Animal Welfare on KRAV-Certified Farms
Animal welfare is a cornerstone of KRAV standards. The starting point for KRAV-certified animal husbandry is respect for the natural needs of animals—covering their behaviour, feed, and habitat. Animals should have the opportunity to live as naturally as possible. On KRAV-certified farms, this means they can spend much of their time outdoors, grazing. This provides natural fodder, physical activity, and contributes to strong, healthy animals. These standards apply not only to dairy and beef cattle but also to pigs and chickens.
All animals on a KRAV-certified farm have free access to roughage such as hay and silage. A significant share of their feed must be KRAV-certified—grown without synthetic chemical pesticides and primarily produced on the farm. As a result, KRAV-certified animal husbandry also requires KRAV-certified crop production.
Animal housing must provide enough space for movement and have windows that allow daylight throughout the building. Most of the time, animals must be able to stay in groups to express normal social behaviour. However, during birth it is natural for mother animals to separate from the group, so KRAV standards—going beyond EU regulations—require privacy for cows, ewes, and sows during and after childbirth. Newborn animals must be allowed to suckle and receive colostrum. Laying hens must also have privacy when laying eggs.
Strategic Plan for Animal Health
Routine medication is prohibited for KRAV-certified animals, as overuse can cause bacteria to develop resistance. Instead, farmers must manage animals in ways that keep them healthy, with a strategic plan in place to promote animal well-being. Sick animals must be treated promptly. After treatment, there is a withdrawal period before milk or meat can be sold as KRAV-certified—twice as long as on conventional farms.
During procedures such as castration and dehorning, animals must receive both anaesthesia and pain relief. There are also specific standards for slaughter, which must be carried out in calm conditions, at KRAV-certified slaughterhouses designed for the animals’ needs and behaviour—ideally located close to the farm.
Animal Welfare for Imported Meat
KRAV’s animal welfare standards also apply to imported meat products that carry the KRAV label. These animals must have been allowed to behave as naturally as possible—such as giving birth in private—and their young must have been able to suckle during their first day or days of life. All animals must have had access to grazing during the growing season.
For example, animals slaughtered for products certified under USDA organic standards must come from organically certified mothers. Exporters must also show that calves were not kept in solitary pens after two months of age.
