Humane Farm Animal Care

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, over 500 companies represented more than 38,000 farms were Certified Humane. Producers or products can be found in the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Turkey, Uruguay & Vietnam. We can all be advocates for farm animals by purchasing Certified Humane products and by utilizing the tools provided on our website and through our new app. To become certified by HFAC, farmers must meet HFAC Animal Care Standards and pass annual inspections. HFACs Animal Care Standards were developed and subject to regular review by a veritable Whos Who of national and international animal scientists and farm-animal welfare experts. Our voluntary Scientific Committee consists of, Kenneth E. Anderson, PhD North Carolina State University, USA Michael Appleby, PhD World Animal Protection, USA Richard Blatchford, PhD University of California, Davis, USA Elisabetta Canali, PhD Universit degli Studi, Milan, Italy Sylvie Cloutier, PhD Associate Director of Assessment, Canadian Council on Animal Care, Ottawa, Canada Brenda Coe, PhD Pennsylvania State University, USA Hans Coetzee, PhD Iowa State University, USA Luiz Dematte, DVM, PhD Industrial Director of Korin Ltd, and General Coordinator of Mokiti Okada Foundation, Brazil Inma Estves, PhD Research Professor, Neiker-Tecnalia University, Spain Anne Fanatico, PhD Appalachian State University, USA Valentina Ferrante, PhD University of Milan, Italy Trent Gilbery, MS North Dakota State University, USA Alan Goldberg, PhD The Johns Hopkins University, USA Temple Grandin, PhD Colorado State University, USA Thomas G. Hartsock, PhD University of Maryland, USA Jrg Hartung, DVM Institute of Animal Hygiene, Welfare and Farm Animal Behavior University of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover, Germany Brittany Howell, PhD Fort Hays State University, USA Pam Hullinger, DVM, MPVM University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA Joy Mench, PhD University of California, Davis, USA Suzanne Millman, PhD Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, USA Malcolm Mitchell, PhD SRUC, Scotlands Rural College, Scotland Priya Motupalli, PhD IKEA, Sweden Ruth Newberry, PhD Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Adjunct Professor, Washington State University, USA Humane Farm Animal Care Scientific Committee January 2018 Abdullah Ozen, PhD Professor, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey Edmond Pajor, PhD University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada Jose Peralta, PhD, DVM Western University of Health Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Pomona California, USA Rosangela Poletto, DVM, PhD Professor, Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Martin Potter, PhD Animal Welfare Consultant, Member of FAWT, UK and Advising Member of EIG, UK Mohan Raj, PhD Honorary Visiting Fellow, School of Veterinary Sciences, Bristol University, Bristol, UK Jean-Loup Rault, PhD Institute of Animal Husbandry and Animal Welfare at Vetmeduni, Vienna, Austria Karen Schwean-Lardner, PhD University of Saskatchewan, Canada J.K. Shearer, PhD Iowa State University, USA Marilyn M. Simunich, DVM Director, Animal Health Laboratory, Division of Animal Industries, Idaho State Department of Agriculture, USA Carolyn Stull, PhD Chairman, Scientific Committee University of California, Davis, USA Janice Swanson, PhD Michigan State University, USA William VanDresser, DVM Retired Extension Veterinarian, , USA Andreia De Paula Vieira, DVM, PhD Animal Welfare Scientist, Universidade de So Paulo, Brazil Daniel M. Weary, PhD Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair, Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Canada Julia Wrathall, PhD Director, Farm Animals Division, RSPCA, West Sussex, UK Adroaldo Zanella, PhD Professor, Dept. Medicina Veterinria Preventiva e Sade Animal / FMVZ Universidade de So Paulo, Pirassununga/SP, Brazil T

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 54.2%; rating input score 54
• Program expense ratio: 97.1%; rating input score 97
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 71.4%; rating input score 71; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 41.6%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.44; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 20.1%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings