Farming practices | Local suppliers will have 
to alter systems within five years
Calgary Co-op members have voted in favour of the co-op buying its eggs and pork from farmers who do not use battery cages for laying hens and gestation stalls for sows.
The resolution was passed 97-67 at the Co-op’s annual meeting March 13.
The original resolution asked for change within three years, but the resolution was changed after lively debate to five years so that suppliers have time to change their barns.
Local food activists Clint Robertson and Paul Hughes argued it is an ethical change for the improved welfare of food animals.
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“The image you have of farm animals is largely the stuff of children’s picture books,” said Robertson.
He also said three years is enough time to offer eggs from free range, free run, organic and group housing because there are enough local suppliers to fill the shelves until wider changes are made.
“If you put it out there in a three year time frame, the supply would be there,” he said.
“It may be difficult for these big industrial factory farming type operations to make their numbers work to do it in a certain period, but I think a lot of smaller, more traditional operators could fill the void.… This is an opportunity to build capacity in local food production.”
Hughes said Calgary Co-op has a policy of supporting local farmers, and the changes would not be as costly as large operations claim.
“If we do this, I can guarantee that everybody in North America that has anything to do with animal welfare or food justice or food policy will hear about this and this will provide tens of millions of dollars of exposure for Calgary Co-op,” he said.
Hughes lives in Calgary and has been before the courts several times fighting for the right to keep poultry in his backyard. Robertson is an urban planner with the city and a part-time organic farmer.
Co-op chief executive officer Deane Collinson said the co-op’s stores already offer organic, free run and omega 3 eggs as well as the conventional variety so consumers have choice.
“We do believe it is the right direction with chicken and sows.”
He said other food companies, including McDonald’s and Burger King, are looking at changing their buying requirements, but the Co-op also realizes pork producers are suffering financially. It does not want to force change that could put them out of business.
“It is one of those things that can happen slowly,” he said.
Supporters of the pork and egg sectors said change is already on the way, but it is costly.
Abandoning sow stalls could cost the Alberta pork industry $65 million, said Jim Haggins, past chair of Alberta Pork.
“Our industry is in a state of crisis. We have lost 60 percent of our producers in the last six years and 35 percent of our production. Many more are facing the same scenario. Our industry is converting to loose sow gestation. It is not a quick process. Three years is totally not realistic.”
A revised code of practice for the swine sector will be published this June and within that code are provisions for change.
Egg Farmers of Alberta have already voted to start phasing out traditional battery cages for laying hens, said Susan Gal, head of the Egg Farmers of Alberta which represents about 150 producers.
“There is no right system for our hens. There are several different options. The best ones to make those decisions are our farmers,” she said.
Egg Farmers chair Ben Waldner told the group change should be made with caution.
“I share the same values in animal care that a lot of your members do but I also share a concern because I live this day to day,” he said.
“We need to educate ourselves and be sure the direction we move in is the right direction,” he said.
“We have seen so many failures in free range, open style housing with cannibalism that when we try to address one problem, we need to be sure that we do not put ourselves into a situation that is even worse.”
He said retailers such as the Co-op need to work with farmers to make sure they understand each other and can develop a program that works for both.
“It is not all about economics. Sometimes it is about doing what is right, but we need to make sure what we are doing is the right thing,” he said.
“It is not as easy as what is written on a piece of paper.”
The Calgary Co-op is the largest retail co-operative in North America with 440,000 members and more than $1.1 billion in sales for the 2012 fiscal year.
