The "Responsible Pork" mission is to serve as a change agent, bringing together senior-level pork industry influencers from all links of the pork food chain to exchange ideas, learn about challenges, find solutions and build networks.
Click here for a full review of the Responsible Pork Symposium 2008.
- Fertility, Feet and Financial Reward: Making the Connections
- by Terry Ward (1/1/2009)
- We are all aware of the move by a significant portion of the industry to adopt pen housing for gestation sows. It is clear that several major food companies are feeling the social pressure to source pork from production systems that use pen gestation instead of individual sow-gestation crates.
California Voters Pass Proposition 2
- by Pork news staff (11/5/2008)
- Animal welfare groups Farm Sanctuary and the Humane Society of the United States are celebrating the passage of Proposition 2 by California voters. The legislation passed by a margin of 63 percent to 36 percent in Tuesday’s voting.
Health: Doing the Right Things, and Doing Things Right
- by Pork news staff (11/1/2008)
- Those of us in the midst of an animal-health fire understand that things don’t always unfold as we plan. But if we’re honest, we also will admit that sometimes things go right in spite of our plan.
Editorial: We Need to Change the Dialogue
- by Maryls Miller (11/1/2008)
- Trust has been an eroding trait in the American psyche for some time.
- Report Measures U.S. Agriculture's Sustainability
- by Pork news staff (1/14/2009)
- A new report creates a framework for measuring agriculture sustainability. Developed to inform long-term continuous improvements in agriculture production, the initial findings indicate that crop production is already making progress toward reducing its environmental footprint.
Agricultural Air-Quality Task Force Back in Action
- by Pork news staff (11/12/2008)
- USDA Secretary Ed Schafer has renewed the Agricultural Air-Quality Task Force. He has selected the members to serve a two-year term through 2010.
Manure: The New Black Gold
- by Rick Jordahl (11/1/2008)
- The hog manure collecting in your lagoons or pits is more valuable today than ever. While it was always a useful resource, many pork producers now consider manure’s value a significant contribution to the facility’s cash flow.
EPA Finalizes CAFO Water Rule
- by Pork news staff (10/31/2008)
- The EPA has finalized a rule which regulates how concentrated animal feeding operations manage animal waste. EPA says the new regulations will prevent 56 million pounds of phosphorus, 110 million pounds of nitrogen, and 2 billion pounds of sediment from entering U.S. streams, lakes, and other waters annually.
- This Time, No-match Rule May Stick
- by Rick Jordahl (1/1/2009)
- Brace yourself for more government scrutiny of your workforce in the new year. With October’s release of the Supplemental Final Rule, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has renewed its commitment to bar illegal immigrants from the workplace.
- In Over Our Heads
- by Don Tyler (1/1/2009)
- Dear Boss question: The last year has been tough for us (employees) financially with the high prices for everything. When I talk to my boss about a raise, he just says, "Join the club." I guess he can’t pay us more simply because we need more, but isn’t there something he can do? All my credit cards are maxed out.
- We Need a Fireman
- by Don Tyler (1/1/2009)
- Dear Boss question: My boss is always telling us that her whole job is about "putting out fires." However, when "fires" erupt that have to do with people, she tends to avoid the issue. How can we help her take these employee issues more seriously?
- Responsible People Produce Pork Responsibly
- by Rick Jordahl (6/1/2008)
- In these times of increased public scrutiny, the employees that you hire, train and promote play an increasingly important role in your business’ long-term success and sustainability. While some view workers as warm bodies and a cost of raising hogs today, others see employees as valuable assets — human capital, if you will.
-
Now Pitching for the Pork Industry: You
- by Rick Jordahl (1/8/2009)
- A good pitcher — better yet, a deep bullpen — is essential for a successful baseball team. Those aligned against the U.S. pork industry today are throwing hard and fast every day to strike you out. Like some baseball teams, they also have the big budgets to try to get the job done.
- Attempts to Ban Antibiotic Use in Pigs, Misguided
- by Jennifer Greiner (1/1/2009)
- "Tainted meats point to superbug Clostridium difficile in food”; “Bacteria in Pork Showing Resistance to Antibiotics”; “Tests find drug-resistant bacteria in store-bought pork” ... Contrary to headlines that sometimes border on sensational, the U.S. pork industry continues to produce the safest, most nutritious and wholesome product in the world.
- Country-of-origin Labeling is Now a Reality
- by Kristin Eads and Jennifer Williams Zwagerman (1/1/2009)
- With the recent implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labeling on many fresh and frozen produce items and certain meat products, consumers are seeing new labels in their grocery stores. Not only does COOL impact the point of sale, it also affects the entire meat industry, from retailers to producers.
- FDA Reports Progress in Food Supply Protection
- by Pork news staff (12/1/2008)
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released a report on its implementation of the Food Protection Plan that was launched a year ago to protect both domestic and imported food from accidental and intentional contamination.
Today's pork industry is affected by many different challenges and influences, including; government regulations, activists pressure, production efficiencies, packer requirements, and consumer, retailer and food service demands. Our mission is to inform and educate U.S. pork producers on these new issues, and help all stakeholders within the pork food systems remain competitive in the global marketplace. For all pork industry stakeholders, our objective is to raise the level of awareness on current issues, facilitate communication, and ensure that we have a voice in defining what "responsible pork" means today.
