Perdue Farms Achieves High Ranking from Global Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare for Third Consecutive Year

SALISBURY, Md., April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In its eighth annual report, the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW), the leading global measure of policy commitment, performance, and disclosure on animal welfare in food companies, ranked Perdue Farms Tier 2 for the third consecutive year for the company's demonstrated commitment to animal care. The 2019 Benchmark analyzed 150 global food companies and is supported by Compassion in World Farming and World Animal Protection.

Established in 2012, the BBFAW is considered the first global measure of company performance on animal welfare and reserves the top-two tiers for companies that demonstrate strong commitments to farm animal welfare and have established management systems and processes.

This Tier 2 ranking recognizes that Perdue Farms has made farm animal welfare an integral part of its business strategy, and places the company among the top 15 percent of more than 150 global food companies ranked in the report, in the top 7% of U.S. food companies ranked, and one of only two U.S. poultry or meat companies to achieve Tier 2 or higher.

As proof points for achieving this high rank, the report cites Perdue's Research Farm, which studies different chicken breeds in addition to the effects of brighter light, more space, outdoor access, and enrichments as part of our continuous improvement in poultry care; our latest Animal Care Report, in which we demonstrate our commitment to research and innovation across key chicken welfare areas; our annual Animal Care Summit, during which we bring together animal care experts and advocates, customers, farmers, and company leadership to discuss our latest animal care updates; and the various financial incentives we introduced to ensure that broiler farmer income is not negatively impacted by the implementation of higher welfare measures, such as incentivizing live bird-handling and rewards for welfare outcomes in addition to productivity.

"We share a common objective with the BBFAW, which is to continuously improve the welfare of the animals in our care. This high ranking for the third year in a row validates progress toward our vision to be the most-trusted name in premium protein, and provides independent, third-party recognition of our commitments," said Randy Day, CEO of Perdue Farms. "This ranking also shines an important spotlight on our family farmers, who help raise our chickens with the highest standards and utmost care. Especially during this uncharted time of COVID-19, we see our farmers' tireless dedication now more than ever as they remain committed to their essential roles in helping to keep our nation fed."

Beyond the company rankings, the BBFAW 2019 cites consumer interest in farm animal welfare, coupled with positive momentum inside a majority of the world's most influential food companies as key accelerators of year on year change.

Nicky Amos, Executive Director of the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, said, "The 2019 findings demonstrate that the BBFAW continues to be an important driver of change. An increasing number of companies are using the annual benchmark to drive continuous improvement in farm animal welfare practices, performance and disclosure."

"This tool makes it clear which companies are leading, and which are lagging," said Steve McIvor, CEO at World Animal Protection. "Food producers, supermarkets and restaurant chains will ignore the demands of consumers at their own peril. With this tool, we expose who's leading the way on animal welfare, and who's lagging and showing little concern for animal cruelty. The BBFAW tool provides a robust and objective analysis of corporate disclosure on farm animal welfare, and makes animal welfare information easily accessible."

About Perdue Farms
We're a fourth-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company in our 100^th year of business. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.

The PERDUE^® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the U.S., and the company is the leader in organic chicken in the U.S., and Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. Now in our centennial year, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey and pork, and in USDA-certified organic chicken. Learn more at corporate.perduefarms.com.

SOURCE Perdue Farms