USDA Helps Dairy and Beef Industries Reach More Domestic and Global Markets

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today made two announcements about its Animal Welfare Assessment Program (AWAP), which offers an independent assessment for industry animal welfare standards and programs.  AWAP is a voluntary service for industry organizations that evaluates animal welfare standards for conformance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Specification (TS) 34700 – Animal Welfare Assessment Program.  The AWAP offers organizations a way to reach new customers by meeting international animal welfare standards.

 

First, AMS has determined that the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program meets the requirements of the TS 34700.

 

“This is the first livestock animal care program approved by AMS under the assessment program which establishes a strong framework for industry animal welfare standards and programs to be verified that they are rooted in science and can be widely accepted,” said Greg Ibach, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

 

The National Dairy FARM Program comprises dairy farmers, cooperatives and processors across the United States. The National Milk Producers Federation, with support from Dairy Management, Inc., created the National Dairy FARM Program to ensure that farmers demonstrate a commitment to quality farm management practices and safe, wholesome dairy products.

 

AMS also announced it has finalized the Beef Cattle Production Systems Checklist, which is now available on the agency’s website, allowing organizations with beef animal welfare programs to be assessed.  AMS will continue to work with interested industry partners to develop checklists for other species with established World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) animal welfare chapters.

 

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.