Retailer Walmart is requiring its suppliers to improve animal welfare and reduce the use of antibiotics

Walmart, the American retail giant, now requires its suppliers to improve animal welfare conditions and limit the use of antibiotics to the treatment of diseases. It thus joins other multinationals (Tyson Foods, McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A) that have recently adopted these new best practices… under pressure from consumers and shareholders. Does this signal the end of antibiotic-raised chicken? In any case, Walmart says it has listened to its customers and is asking its meat producers to comply with new requirements regarding farming practices, treatment, slaughter, and animal welfare. This initiative aims to curb the widespread use of antibiotics across the Atlantic, particularly in industrial poultry farms. Since October 2014, Walmart has been committed to a sustainable food sourcing and supply system, which includes improving food safety and transparency in the food chain. Today, the company is expanding its goals by taking a stand against animal abuse and the irresponsible use of antibiotics in livestock farming. These guidelines will also apply to U.S. suppliers of Sam’s Club, its wholesale subsidiary. As such, Walmart is urging its partners to implement practices consistent with the five core principles of animal welfare:

• report cases of animal abuse and take appropriate disciplinary and corrective measures;
• identify and implement solutions to improve farming conditions (housing, painful procedures) and slaughter practices;
• promote transparency by publishing annual progress reports on their company’s animal welfare policy and the progress made in this area.

  Regarding the use of antibiotics, Walmart advocates three additional rules that farmers must follow:

• adopt and implement the AVMA’s (American Veterinary Medical Association) principles on the prudent use of antimicrobials—particularly through veterinary oversight—and limit antibiotic therapy to sick or at-risk animals;
• adopt and implement the best practices published by the Food and Drug Administration in 2013 on their own farms, including ceasing all use of antibiotics that are medically important to humans as growth promoters;
• promote transparency by providing an annual report on their antibiotic management and publicly disclosing it.

  There is still a long way to go, as U.S. farms account for approximately 80% of the antibiotics consumed in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, thereby contributing to the development of resistant bacteria. Nevertheless, initiatives have been multiplying in recent months, raising hopes for progress on this front. For example, Tyson Foods, one of the largest producers of poultry and pork and the leading exporter of U.S. beef, announced in late April its intention to produce antibiotic-free broiler chickens by 2017, thereby joining the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. Starting this summer, the company is expected to extend this reduction to its cattle, hog, and turkey herds. Similarly, McDonald’s announced in early March that its 14,000 restaurants in the United States will no longer serve chicken raised with antibiotics (intended for human use) by March 2017. Another fast-food chain, Chick-Fil-A, made the same decision last year, setting a five-year goal. To date, 20 percent of its poultry supply already comes from farms that no longer use antibiotics as growth promoters. McDonald’s announcement could influence other chains, and even the U.S. chicken industry as a whole. However, it is limited to poultry and the U.S. market; beef and pork are not affected. Furthermore, producers can still use antibiotics to prevent and treat animal diseases resulting, in particular, from overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. These drugs serve as a crutch to prop up the entire U.S. intensive farming system. Ultimately, these best practices need to be extended to other Livestock and to the rest of the world. In France, Carrefour recently launched a program for pork raised without antibiotics. The French retailer had previously conducted a successful pilot program in Auvergne.