Proposition 12 in California continues to be a top-of-the-mind issue for pork producers across the nation. A ruling by the US Supreme Court on Prop 12 is expected by no later than this June. Under Prop 12, producers in California would be required to comply with the new space requirements even if their pigs are not being raised in California. The industry is hopeful the court will rule in its favor, putting care decisions back into the hands of those that know what’s best, including that of the producer, their veterinarian and their state last-grant university.

Lauren Davis, Chief Operating Officer and director of global operations for CloverLeaf Animal Welfare Systems, joins us  to discuss Prop 12 from the standpoint of audits and certification.  Davis holds a bachelor's degree in animal science from Kansas State University and has worked with two of the largest protein harvest companies in the world, serving in various roles from food safety to animal welfare manager and livestock operations. She also has served on the animal welfare committee for national organizations and holds several certifications in training and auditing. 

The President and CEO of CloverLeaf is Jason McAlister,  one of the world's leading experts on meat animal welfare from the beginning to harvest. He has been in the industry since the early '90s, working in all areas of production from his start in a small mom and pop shop in rural Iowa. He founded CloverLeaf on the belief that animal welfare should be based on science and what the science shows is best for the animal.

For those wanting more information on CloverLeaf and Prop 12 certification, the company will be hosting a webinar on Feb 28 at 2:00 PM Central Time on the topic of its Animal Welfare Systems  Prop 12 pre evaluation  and certification. To register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Owv5AM9-Ql2VmLNZ13doVQ

Thank you for tuning into Feedstuffs in Focus. For more conversations about some of the big issues affecting the livestock, poultry, grain and animal feed industries, subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast channel including Apple and Google podcast. You can also follow us www.Feedstuffs.com.