Lt. Rottinghaus Demonstrates We Care Principles Abroad

A passion for farming and service to his country landed 1st Lt. Scott Rottinghaus in Afghanistan as part of the 743th Agri-Business Development Team (ADT), a self-contained volunteer unit composed of about 60 Army National Guard Soldiers with backgrounds and expertise in the various sectors of the agribusiness field.  The 734th’s mission is to provide training and advice to Afghan universities, provincial ministries and local farmers to help provide increased stability and improved opportunities for Afghanistan’s reemerging business sector.

Rottinghaus farms near Waterloo, Iowa, with his father and uncles. Together, they raise corn, soybeans and hogs, as well as some 3,000 early-wean and finish pigs a year.

“I will be using my farming background to provide the Afghan people with the base knowledge to quickly improve the value and sustainability of Afghan crop and livestock production,” Rottinghaus said. “We will be working with the village elders to determine what kind of projects they need done in their communities.”

Rotthinghaus may be in a different country, but he is still living the ethical principles outlined in the pork industry’s We Care initiative.

“I am contributing to a better quality of life in the Afghan communities,” said Rottinghaus. “The vast majority of Afghan farmers are subsistence farmers trying to raise enough food to feed their families and maybe have some left over to take to market.”

Ethical Principles for U.S. Pork Producers

The We Care initiative is a joint effort of the Pork Checkoff, through the National Pork Board, and the National Pork Producers Council, to help demonstrate that producers are accountable to established ethical principles and animal well-being practices. The We Care initiative is based on six guiding principles:

    * Produce safe food

    * Safeguard natural resources in all industry practices

    * Provide a work environment that is safe and consistent with the industry’s other ethical principles

    * Contribute to a better quality of life in their communities

    * Protect and promote animal well-being

    * Ensure practices to protect public health

For more information, contact Cindy Cunningham at CCunningham@pork.org or at (515) 223-2643.