Purdue Harvestland
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Salisbury, MD |
| Products | Chicken |
| Website | www.perdue.com/products/perdue-harvestland-organic/ |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 0 |
Perdue Farms, Inc. has been accused of falsity in advertising when they have advertised some of their products as “humane” or “humanely raised” with their products.
As a massive, vertically-integrated business, Perdue’s organic chicken brands have been able to undercut family-scale poultry producers in the industry. These chickens are raised in static barns with flocks that can reach or exceed 200, 000 birds. Individual birds rarely, if ever, see the outdoors despite organic regulations requiring access to the outdoors, fresh air, and sunshine. These “organic” birds essentially live lives the same as conventional chickens—but with organic inputs (such as feed and not using traditional antibiotics).
Though this chicken is cheap, that price does not reflect the externalities of these production methods on the environment, animal welfare, and economic justice for small farmers.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1800) | 0 | 1-Bird Rating | Poor |
Family Farms and cooperatives receive the most points. Corporations and companies with poor or negligible farm oversight receive the fewest points. Ownership structure | 0 | One of the largest organic poultry producers with a history of bad actions |
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100% organic brands receive the most points. Split operations receive fewer with increased penalties for poor segregation at the processor and farm level. Dedication to Organic Production | 0 | Not dedicated to organic principles |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure | 0 | Did not participate |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certifier | 0 | No response |
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To receive full points, flocks must number 500 birds or fewer (200 for turkeys). Flock size | 0 | No response; flock sizes large, sometimes up to and possible over 200 thousand |
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No more than 1.5 lbs of bird per square foot is required for full points. Stocking Density | 0 | No response; overcrowding is expected |
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Mobile housing receives the highest number of points. Housing Style | 0 | No response; massive static barns |
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Heritage varieties receive the highest number of points. Strain and/or Breed and Slaughter Age | 0 | No response; cornish x or similar likely used by suppliers |
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Birds must spend 3/4ths or more of their lives outdoors for full points. Timing for Outdoor Access | 0 | Birds likely never provided with legitimate outdoor access |
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Enrichments include but are not limited to shade structures, water, novel feedstuff (greens, mealworms, sprouted grains), and dust baths. Enrichments (outdoor and indoor) | 0 | No reponse, likely none |
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Points awarded for labels that go above and beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 0 | No response |
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Maximum points given for high quality, rotated pasture. Non-rotated pasture adjacent to fixed housing with lower than 90% vegetative cover receives fewer points. Outdoor Management | 0 | No response; likely is never provided with legitimate outdoor access |
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100 points for on-farm production and/or milling of feed. Fewest points given to feed that cannot be verified as domestic and/or birds get poor or no supplementation from outdoor foraging. Feed Sourcing | 0 | No response; feed likely sourced internationally with suspected fraud |
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Methionine needs met by outdoor foraging receives 100 points. Synthetic supplementation receives 70 points. Synthetic Methionine | 0 | No response |
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Under 5% cull and death rate required for full points. Cull/death Rate | 0 | No response |
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Chicks and poults that are certified organic since hatching, or are hatched on-farm receive 100 points. Off-farm or conventional chicks and poults receive 70 points. Chick and Poult Sourcing | 0 | Conventional sourcing |
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No physical alterations required for full points. Permitting beak tipping results in fewer points. Physical Alterations | 0 | No response; likely trims beaks |
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Measures farm oversight. Farmer owned brands, or daily visits by management required for maximum points. Farm Support | 0 | No response |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Slaughter Method (non-scoring) | Unknown | |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Soy Free Ration? (non-scoring) | Soy is likely fed | |
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Maximum transparency, sharing of the organic systems plan, and/or novel practices that sets the brand apart from the rest of the industry can result in extra credit points. Extra Credit | 0 | None |
