A coalition of sustainable farming groups is calling on FTC to regulate use of the term, which it calls deceptive to customers and harmful to “truly independent farmers.”On some of Cargill’s customer-facing websites, the term “independent family farmer” makes an appearance before the company’s own name does.If you’re familiar with the company, this should come as no great surprise. For years, the meat processing giant has made numerous efforts to underscore the role that its contract growers play in the supply chain, often to a point of minimizing its own involvement. Online, you’re encouraged to “meet the family farmers” that raise its poultry. In a 2015 ad, the company—without naming itself—promoted one of its poultry brands as produced by “independent turkey farms.” And two years ago, the company went so far as to launch a line of limited-edition, “blockchain-based” turkeys, which allowed consumers to trace birds back to their exact farm of origin. The implication, apparently, is that the poultry supply chain takes a simple path from producer to plate, with Cargill playing an all-but-negligible role in the process.
Source: When meat is sourced from “independent family farms,” what does that really mean?
