Animal welfare and responsible sourcing leader, Rachel Burke, brings over 17 years of experience across certification, sustainable supply chains and global food systems.
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.), one of the largest and most successful farm animal welfare standards-setting bodies, has designated Rachel Burke as its new executive director.
Burke has spent nearly two decades working in animal welfare, standards development, and sustainability, with a career spanning farm operations, third-party certification, and responsible sourcing across global food supply chains.
"Rachel brings an exceptional combination of knowledge and perspective to G.A.P., and she understands the realities facing farmers and ranchers," said Cameron Krebs, chair of G.A.P.'s board of directors.
As executive director, Burke will lead G.A.P.'s strategic direction and operations, and work to expand the organization's already substantial reach. She will head efforts to ensure the program maintains its second-to-none rigor around welfare standards and its licensing program based on third-party certification of production and processing operations. Burke will focus on expanding awareness of G.A.P.'s positive impact on farm animals that retail consumers seek.
"Rachel brings more than 17 years of experience across certification, responsible sourcing and standards development to G.A.P.," said Ann Marie Hourigan, head of quality standards at Whole Foods Market. "That depth of expertise positions her well to build on G.A.P.'s strong foundation and to advance rigorous, science-based welfare standards for animals, producers and consumers."
Most recently, Burke served as Global Responsibility Advisor for animal welfare and sustainable dairy at Starbucks, where she led responsible sourcing efforts for dairy and helped translate sustainability commitments into practical, verifiable supplier requirements. Under her leadership, the company developed the Starbucks Dairy Standard, a global framework that integrated animal welfare, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility practices into the company's sourcing decisions. Prior to Starbucks, Burke directed North American certification services for EarthClaims, LLC, including the delivery of more than 3,500 annual certifications based on G.A.P. animal welfare standards and other programs.
"G.A.P.'s tiered standards have already changed how the industry thinks about animal welfare", said Burke. "I'm honored to help the program continue setting the benchmark for welfare standards that drive continuous improvement on farms around the world. Working with the board, my focus is on growing G.A.P.'s reach while keeping our standard-setting thorough, transparent, and grounded in science, so it continues to deliver real impact for animals, producers and consumers."
For more on G.A.P. standards, where certified products can be found in retail, and information about G.A.P. leadership, please visit www.globalanimalpartnership.org.
About Global Animal Partnership
Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals through meaningful animal welfare standards and third-party certification. G.A.P.'s tiered standards are designed to encourage continuous improvement in animal agriculture while providing consumers with clear information about how animals are raised. G.A.P. works with farmers, ranchers, producers, retailers and other partners throughout the food system to advance farm animal welfare at scale.
Media Contact
Kate Lowery, Global Animal Partnership, 1 5126570925, [email protected], https://globalanimalpartnership.org/
SOURCE Global Animal Partnership
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