Broiler welfare: Who is behind Global Animal Partnership?

Foodservice and restaurant companies following the recent trend of adopting broiler welfare standards have typically been pledging to adopt standards set by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) by 2024.

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Leah Garces is the chairperson of the Global Animal Partnership. | LinkedIn
Leah Garces is the chairperson of the Global Animal Partnership. | LinkedIn

Editor’s note: In addition to publishing its regular news coverage of broiler welfare issues and the movement toward slower-growing broilers, WATT Global Media will be publishing a special series on these topics. This is the third installment of the series.

Foodservice and restaurant companies following the recent trend of adopting broiler welfare standards have typically been pledging to adopt standards set by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) by 2024.

GAP standards call for the following:

  • Using broiler breeds scientifically proven to have markedly improved welfare outcomes
  • Providing chickens with more space (maximum stocking density of 6 lbs./sq. ft.) and improved environments, including lighting, litter and enrichments

But other questions commonly asked are what is GAP and who are the people that make decisions on behalf of the GAP?

According to the GAP website, its origins date back to 2008, when Whole Foods Market successfully piloted a step-rated program at the launch of its flagship store in London, England. Whole Foods CEO thought a greater impact could be achieved internationally by having an independent organization own and develop a farm animal welfare certification program. That led to the creation of GAP.

Anne Malleau serves as the executive director of GAP. She resides on a farm in Ontario, Canada, and holds masters degrees in animal behavior and welfare and agribusiness.

GAP is presently governed by a seven-member board. None of the board members are involved in broiler production, although one is involved in pork production and another is involved in beef production. Also present on the board is a Whole Foods Market representative and leaders from four animal rights or animal welfare organizations. Board members do not specifically set the standards, but they do approve them in their final form, according to Malleau.

According to the GAP website, the seven board members are:

1. Leah Garces, USA director, Compassion in World Farming

Garces serves as the chairperson of the GAP board. Garces, according to the Compassion in World Farming (CWF) website, has worked to advance welfare for farm animals for two decades, and through her work with CWF, she provides strategic and technical advice to food businesses to advance policies and practices that result in measurable improvements for farm animals.

CWF states that it seeks to end all “cruel factory farming practices."

On her LinkedIn page, Garces stated that she was the director of campaigns and programs for the World Society for the Protection of Animals from April 2003 to November 2010.

2. A.C. Gallo, president and chief operating officer, Whole Foods Market

Gallo is the representative from the company that was instrumental in the founding of the GAP.

He has been with the company since 1992, having previously served as vice president and later president of the company’s Northeast region.

In June, Whole Foods agreed to be acquired by online retail giant Amazon for $13.7 billion. The acquisition was finalized on August 28. 

Gallo writes an occasional blog that appears on the Whole Foods website. The majority of those blog posts focus on genetically modified organism (GMO) issues.

3. Wayne Pacelle, CEO and president, Humane Society of the United States

Pacelle has been the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) since 2004, having previously spent about 10 years as the organization’s chief lobbyist and spokesperson. He is also one of three original HSUS board members.

HSUS has been actively tracking commitments to GAP standards, maintaining a list that can be found online.

Animal issues important to Pacelle are covered in his regular blog, A Humane Nation, which appears on the HSUS website. Pacelle’s blog post on August 9 praised Sonic for committing to adopt GAP standards, while chastising poultry companies skeptical of the GAP broiler movement.

4. Dr. Aaron Gross, founder and CEO, Farm Forward

Gross founded Farm Forward in 2007, after seeing a need for an organization devoted entirely to “ending factory farming and creating humane and sustainable alternatives to it.”

He is a tenured associate professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches courses on animals and religion, food and religion, and modern Jewish thought. Gross also serves on the Faith Advisory Council of HSUS.

Farm Forward has been actively involved with the development of the Good Shepherd Poultry Institute, a facility dedicated to training people how to raise heritage chicken and turkey breeds. The institute is being located near Lindsborg, Kansas.

5. Matthew Bershadker, president and CEO, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Bershadker was named president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 2013 after working for the organization for the previous 12 years. Prior to obtaining his presidential role, he was senior vice president of the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Group.

6. Dan Probert, owner, Probert Ranch

Probert, of Probert Ranch and Country National Beef, is one of only three remaining original GAP board members, and one of only two board members directly involved in animal agriculture.

On the GAP website, Probert stated that he was once dismissive of the idea of GAP.

“When I was first made aware of Global Animal Partnership and the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards program, I honestly dreaded it. How could an organization whose board of directors consisted primarily of retailers, academics and animal welfare advocates, including some who have been vocal in criticizing beef production, have my and my coop’s best interest in mind?” he said.

However, he said he got involved because he felt the need to do his part to bridge the divide between urban and rural residents and their understanding of agriculture. He also wanted to make sure that people with limited exposure to agriculture understand that producers do care about their animals and the land.

7. Paul Willis, manager, Niman Ranch Pork Company

Niman Ranch started in the early 1970s as a family-owned cattle company. It expanded into pig production after company leaders met Willis and were impressed with the way he was moving away from common industry practices and embracing pig production methods that it viewed as more focused on animal welfare and land stewardship.

In 2016, Niman Ranch achieved certification through the Humane Farm Animal Care Certified Humane program. 

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