Developed by the non-profit Global Animal Partnership, farms are audited by independent, third-party certifiers and conditions are rated from step one, which entails no crates, cages or crowding, to step five, for which animals must spend their entire lives on one farm.
A.C. Gallo, president and chief operating officer for Whole Foods Market said: “Our customers have long been asking for information on the raising practices on the farms and ranches that provide products to our stores. We are proud to adopt this new rating system that helps shoppers make even more informed buying decisions while offering them peace of mind that the animals from our producers are raised with care.”