We Care® Ethical Principles
The Ethical Principles were initially approved on March 7, 2008, by the Pork Act Delegates. We Care® is an overarching philosophy and commitment grounded in the six Ethical Principles that guide America’s pig farmers in all that they do.
Preamble
U.S. pork producers recognize our obligation to build and maintain the trust of customers and the public in our products and our practices. To promote confidence in what we do and how we do it, we affirm the following ethical principles.
Food Safety: We affirm our obligation to produce safe food.
- Use management practices consistent with producing safe food.
- Manage the health of the herd to produce safe food.
- Manage technology to produce safe food.
Animal Well-being: We affirm our obligation to protect and promote animal well-being.
- Provide feed, water and an environment that promotes the well-being of our animals.
- Provide proper care, handling and transportation for pigs at each stage of life.
- Protect pig health and provide appropriate treatment, including veterinary care, when needed.
- Use approved practices to euthanize, in a timely manner, those sick or injured pigs that fail to respond to care and treatment.
Environment: We affirm our obligation to safeguard natural resources in all of our practices.
- Manage manure as a valuable resource and use in a manner that safeguards air and water quality.
- Manage air quality from production facilities to minimize the impact on neighbors and the community.
- Manage our operations to protect the quality of natural resources.
Public Health: We affirm our obligation to ensure our practices protect public health.
- Use management practices consistent with producing safe food.
- Mange the use of animal health products to protect public health.
- Manage manure and air quality to protect public health.
Our People: We affirm our obligation to provide an environment that is safe and consistent with our other ethical principles.
- Provide an environment that promotes the health and safety of our people.
- Educate our people on the Ethical Principles for U.S. Pork Producers and prepare them to meet their obligations consistent with these principles.
- Provide an environment where employees are treated fairly and with respect.
The Communities in which we operate: We affirm our obligation to contribute to a better quality of life in our communities.
- Recognize that being welcomed and appreciated by the community is a privilege that must be earned and maintained.
- Acknowledge that our practices can affect the trust a community has in pork production and our operations.
- Operate in a manner that protects the environment and public health.
- Play an active role in helping to build a strong community.
- Acknowledge community concerns and address them in an honest and sincere manner.
