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Dear Aggie, The holiday giving season is almost here. With so many different charities asking for donations, why should I give to AGW? We understand that you may feel bombarded or overwhelmed by nonprofits competing for your donations at this…
Dear Aggie, I’ve heard cutting out meat from my diet will help save the world. Is that true? Climate-Conscious in Cincinnati Dear Climate-Conscious, Thanks so much for writing in and asking such a timely question. We actually wrote a short…
Dear Aggie, Why are certification programs necessary? Doesn’t USDA or anyone else have any general farm animal welfare guidelines for farms and slaughter plants? Thanks, Asking in Alaska Dear Alaska, The truth is that voluntary programs, such as those offered…
Dear Aggie, I heard you only certify family farms – what does that mean? Thanks, Mom in Maine Dear Mom, Thanks for asking. We all want to support our nation’s farmers and I’m sure you’ve seen the growth in the…
Confused by food labels? Want to know which farming practices are really sustainable? Dear Aggie is ready to answer your food and farming questions! Take a look below at the questions others have asked. To ask your own, click on…
“Eat meat from people whose hands you can shake and whose ranches you can visit.” This was the take away from a recent OpEd that has been making the rounds, written by Ariel Greenwood, grazing manager at Freestone Ranch in the…
Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW standards require farmers and ranchers to maintain all animals at a Body Condition Score of 2 or more, while breeding animals must not exceed a score of 4 (both on a scale of 1…
This year, in a twist on our usual “Top Gifts from Big Ag,” we present the "The Twelve Days of Business," featuring special ‘gifts’ from Big Food, industrial agriculture and the corporations that now dominate our rural communities. Enjoy, and…
With all the words and phrases on today’s food packaging, food writers, bloggers and advocacy groups now play a vital role once occupied by scientists and practitioners in educating consumers, helping them navigate the ‘food labels minefield.’ It’s a big…
A professor at Cornell University is suggesting that shale gas and shale oil production—and not cattle—are the most likely cause of a steep increase in global methane emissions. Robert Howarth, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University—and an…
Grazed and Confused?—the new report from the University of Oxford’s Food Climate Research Network—represents an important step forward in advancing our scientific knowledge on how we might feed ourselves sustainably.
Written by a number of eminent scientists involved in exploring sustainable food production, the report seeks to address a specific—but vital—question in the sustainable food debate: What is the role of grazing ruminants in contributing to or mitigating climate change?
It is therefore extremely disappointing to see this important report being widely misrepresented in the media and misused by those who are calling for an end to food animal production, or to discredit grassfed or pasture-based livestock operations in favor of other species or production models.
The United States Department of Agriculture has recently approved imports of Irish beef making grassfed claims based on criteria including “More than 80% grass diet” and “Pasture for more than 6/7/8 months per year.” In response, A Greener World–North America’s leading sustainability certifier–is asking U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to consider the impact of this decision on the fledgling U.S. grassfed market and to ensure transparency for farmers and consumers.
