G.A.P.’s comprehensive standards allow for continuous improvement in farm animal welfare. Our standards reflect the latest research in agricultural science combined with achievable, practical application
G.A.P.’s Animal Welfare Standards
Our multi-step standards are truly unique and are developed specifically for each animal group, taking into account different production systems and geographic climates. By involving input from farmers, ranchers, scientists, veterinarians, certifiers, industry experts, our Scientific Advisory Committee, and food companies, our standards development process represents a comprehensive mix of both scientific knowledge and practical application.
HOW G.A.P. SETS OUR STANDARDS
RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT
DRAFT
FIELD
TEST
COLLABORATION
REVISION
APPROVAL
Standards Based in Science
Our Farm Animal Welfare Team is comprised of research scientists with backgrounds in production farming and animal husbandry. Each member of our team has a graduate-level degree in animal behavior and welfare, and several of our senior-level members hold doctoral degrees. Our team has conducted research and published journal articles covering a variety of animal welfare topics and species-specific research. All of this learning goes into creating and vetting our G.A.P. Animal Welfare standards. Our expert team also keeps up with the latest research through continuing education courses in both industry and scientific settings. Give us a call. We can answer all of your questions about our comprehensive standards and the development process.
Our Scientific Advisors
Even though our G.A.P. Farm Team members have advanced degrees in animal behavior science, we have hand-selected a group of expert collaborators to form our G.A.P. Scientific Advisory Committee. Creating this advisory board ensures that our standards reflect the most up-to-date research in animal science.