Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 6/6/19


The activist group Mercy for Animals is taking on Tyson Foods Inc. again, but this time the focus is on the company’s contract growers, not specifically on the chickens.

The Los Angeles-based organization plans to launch a four-billboard campaign next week in northern Georgia seeking anonymous reports from contract farmers for Tyson Foods, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Historically, the relationship between growers and the integrator they contract with has sometimes been contentious. According to the AJC report, Mercy for Animals “will use the information to pressure the meat industry giant and restaurant customers for better pay for farmers and more humane conditions for the birds.”

Mercy for Animals President Leah Garcés, in a statement emailed to Meatingplace, said, "Each year, more and more contract poultry farmers are speaking out against unethical practices in the chicken industry. We’ve launched ChickieLeaks.com to provide a platform for whistleblowers to securely report wrongdoing."

Georgia’s broiler industry is worth $456 million to the state. Georgia is the nation’s top producer of broilers, and Tyson is a major integrator in the state.

Tyson spokesman Worth Sparkman told Meatingplace in an emailed statement, “Tyson Foods believes that ensuring the proper health and welfare of animals is an important moral and ethical responsibility."

More than 3,700 independent farmers raise chickens for Tyson, the company said. "We greatly value the contribution of these farmers, and last year we announced the establishment of an advisory council of farmers and our Contract Poultry Farmers’ Bill of Rights, which details our farmers’ rights to, among other rights, discuss and terminate their contracts and receive training on animal welfare standards and practices,” Sparkman said.

Tyson has been sued in the past by its contract growers over claims that the company abused the contract relationship to lower its payments to farmers, accusations that Tyson has fought vigorously.

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