Saputo Pushes For Strict Industry Reform Against Animal Abuse
By Karla Paris
Canadian dairy company has responded to a farm involved in animal abuse by no longer accepting its milk products
On June 9, when news spread of suspected animal abuse at Canada’s-largest dairy farm, Chilliwack Cattle Sales, the company said that it “obviously failed.” Little did the company know just how painful this discovery would be to its business.
Saputo, who produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk, and cream products, announced just a week after the alleged incident that it would no longer be accepting milk from Chilliwack Cattle Sales and is leading the push for strict reform against animal abuse in the dairy industry.
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While Saputo does not own or operate any dairy farms in Canada, the company, like all dairy processors in Canada, is required by law to purchase milk from the provincial milk marketing boards. Since Saputo learned of the animal abuse at the farm in British Columbia, the company has used its position as Canada’s-largest milk processor to ensure the situation at Chilliwack is being addressed and will not occur in the future.
Saputo is using this situation as a catalyst for change to ensure the proper treatment of dairy cattle through appropriate, enforceable, and legal measures including severe penalties for offenders. The company has reached out to the British Columbia Minister of Agriculture, the British Columbia Dairy Association, the British Columbia Dairy Council, and the British Columbia Farm Industry Review Board. The British Columbia Milk Marketing Board is also gotten involved and says it has reached an unprecedented decision to destroy milk from the farm under investigation. This decision was made in response to requests from processors that deliveries do not include milk from Chilliwack Cattle Sales until an investigation has been completed.
The move by Saputo to lead the charge against animal cruelty should come as no surprise to those that work with Saputo regularly. Saputo is a supporter of animal well-being in partnership with the dairy industry through multiple organizations and government agencies, which the company is leveraging in its most recent battle with those farms not meeting animal care expectations.
The company recognizes and shares consumer, government, investor, and civil society organizations’ concerns about animal welfare, including healthy living conditions, nutritious diets, and good medical care. Dairy processors depend on dairy farmers to provide high-quality milk and this begins with high animal care standards, as healthy herds are essential to the dairy industry as a whole. Proper animal care translates into the production of high-quality milk.