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Beretta Farms Achieves Step 4 Certification as Part of the Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Program

Posted on 10/20/2015

TORONTO, October 19, 2015 – Beretta Farms will now offer fresh beef rated Step 4 by the Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program and will be sold at Whole Foods Market stores. Global Animal Partnership is a non-profit organization dedicated to continually improving farm animal welfare through their third party audited 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program and is used by Whole Foods Market for all its beef, chicken, turkey, and pork products sold in the fresh meat case at all their stores in Canada and United States. This program is a multi-tiered rating system developed to promote and facilitate continuous improvement in animal agriculture, encourage animal welfare friendly farming practices, and inform consumers about the animal farming systems they choose to support with their purchases.

Beretta Farms’ recently upgraded their system in order to meet the Step 4: Pasture Centered requirements. Beretta Farms, founded in 1993 by Mike and Cynthia Beretta, is dedicated to animal welfare and working with like-minded organizations and businesses that share in their values.

Beretta Farms takes pride in raising their animals using animal welfare friendly farming practices, and is pleased to have also achieved certification under the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program. When asked about their Step 4: Pasture Centered rating, co-founder Cynthia Beretta said, “We take great care in raising our animals and are proud to be reaching new heights in a program dedicated to leadership in animal welfare.”

As part of the launch of the Step 4: Pasture Centered program, Beretta Farms will be flying in two of their ranchers whose farms are certified, Brad and Howard Toews from Saskatchewan, to meet with Whole Foods Market customers in the Greater Toronto Area. While here, the Toews will talk to customers about their farming and ranching practices, providing an opportunity for customers to meet one-on-one and learn more about the importance of following animal welfare standards such as that of the Global Animal Partnership, and Beretta’s commitment to transparency on how their animals are raised so consumers can make informed decisions about the meat they purchase.

For more information on Brad and Howard Toews scheduled visits to Whole Foods Market stores, click HERE.

Whole Foods Market works closely with suppliers like Beretta Farms to purchase the best meat possible. All of the beef, pork, chicken and turkey sold in the fresh meat case at Whole Foods Market comes from farms that have achieved certification from Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program. This is part of the company’s commitment to shoppers and helping them know exactly how the animal was raised for the meat they are buying.

For more information including detailed descriptions of the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program, please go to www.globalanimalpartnership.org.