
Agricultural News
Temple Grandin Shares Her Vision for Transparency in Animal Agriculture
Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:38:50 CDT
Renowned Colorado State University Professor of Livestock Behavior and Welfare Dr. Temple Grandin recently spoke at the statewide Women in Agriculture conference in Oklahoma City. During her presentation she asserted that animal agriculture must continue to work to be more transparent in everything the industry does for the general public.
"We need to be showing what we do," Grandin said, "because if we don't show what we do, other people will show it in a really nasty way."
Although she believes there is still ample room for improvement in the industry, Grandin does acknowledge that people are handling animals better today than they have in recent years past.
"That is the bright spot," Grandin said. "The last ten years or so it's really taken a big turn for improvement."
Dr. Grandin says since she began pioneering in the field of animal welfare, she has discovered that people are very willing to use methods, tools and equipment like the corrals she has designed for years to lower the stress of their animals. She was very proud to report that in a recent study conducted by a student of hers, she found that the electric prod use score was down to only four percent from previously 500 percent.
To illustrate her vision of transparency for the industry, Grandin referenced Fair Oaks Farm located outside of Chicago where the public is invited into their working dairy to view the normal operations and activities in an exhibition style environment. She says there is an indoor hog farm as well, that visitors can explore called Pig Adventure. Grandin believes there needs to be more of this sort of thing to help educate and expose those unfamiliar with agriculture.
"You can't totally get rid of large scale practices you have to use that," Grandin said, "but there's some things you have got to change and then open up the door and show the public."
Listen to Dr. Temple Grandin talk more on her thoughts regarding transparency in animal agriculture on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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