning. ✅Freedom to Roam: Continuous access to pastures is required, encouraging natural behaviour like grazing and foraging and providing exercise, and all-important Vitamin D. ✅No Unnecessary Medications: Our rulebook firmly states 'No' to hormones, making sure our animals are free from unnecessary meds or growth enhancers. ✅Pro-Animal Welfare: Our certified venues swear by high standards of animal welfare. We believe in humane handling, decent living conditions, and unhindered access to shelter and clean water. ✅Free-Range Living: No confinement here! Our animals enjoy freedom to move and express their natural behaviours. ✅Eco-Awareness: We encourage sustainable grazing that boosts soil health, saves water, and promotes biodiversity. ✅Less Environmental Impact: It's our mission to minimize environmental damage. We implement clever techniques like rotational grazing to improve soil fertility, curb erosion, and lessen greenhouse gas emissions. Get behind our cause and support ethical, sustainable, and healthy farming! 💚 🌍 🐄 Learn more: https://bit.ly/3yeUjbw

"Pourvu que ça dure" from Public Sénat shines a spotlight on crucial topics🌟 :   - Food challenges impacting human health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability ♻ - Innovative solutions like alternative proteins (insects, plants, cultivated meat) supplementing traditional meat consumption 🌱   Kudos to journalist @Emilie Chaussier for her crystal-clear breakdown of cultivated meat—from its production process to taste and economic considerations.   Check out the enlightening program in comment (in French !) #FoodInnovation #CultivatedMeat #Sustainability #AlternativeProteins 🌍🍽️

🚨 Fascinating article reveals Catch 22🚨Lower emissions meat tends to come with animal welfare trade offs. The obvious solution? Reduce meat and dairy consumption across the board to avoid these trade offs - reducing red meat/dairy has the biggest positive impact for emissions reduction and nature restoration, reducing poultry has biggest benefits for animal welfare and reducing pandemic risks. Key points: 👉 Chicken is one of the lowest emissions forms of meat - but are almost all kept in factory farms, and requires more animals to be slaughtered per kg meat produced. Free range chickens are higher emitting, but still a lot lower emitting than beef/lamb. 👉 Beef/lamb requires less animals to be slaughtered per kg meat, and has slightly better welfare (in the UK, at least where cows and sheep are at least kept outside for large portions of their lives). BUT cows/sheep have the highest environmental impacts of meat - belching methane, and either driving deforestation or using up vast volumes of land which could sequester more carbon by being restored to nature. 👉The obvious solution to avoid this Catch 22? Cut down on all types of meat. All types of meat cause worse animal welfare, and most cause far higher emissions than plant-based alternatives. Particularly in rich countries, there's huge overconsumption of meat and dairy - reducing it would help our health and the environment. Read the full article from Our World In Data: https://lnkd.in/eqEFQ5P9 #food #meat #plantbased #lessandbettermeat #climatechange #climatecrisis #biglivestock #defundbiglivestock

Hello all! I'm thrilled to share my Certificate of Completion for the Vegan Outreach Webinar - Food Planet Health. This informative webinar enlightened me on the significant effects of our food choices on animal welfare and the environment. When it comes to the impact of food choices on animals and the environment, it's crucial to consider how our decisions can influence both aspects. Our food choices directly impact the welfare of animals in the food production industry. Opting for plant-based and sustainable food options can promote animal welfare and reduce the negative environmental effects associated with livestock farming. By choosing locally sourced, organic, and plant-based foods, we can contribute to a more ethical and environmentally friendly food system. It's all about making conscious choices that benefit both animals and the planet🌱🐾 I'm grateful for the knowledge gained and excited to apply it in making sustainable and compassionate choices.🌱🐾 #vegan #plantbasedproducts #saveenvironment #saveanimals