FARM Reviews Version Metrics, Going Through Each Standard
October 1, 2025
FARM’s Animal Care program area in September met with NMPF’s Animal Health & Well-being Committee to kick off the standards review as part of developing its latest version cycle, set to launch January 2028.
The committee reviewed program metrics in key corrective action areas, animal-based observations, and animal and facility management. This will set priorities for the committees to consider when reviewing standards eligible for revision.
The name itself, Version 2028, represents a shift toward identifying version cycles by launch year, replacing describing versions by successive numbers. FARM is making the change to help program participants easily identify the program’s most current version while communicating the three-year cycle process.
FARM Program cycles are revised every three years to ensure the standards’ integrity and effectiveness. The FARM Animal Care Task Force and NMPF Animal Health & Wellbeing Committee reviews and revises the standards, rationale and accountability measures with input from industry stakeholder groups including farmers, animal scientists and veterinarians.
NMPF’s Board of Directors approved a new layer to the process back in June, resulting in NMPF’s Animal Health & Wellbeing Committee now setting priorities for the FARM Animal Care Task Force and Farmer Advisory Council ahead of the initial standards review. The new process will provide a more collective representation of farmer input.
FARM began Version 2028 development in July with its Stakeholder Survey, which received more than 800 responses. The survey will help inform the decision-making process on potential standard revisions.
NMPF’s Animal Health & Wellbeing Committee, FARM’s Animal Care Task Force and Farmer Advisory Council will review survey results this fall; results will be summarized into a final report made available on the FARM website.
FARM Workforce Development and FARM Environmental Stewardship will continue to be on the same cycle as FARM Animal Care.
For more information on Version 2028 development, visit the FARM Program website.
