The ASPCA and Vermont Law School’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems have teamed up to update our Farm Animal Welfare Certification Guide to better serve farmers looking to make a difference for animals. The new edition includes four new case studies of welfare-certified farms, new certification comparisons for dairy goat standards, more information on the certification processes for different types of producers and businesses, and an expanded funding section identifying sources of private and state funding for welfare-certified farming.

The updated guide helps farmers and businesses committed to building a more humane, transparent food system assess and compare independent certification programs to find the best fit. It takes an in-depth look at the standards and requirements of three certification programs—Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World, Certified Humane, and Global Animal Partnership—all of which are recommended as part of the ASPCA’s Shop With Your Heart program.

“Demand for welfare-certified food is increasing at a rapid rate across the country, due in large part to institutional commitments to more humane purchasing,” said Kara Shannon, Senior Manager of the ASPCA’s Farm Animal Welfare Department. “It’s critical that we help farmers understand and meet this demand.”

As institutional, corporate, retail and consumer rejection of factory farmed products continues to grow, the ASPCA hopes states will prioritize funding to support farmers’ transition to welfare-certified systems. To date, only Vermont has passed legislation explicitly naming animal welfare certification projects as eligible for state grant funding. The ASPCA announced last week that we will underwrite Food Animal Concern Trust’s Animal Welfare Certification and Capacity Building grants for the fourth year in a row, providing farmers across the country with funding to become welfare-certified or expand their existing certified businesses.

To ensure that you’re up to date on the latest news and be part of building a more humane farming system, sign up to be on our Shop With Your Heart list!