Viva!
USA
PO Box
49023
Atlanta
GA30359
Tel: 404 315
8881
Fax: 404 315
8685
email:
info@vivausa.org
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For Immediate Release
For more information contact: lauren Ornelas/Viva!
404/315-8881 or Carol Moon/F.S. 212/567-4556
Animal Activists Target Whole Foods Shareholders Meeting
National Campaign Raises Factory Farm Issue with Whole
Foods
New York...Members of Viva! and Farm Sanctuary will converge
on the Whole Foods shareholders meeting at One UN Plaza,
44th St. at First Ave., on Monday, March 26 at 8:30am
(meeting starts at 9am) to educate shareholders about Whole
Foods’ stocking of factory farmed duck meat. Viva! has been
coordinating events educating Whole Foods customers about
this issue for several months. Events have taken place in
cities such as Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Francisco,
Seattle, and Washington, DC.
“We felt we were doing Whole Foods a service by informing
them of the cruel practices of these companies,” said lauren
Ornelas, US Campaigns Director, “but since some regions of
Whole Foods are still carrying Maple Leaf Farms and Grimaud
Farms, we feel we have to take our message to their
customers as well as their shareholders.”
A representative of Viva! and Farm Sanctuary will go into
the meeting to address the shareholders and to deliver a
stack of petitions to Whole Foods.
Whole Foods maintains an image of concern for the
environment and for the welfare of animals while many of
their stores continue to sell duck meat from factory
farms.
Viva! investigated both Grimaud and Maple Leaf Farms and
found that the ducks are forced to live in crowded
conditions, indoors, without enough water to immerse their
heads. Most farms offer ducks water only in the form of
nipple drinkers (a pipe with holes where water drops out).
Without an adequate amount of water, these aquatic birds
find it difficult to keep warm and may also develop eye
problems that can result in blindness. Both companies
practice de-billing. Bill trimming is done to prevent
feather pulling - a behavior caused by a stressful, crowded
environment. In the US, thousands of ducks are boiled alive
in the slaughterhouse!
Viva! launched its campaign against duck meat in September
of this year with the help of Paul McCartney and actress
Hayley Mills. As of October, one grocery store chain pulled
the duck meat by Grimaud Farms, one of the companies
investigated by Viva!
Viva!’s USA headquarters is based in Atlanta. Video footage
of duck units; full report; media briefing and photos, are
available from Viva! or on our website at www.vivausa.org.
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