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The American Humane Certified™ program is a voluntary third party animal welfare audit program that helps ensure the humane treatment of food animals raised in the U.S.
To apply to become an American Humane Certified™ producer takes just a few minutes of your time through our easy-to-use online application system. Before you fill out your basic information, we encourage you to review the standards for your particular species which are available free for download.
Filling out an application obligates you in no way to the program, it merely starts the review process.
Application & Audit Process
1. Review Animal Welfare Standards
We encourage producers to download the American Humane Certified™ Animal Welfare Standards that apply to your species and evaluate any gaps between your operation and the standards. Please feel free to submit an inquiry or Contact Us if you have any questions about the Animal Welfare Standards.
2. Apply Online
To submit an online application click here or visit the “New Producer Inquiry” tab at the top of the Home page. The application will ask for your name, contact information, farm name, and type of production. Upon submission, a Field Operations Manager will contact you to discuss your interest and answer any questions. If after speaking with Humane Heartland you decide that would like to enroll in the program, a Producer Account Manager will be assigned to your operation and will assist you through the certification process. Filling out an application does not obligate you to participate in the program if you decide otherwise.
3. The Audits
Once you have been enrolled in the program, your Producer Account Manager will work with you to schedule audits. An independent third party auditor will conduct a thorough on-site inspection of your operation to assess its compliance with the Animal Welfare Standards. Auditors are professionally trained in their respective species and compliant to ISO auditor requirements.
4. Audit Review
After the audit, the results will be posted to a secure online database. Your Humane Heartland Producer Account Manager will review the audits and, if necessary, discuss with you any areas in which the operation is not in compliance with the Animal Welfare Standards. A corrective action plan must be submitted that explains how the operation will meet the standard and the implementation must be documented. At a producer’s request, and only with their permission, Humane Heartland can provide audit results to specific retailers, processors or foodservice operators who require the information.
5. Annual Review Process
Annual audits are conducted at each operation to help assure compliance with the program. Humane Heartland reserves the right to perform unannounced audits in order to confirm that the operation is upholding high standards of animal welfare and humane care.
6. We can Help You with the Process
Humane Heartland staff is always available to discuss questions or concerns you might have about your operations or the program. Our program requires continuous improvement to meet the standards and your Producer Account Manager can work with you to understand and implement the process.
Offering products with the American Humane Certified™ label is good for animals, good for people, and good for business! We encourage you to become an American Humane Certified™ producer and join the nation’s oldest and largest 3rd party animal welfare auditing program.
Author: admin
Uniting Farmers, Ranchers, and Service Providers
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