Is Whole Foods Going Whole Humane?

In a recent interview with USA Today, Whole Foods' vegan CEO John Mackey said the organic and natural foods grocery chain will be rolling out a new animal welfare rating program. As of January 1, every store will have signs that "tell customers exactly how animals were raised." Whole Foods has also partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute to label all of the seafood they sell with sustainability ratings.

It's an interesting concept — will knowing where food comes from change people's purchasing decisions? The market has shown that people (particularly Whole Foods customers) are willing to pay more for organic foods, as well as products from animals who were humanely raised. Assuming anyone bothers to read them, these animal-focused signs might also strip away one of the veils that keeps people from associating the meat on their plates with animal flesh. 

However, the impact — and honesty — of the program depends on how much is revealed about how the animals were raised. For instance, if the eggs were cage-free, will the sign say whether they came from a facility of two million hens, where any semblance of decent care is impossible, with or without cages? There are very few regulations on terms like "organic," "free range," and "humanely raised," so if the signs stick to those industry-created terms, then the signs will be pretty meaningless.

Imagine if the cards had actual photos of the animals, or live streaming video from the farm or slaughterhouse? Or what if the cards offered alternative vegetarian or vegan recipes and substitutions? The Whole Foods business model isn't that progressive, but it's interesting to imagine the possibilities for a program truly aimed at changing people's behavior.

While transparency is a good thing, perhaps the bigger issue is that slapping a label on a cruel product doesn't make it any less cruel. Whole Foods has standards in place that require a certain amount of pasture time for most farm animals who end up in their meat department and don't allow gestation crates for pigs and veal crates for calves. But if they're making a commitment to higher animal welfare standards, why carry a product like veal at all, which is inherently inhumane?

As Sarah DiGregorio wrote on the Village Voice's Food for Thought blog, the signs are dodging the real issue. "Displaying the Seafood Watch labels while still selling the species designated 'avoid' is having your fish and eating it, too." She says three people ordered red-tagged fish just while she was standing there. The same thing is bound to happen with veal and other animal products raised in conditions that would even make Old MacDonald cringe.

If Whole Foods wants to make a real commitment to animal welfare and sustainability, they need to improve their standards, not just their signage.

Photo credit: That Other Paper