Animal Welfare and the Environment
The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation supports people and organizations that are working
to develop an affordable, sustainable pasture-based system of animal production
in the United States. Animals raised on open pastures tend to enjoy an overall higher
quality of life than those raised in confinement. They are free to roam and can
exhibit their natural instincts in a way that is not possible in crowded confinement
operations.
Raising animals on pastures tends to be more environmentally friendly because the
impact of the animals, including soil erosion and the quantity of manure, is reduced
and spread over a larger area.1 Pasture-based systems also generally require less
energy for the production and transportation of feed2 and can reduce or eliminate
the need for antibiotics, which are often necessary to prevent disease in animals
raised in high-density confinement operations.3
Currently, pasture-raised supplies of most types of livestock and poultry are limited
and can be more expensive than conventionally raised alternatives. However, the
increasing demand for more sustainably raised meats presents an opportunity to further
develop the supply of pasture-raised livestock and poultry. As the supply of pasture-raised
livestock and poultry increases to catch up to increasing demand, we believe the
cost will ultimately fall. To that end, the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation supports
farmers and ranchers who are working to raise animals using pasture-based systems.