Global Animal Partnership Board of Directors member and President and Chief Executive Officer of The Humane Society of the United States, the U.S.’s largest animal welfare organization, with more than 11 million supporters, Wayne Pacelle has been named one of NonProfit Times’ “Executives of the Year” and “Power and Influence Top 50” nonprofit executives. Mr. Pacelle is known internationally for his effective and strategic campaigning, legislative, and programmatic efforts to improve the lives of animals.
If you are concerned about animals, you cannot help but be concerned about the suffering and cruelty imposed upon the largest number of animals today: animals raised for food. Since the 1950s, animal agriculture has changed dramatically, with more intensive confinement methods becoming the norm within a number of production sectors. This has resulted in some extremely adverse consequences for animals, for people, and for our natural environment, and it just doesn’t have to be this way. Responsible people care about the well-being of animals, and if they consume animal products, they want to know that animals were not kept in extreme confinement or subjected to other practices that undercut their well-being.
In order to turn this around, we need better laws, but above all we need the commitment of more informed and conscientious consumers, humane-minded farmers, and responsible food retailers. Global Animal Partnership provides a tangible way for consumers, farmers, and retailers to raise the bar. It provides a framework that allows parties to make better choices and to contribute to farm animal welfare in a serious way. I am truly excited about serving on GAP’s board, and working with diverse stakeholders to find good long-term solutions.
Consumers require better information in order to make the right choices. GAP’s signature initiative, the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards, allows farmers who opt into the program to earn the credit and the rewards for their higher welfare production practices. It provides consumers with a set of choices they’ve never had. I see GAP as a tremendously important organization, driving forward a program that can ultimately relieve billions of animals from a tremendous amount of unnecessary suffering.
—Wayne Pacelle
