I am going to start this page with a disclaimer: I am not a vegetarian. I have no problem with people who choose to be vegetarian or vegan. And I do believe that all omnivores should cut back on their meat consumption; I have made a conscious effort to do this. We can all benefit by moving towards a more plant-based diet and do better in regards to our purchasing of ethically-produced meats. That being said, I am not about to issue judgements or condemnations on this inflammatory topic, and I ask the same consideration from readers. This page is for those that choose to eat meat but would like to make more sustainable, ethical choices.

Why should we decrease our meat consumption?

Agriculture may the most resource-intensive industry of all, as well as a significant pollution source, especially when it comes to meat. The raising of cattle is alone one of the most damaging industries to our planet and is by far the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the agriculture sector.

You probably already know about the GHG emitted from cow burps and farts, but in case you need a refresher, here’s a quick summary: A cow’s digestion process produces methane, a potent GHG. When this gas is expelled from either end of the cow, it ultimately finds its way to the atmosphere, contributing to the heat trapping process that leads to climate change. These expulsions (especially the burps) contribute to half of the the agriculture industry’s overall emissions, which account for 25% to 30% of total global GHG emissions.

Animal manure is a large source of GHG and also negatively impacts water quality when contaminants run off into nearby waterways or leach into underground aquifers. This can lead to public health hazards and algae blooms.

The other lesser known impact of cattle ranching is deforestation. It may surprise you to know that clearing land to create pastures for cattle grazing and growing feed is responsible for 41% of worldwide deforestation. This includes a whopping 80% of the deforestation taking place in the Amazon rainforest, which has decreased in size by 17% over the past 50 years.

This deforestation carries numerous environmental consequences, from loss of habitat and wildlife, disruption of natural water cycles, decreased carbon sequestration abilitites, land erosion, increase of infectious diseases, and displacement of native peoples.

Most of the world’s beef comes from the Brazilian mega-corporation JBS. This company was founded on corruption and has continued on a course of illegal deforestation, cattle laundering, exploitation of workers, and much more.

Learn more about JBS and the consequences of raising cattle in my blog post.

Keys to ethically sourced meat

So what is the most sustainable meat?

There is no single answer to this question. And the question of ethical meat might mean something different between individuals.

To me, responsibly raised meats means that animals are kept outdoors, free to roam open land and graze naturally. They are treated humanely and not force fed or pumped full of hormones and antibiotics.

The best place to find humanely raised meat is from small operations–your local farmers and ranchers.

Buy local meat

According to NPR, “Many U.S. customers who want to support local food are likely unaware of the foreign origin of most grass-fed beef. By law, if meat is “processed,” or passes through a USDA-inspected plant (a requirement for all imported beef), it can be labeled as a product of the U.S.”

It is far easier to research local operations and get more accurate information about farming practices than the impossible task of following supply chain information from meat purchased from big-box supermarkets. Buying locally also cuts out middlemen and limits travel costs and emissions while supporting the local economy.

These products can be found at local farms, shops, grocers, and farmer’s markets. If you have lots of freezer space, you can also go in on a meat share with other people, where you buy a portion of an animal. The most comprehensive online resource to help you find local producers is the Good Meat Project.

A farm-share could become your new favorite shopping method. A farm-share, or CSA, is a subscription service to your local farm over a set period of time. This sustainable meat delivery can be especially helpful if you can’t make it to the farm in person.

The length and frequency of the delivery service is up to you, but a CSA is a great way to receive seasonal, local, and high-quality poultry, as well as fruits and vegetables. Most CSA services give consumers the option to choose a half-share rather than a full-share, thus decreasing food waste. Check out Local Harvest to find a farm-share near you.

Depending on where you live, sourcing local sustainable meat may be tricky. If you don’t have a good local spot to find responsibly-raised meats, a subscription boxes like ButcherBox might be the way to go. ButcherBox is a Certified B Corp that sources humanely raised beef, pork, bison, poultry, and seafood. These animals are free from hormones and antibiotics, and are third-party animal welfare certified. For more options, the non-profit animal welfare organization ASPCA has an awesome tool to help you find places to purchase whatever type of ethical meat product you are looking for.

Another advantage of buying local meat is the reduction of GHG gas emissions because of decreased distance to transport, as well as less intermediaries to handle the meat before it reaches you.

You probably already have surmised that any of these options is going to cost significantly more. This is thanks to the federal subsidies given to large producers that allows them to sell their meat for less, which is an unfortunate and unfair limitation that prevents access of ethical meat to a large number of people.

Understand meat labels

The vast majority of meats and poultry are regulated by the USDA; the remainder are monitored by the FDA. Many of the terms you will find on meat labels are vague and do not have universally accepted definitions. Some terms regulated by the USDA but many are a free-for-all and open to interpretation. In addition, many of these do not encompass all aspects of animal welfare.

If meat labeling has left you confused, you are not alone. It is important to understand terminology in order to make the best purchasing decisions. Third-party certifications are another important element to choosing sustainable meat.

Meat term definitions

Which general meat terms are USDA regulated?

Natural

The word ‘natural’ is one of the most common misleading words used in all of greenwashing. It sounds nice but generally has no specific definition or set of standards. While this term is technically regulated by the USDA, it does not mean what you think.

Many people think when it comes to meat, ‘natural’ means that animals were allowed to roam freely outdoors, and this is inaccurate. The USDA does actually have a specific definition for natural meat, and that is simply that it “lacks any artificial ingredients or added colors and is only minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product. The label must include a statement explaining the meaning of the term natural (such as ‘no artificial ingredients; minimally processed’)”.

An important distinction to make is that ‘natural’ is not the same as ‘organic.’ When it comes to natural meats, there are no regulations regarding animal living conditions or welfare, antibiotics, hormones, or any type of verification process.

This term has received a Poor rating from Consumer Reports and is best avoided.

Organic

• All organic livestock and poultry are required to have access to the outdoors year-round. Animals may only be temporarily confined due to documented environmental or health considerations.
• Dairy animals and animals for slaughter must be raised under organic management from the last third of gestation, or no later than the second day of life for poultry.
• Nonorganic dairies have a one-time opportunity to transition nonorganic animals to organic production (over a 12-month period).
• Producers must feed livestock agricultural feed products that are 100% organic, but they may also provide allowed vitamin and mineral supplements.
• Preventive management practices must be used to keep animals healthy. Producers may not withhold treatment from sick or injured animals. However, animals treated with a prohibited substance may not be sold as organic.
• Ruminants must be out on pasture for the entire grazing season, but for not less than 120 days. These animals must also receive at least 30% of their feed, or dry matter intake (DMI), from pasture.

Organic feed can include grains.

Keep in mind that some small farmers may raise animals organically but aren’t certified due to the high costs and time commitment for certification. Ask local farmers about their own practices.

No antibiotics

It is best to avoid antibiotics in meat products for several important reasons:

• Antibiotic resistance. Overuse of antibiotics in livestock can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These “superbugs” can spread to humans through meat consumption, animal handling, or environmental pathways, making it harder to treat infections with common antibiotics.
• Antibiotic residues in meat. While there are regulations to limit antibiotic residues in meat, improper use or withdrawal practices can lead to traces of antibiotics being present in the meat we consume, which may cause health concerns for sensitive individuals, contribute to allergic reactions, or interfere with treatment of infections.
• Pollution. Antibiotics used in livestock can end up in soil and water, contributing to environmental pollution and further promoting the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the ecosystem.
• Animal Welfare. In industrial farming, antibiotics are often used not just to treat sick animals but as growth promoters or preventive measures in crowded, unsanitary conditions. This can mask poor animal welfare practices and lead to concerns about the ethics of meat production.

No hormones added

According to the USDA:

Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry. Therefore, the claim “no hormones added” cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.”

The term “no hormones administered” may be approved for use on the label of beef products if sufficient documentation is provided to the Agency by the producer showing no hormones have been used in raising the animals.

Non-regulated meat terms

Pasture-raised or pastured

The USDA does not have an official, standardized definition for pasture-raised in the way it does for terms like free-range. This claim implies that animals were able to roam outdoors and forage plants naturally, but since there is no governance over this term, the actual time in pasture and quality of the land may not be what you envision. The level of care among pasture-raised animals can differ vastly between farms.

Just because an animal was “pasture-raised” doesn’t mean that its diet wasn’t supplemented with grain, or it wasn’t given hormones or antibiotics. This claim also doesn’t account for animal welfare or responsible land practices and proper grazing management. Seek third-party certifications, such as the American Grassfed Association or Certified Humane, which set clear standards for “pasture-raised” animals. These certifications address outdoor access, space requirements, minimal confinement, and guidelines for supplemental feeding.

Regenerative Farming And Ranching

The goal of regenerative agriculture is to care for land and ecosystems in a holistic manner, fostering relationships between the environment, animals, and humans. This philosophy addresses practices that prioritize important aspect of farming such as proper soil and land management, water conservation, decreased reliance on fossil fuels and chemical use, and social and cultural issues.

When it comes to livestock management, this means incorporating methods like rotating livestock through different pastures to prevent overgrazing, allow plant regrowth, and promotes soil health and preventing erosion. Manure returns to the soil, naturally adding nutrients for healthy grass and other plants.

Do your research to verify overall regenerative practices, which may be difficult, but there are a couple third-party certifications regarding regenerative farming: Certified Regenerative by AGW and Regenerative Organic Certified.

Family farmed or family owned

97% of all American farms are family-owned, so while a this statement is aimed to make you feel good and establish trust, it really does nothing to differentiate one operation from the next, and does not denote best practices. Terms like family-owned, operated, or farmed invoke images of a small-scale, local family farms with red barns and white picket fences, and while this can certainly be true, it does not indicate how responsibly or ethically operations are managed.

It is possible that these family farms might be under contracts with major meat processors, who dictate all day-to-day practices, which might not be the most ethical or eco-friendly. Animals on these farms might not even be owned by the farmers but by the meat corporations.

Unfortunately, this is essentially a meaningless marketing term and requires research of individual farms to determine whether it meets sustainable and ethical standards.

Certified

From the USDA: The term “Certified” implies that the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Agriculture Marketing Service have officially evaluated a meat product for class, grade, or other quality characteristics (e.g., “Certified Angus Beef”). When used under other circumstances, the term must be closely associated with the name of the organization responsible for the “certification” process, e.g., “XYZ Company’s Certified Beef.”

Humanely Raised

There is no legal definition or minimum welfare standard for a “humane” label. Unless you choose food with independent third-party certification that meets high-welfare standards, you’re possibly still purchasing products from industrially farmed animals that have been confined indoors, given antiobiotics, and subjected to inhumane practices like beak trimming, tail docking, or force feeding.

No animal byproducts

Sometimes farmers choose to add animal byproducts to animal feed in order to supplement protein intake. These are often parts of slaughtered animals that will not be consumed by humans, such as bone meal, feather meal, gelatin, whey, and fats such as tallow. Fish meal is another commonly used ingredient, however this does not come as a byproduct from fishing but rather fish are caught for the very purpose of becoming animal feed. These can be given to ruminants like cows and sheep that are normally herbivores, and animals can also be fed these supplements that come from their own species.

Besides the ethical concerns, there have been significant consequences of feeding these to ruminants. The outbreak of Mad Cow Disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in the 1980s-1990s was attributed to this practice.

While this process is in theory a good upcycling use of waste, there are numerous other chemical, pharmaceutical and energy applications for these byproducts.

Slaughter

To be honest, before I researched this, I didn’t know anything about the slaughtering process. What an oxymoron ‘humane slaughter’ is. But there’s no doubt there are better ways to accomplish this than others.

 The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a department of the USDA, is responsible for ensuring that all federally inspected livestock establishments are complying with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Originally enacted in 1958, this act protects all livestock except for poultry and requires imported meat products to comply.

This act essentially requires slaughterhouses to stun animals unconscious prior to slaughter (there are religious exceptions made for halal and kosher meat). This is achieved by electrical, chemical, or mechanical methods.

Approved methods listed by A Greener World (AGW) include:

Penetrating or non-penetrating captive bolt is where a captive bolt pistol delivers a forceful blow to the animal’s forehead, rendering it instantly unconscious by damaging the brain. This is the most common method for large livestock like cattle.

Electric stunning via hand held devices, which passes an electrical current through the brain to render the animal unconscious. This is often used for pigs, poultry, and sheep.

Electric stunning via water bath is often used for poultry, where birds are hung upside down and their heads are submerged in the electrified water, rendering them unconscious. However, this method can sometimes fail due to issues like water conductivity problems.

Electric stunning via dry plate is an alternative to the water bath for poultry. In this method, birds come into direct contact with the electrified dry plate, which delivers a controlled electric shock to render them unconscious. These systems can offer more consistent stunning outcomes compared to water bath methods, ensuring that all animals are effectively and humanely stunned. And because no water is involved, this method can help maintain better hygiene and reduce contamination risks associated with the traditional water bath.

Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) uses gases, most commonly carbon dioxide, to render animals unconscious before slaughter. It is considered a more humane alternative to traditional electrical stunning methods because animals are not subjected to the stress of being physically restrained, inverted, or otherwise handled. which can occur in other stunning methods. This method is usually used for poultry and pigs.

After an animal is stunned, it is usually killed cutting the major blood vessels (e.g., the carotid artery or jugular vein) and allowing them to bleed out.

Animal blood is a valuable byproduct of the slaughtering process, used in many industries to minimize waste and increase sustainability. Examples are the production of blood meal (a fertilizer), pharmaceutical products such as vaccines, and industrial uses.

Best animal welfare certifications to look for

Since many individual claims are not to be trusted and do not fully address animal welfare, look for these third-party certifications to help you select ethically-raised meat.

Sustainable beef

As discussed in the introduction, beef sustainability is a serious environmental issue the planet is facing. Again, whether or not you choose to eat meat is a personal decision, but if you do, work towards decreasing the amount you eat, and when you do, spend a few extra dollars to buy sustainably-produced beef.

sustainable beef production

Grass-fed

The USDA does have a definition for grass-fed, which focuses solely on diet: “Grass (Forage) Fed” means that grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. The diet shall be derived solely from forage consisting of grass (annual and perennial), forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), browse, or cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain) state. Animals cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.”

There are several problems with this. First, despite maintaining a definition for grass-fed, the USDA does not verify or enforce these claims, making it important to again rely on third-party certifications. Secondly, every other source online states that a cow can be considered “grass-fed” if at least 50% of its diet was grass, but can still be fed grain. They can also given certain supplements like vitamins and minerals, in addition to antibiotics or hormones, although these are less likely in grass-fed animals. And last, being grass-fed does not necessarily mean the animal was pasture-raised in open fields.

It is important to know that around 75-80% of grass-fed beef sold in the US comes from other parts of the world like Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America. Once meat passes through a USDA-inspected plant, which is required for all imported beef and other meats, it can be labeled as a product of the U.S., which can lead consumers to believe they are supporting local farmers.

Grass fed vs grain fed

Instead of being allowed to forage naturally for their food, grain-fed livestock are fed a diet of corn, soy, and other grains either exclusively or as a supplement. There are no legal regulations, definitions, or verifications.

The gastrointestinal systems of ruminants like cows and sheep are meant to digest grass, not grain, so raising these animals on a diet contrary to what nature intended often leads to digestive issues and liver abscesses.

In turn, farmers use antibiotics to prevent and/or treat these conditions. These medications also help prevent disease among the herd, since grain-fed cows are usually kept in tight quarters in feedlots. Additionally, antibiotic use maximizes digestion, which accelerates growth and weight gain, resulting in faster time to to goal weight and slaughter. This quick growth results in grain-fed beef containing more fat than grass-fed, which makes it more tender, and potentially offers more flavor, which is preferred by many consumers.

Since grass-fed cows are not subject to imposed digestion issues, they do not require antibiotics (unless for unrelated reasons) and are generally not given hormones. However, it takes longer for them to reach optimal slaughter weight. Because of this, grass-fed beef costs 15-18% more. Since these animals are allowed to roam, grass feeding operations require significantly more land than crowded feedlots. This can lead to disastrous consequences like deforestation and soil degradation if not managed correctly (see regenerative farming).

As far as which method of raising cattle is more eco-friendly, it’s complicated. Many studies have shown grassfed cattle have a higher carbon imprint due to their slower growth and therefore longer “finishing time” before slaughter.

However, greenhouse gas emissions can be somewhat or completely offset when considering carbon sequestration from grasses and soil. In addition, farming practices such as handling of manure and diet management strategies for both methods can vary greatly and have a significant impact on emissions.

Land use is probably the biggest concern when it comes to sustainability of beef. Of all habitable land, almost half (45%) is used for agriculture, and two-thirds of that is utilized for livestock grazing while cropland composes the remainder. But only half of crops produced are destined for human consumption; the other half is used for other purposes such as biofuel, and of course, animal feed.

Grain-fed cattle use much less land, at least directly. But only half of the crops grown on farms is destined for human consumption; the other half is used for other purposes, largely animal feed. Besides land use, these crops come with an additional set of environmental woes. Grains like corn and soy are often grown as a single crop, and these large monocultures limit biodiversity and can have negative effects on soil. Additionally, they are heavy users of water and chemicals. Pesticides decrease populations of important insects such as bees and butterflies, and large amounts of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer contributes to a crop’s overall emissions because fertilizer production is energy-intensive. Synthetic fertilizers also release nitrous oxide, a GHG that is about 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

All things considered, when it comes to animal welfare and what is more “natural,” there’s no question that distinction belongs to grass fed beef.

• Grass fed beef is considered healthier, too. It is leaner than grain fed beef and contains less unhealthy, aka saturated, fats. It also offers more important fatty acids like Omega 3 and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid).

Grass-finished

These are essentially 100% grass-fed cows that exclusively ate grass and foraged for their entire lives, from start to finish.

Grass fed vs grass finished

To summarize, all grass finished cows are grass fed, but not all grass fed cows are grass finished. It is possible for grass-fed cows to have received supplementation of grains at some point in their lives, but grass finished ate nothing but grass.

Niman Ranch

Go Green: Organic, grass-finished AGA or AGW certified beef

Pork

Unfortunately, indoor and outdoor space requirements for pigs are not included in the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS). But there are changes requiring organic farmers to provide rooting materials for pigs in addition to enrichments that encourage the animals to go outside and use the natural enrichment provided by soil and vegetation. 

organic pork, grass fed pork, pasture raised pork, pasture raised bacon, grass fed pigs, pastured pork, humanely raised pork, free range pork, pasture pork

heritage pork

Go Green:

Go Green:

Chicken

People love chicken. As an option to consuming less red meat in favor of health recommendations and price, these birds have become the most consumed meat in the both the US as well as globally. The National Chicken Council reports that the 2023 per capita consumption of chicken in the US was 101.1 pounds. In 1960 this number was 28.

Broiler chickens provide most of the chicken meat consumed in the US, accounting for 67% of all poultry sector sales between 2013-2022. Production increased by 22% during this time period in order to meet growing demand.

According to the USDA, “Feed is generally the most significant production cost across livestock, and poultry converts feed to human food products (meat and eggs) more efficiently than larger livestock. Modern poultry genetics drove a dramatic increase in poultry feed conversion over time, requiring less feed (and duration) to produce market-ready birds (and eggs) and resulting in highly competitive product prices.”

Chicken feed

First, what do chickens eat normally? Chickens are omnivores, and in the wild or free range they eat insects, such as termites, ants, grasshoppers, and worms. Leaves, berries, and fruit round out their diet.

Domesticated chickens are usually raised on feed. Chicken feed consists of grains and grain byproducts, usually corn, soybean meal, and wheat and may also include cereals and byproducts like sorghum, barley or rye. Those raised for meat are fed higher amounts of protein to create more muscle tissue, usually provided by soybean, canola or sunflower meal.

Most of the emissions (78%) related to chicken farming are related to the production of feed. Remember that crops grown for animal feed make up two-thirds of all cropland. Corn is a large part of chicken feed, and this crop alone is repsonble for significant amounts of air pollution, primarily from fertilizer use, which emits ammonia into the atmosphere and is responsible for 4,300 air pollution-related deaths annually in the US. Ammonia and other components of fertilizer also pollute waterways. High amounts of pesticides are typically used in corn production.

Another important aspect to note about these crops is that they are typically GMO plants. There is no difference nutritionally, but the eco-friendliness is another matter. GMO crops can compromise soil health, contribute to herbicide resistance, and other problems. Learn more about benefits of non-GMO. Organic chicken is also non-GMO.

One last concern about chicken feed is that protein sources sometimes include animal byproducts such as bone, feather and fish meal and even poultry meat. Cannibalism isn’t bad for chickens in the way that it is for ruminants. Whether you are comfortable eating chickens that were fed chicken meat is a personal decision. If that makes you feel a bit weird, then look for chicken that were fed animal byproduct-free feed, or are labeled “Vegetarian-fed.”

Living conditions

Cage-free chicken

The term Cage-Free is misleading on several counts. First, this only applies to egg-laying hens; meat birds are never caged. Despite this, the cage-free label can still be found on some brands of poultry meats.

The USDA defines this as “hens that are able to roam vertically and horizontally in indoor houses, and have access to fresh food and water. Cage-free systems vary from farm-to-farm, and can include multi-tier aviaries. They must allow hens to exhibit natural behaviors and include enrichments such as scratch areas, perches and nests. Hens must have access to litter, protection from predators and be able to move in a barn in a manner that promotes bird welfare.”

The “free” space hens are allowed to roam can still be quite minimal, and most of these hens are still confined to crowded barns with thousands of other birds and not given time outdoors.

Beak trimming, or removing ⅓ to ½ of the beak, is allowed in these birds. This painful procedure is done to reduce pecking amongst the birds, which can lead to death or cannibalism, which can be especially common in large flocks. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “all methods of beak-trimming induce pain and physiologic stress in birds.”

The reasons that birds engage in this behavior is usually tied to stress and inadequate living conditions, i.e. overcrowding in cages and barns. Hens need proper space as well as opportunities for natural behaviors, such as foraging, dust bathing, and perching to reduce stress, boredom, and aggression, making them less likely to engage in harmful pecking.

• Certified Humane – requires “1.5 square feet per hen, litter for dust bathing, perches for the birds, and ammonia levels at a maximum of 10ppm, which means the scent is imperceptible.” Allows minimal beak trimming to be done within the first 10 days of life by trained and competent operators using approved methods.
• AGW – Beak trimming is prohibited.

As of June 2023, 38% of egg-laying hens in the US were certified as cage-free.

Free range chicken

The USDA’s definition for Free Range is not terribly different than cage free, and usually pertains to specifically to poultry rather than egg-layers. These birds “are able to roam vertically and horizontally in indoor houses, and have access to fresh food and water, and continuous access to the outdoors during their laying cycle. The outdoor area may be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material. Housing systems vary from farm-to-farm, and can include multi-tier aviaries. They must allow hens to exhibit natural behaviors and include enrichments such as scratch areas, perches and nests. Hens must have access to litter, protection from predators and be able to move in a barn in a manner that promotes bird welfare.”

However, the USDA only requires written documentation of housing conditions and does not specify the duration, size, or quality of the outdoor area, or even whether the birds actually go outdoors—they only need to have the ability to access it. The birds might only have access to the outdoors for a minimal period each day, a concrete porch, or even via a small hole that they cannot fit their entire bodies through.

If choosing between cage-free vs free range, the latter is the better choice, not necessarily by much, unless certified by a third-party.

Certified Humane – requires 2 sq. ft. per bird. The hens must be outdoors, weather permitting (in some areas of the country, seasonal), and when they are outdoors they must be outdoors for at least 6 hours per day.

According to the National Chicken Council, less than 1% of chickens are considered free range.

Pasture raised chicken

Since the USDA lacks an official, standardized definition for pasture-raised, this claim is open to interpretation. While it implies that chickens are roaming outdoors freely and foraging for insects and plants naturally, the actual time in pasture and quality may not be what you envision. The level of care among pasture-raised animals can differ vastly between farms.

Just because an animal was “pasture-raised” doesn’t mean that wasn’t given hormones or antibiotics. This claim also doesn’t account for responsible land practices or animal welfare. Seek third-party certifications that set clear standards for “pasture-raised” animals, including outdoor access, space requirements, minimal confinement, and guidelines for supplemental feeding.

Certified Humane – Requires 1000 birds per 2.5 acres (108 sq. ft. per bird) and the fields must be rotated.  The hens must be outdoors year-round, with mobile or fixed housing where the hens can go inside at night to protect themselves from predators, or for up to two weeks out of the year, due only to very inclement weather. All additional standards must be met.   

Organic chicken

USDA Organic certification ensures that chickens are fed an organic chicken feed, which is also non-GMO, and are raised without antibiotics or synthetic hormones. Organic chickens must also have access to the outdoors, though the quality of outdoor access is not always specified.

Organic chickens have better quality feed and are free from synthetic chemicals, contributing to a healthier product for consumers. However, it’s important to note that organic does not always guarantee high animal welfare standards unless combined with other certifications like pasture-raised.

Organic chicken standards regarding indoor and outdoor space requirements are part of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS), which took effect in January 2024, but unfortunately producers have until 2029 to become fully compliant. However, by 2025, organic farmers will be required to give chickens access to perches and dustbathing opportunities, including enrichments that encourage the animals to go outside and use the natural enrichment provided by soil and vegetation. 

sustainable chicken farming

Mary’s chicken

Slaughter

To be honest, before I researched this, I didn’t know anything about the slaughter process. It’s hard to reconcile anything about slaughter (such a harsh word) being humane, but there are of course better ways to accomplish this.

Turkey

The sex designation of “hen” (female) or “tom” (male) turkey is optional on the label, and is an indication of size rather than the tenderness of a turkey. “Young turkey” are birds of either sex that are less than 8 months of age according to present USDA regulations.

Greenwashing is rampant when shopping for poultry, including turkey. Beware of meaningless labels like “cage-free” (which only applies to eggs; meat birds are never caged). “Hormone-free” is also universally true of turkeys, since the USDA forbids treating turkeys with hormones. Unless a turkey is certified organic or labeled “USDA Process Verified,” don’t trust antibiotic-free labels either.

A USDA certified organic label on your turkey means the turkey was fed crops 100% free of GMOs, chemicals, and pesticides. USDA-certified turkeys are not given antibiotics or hormones, and they’re raised in fair conditions. 

Free-range, contrary to its name, only requires that turkeys are allowed to roam freely for half of their lives. Unfortunately, the other half could have been spent in inhumane conditions. Therefore, when buying free-range turkeys, it’s important to also look for the Certified Humane label. This label ensures the turkey was raised in healthy living conditions.

It’s also important to note that free-range turkeys are different from the controversial CAFO-raised turkeys, which are often confided in large-scale, industrial facilities.

A pasture-raised turkey is raised on a pasture or piece of well-kept grassland. The turkeys are only exposed to the food nature has to offer, meaning they eat things like berries and bugs.

A good way to ensure the bird was pasture-raised is to look for a the Global Animal Partnership‘s Animal Welfare Certified label and the number stamped on it. The numbers on this label range from 1-5+, with 5+ being the best

Unfortunately, indoor and outdoor space requirements for turkeys are not included in the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS).

Ducks & geese

foie gras