With two out of every three of the world’s farm animals now factory farmed, it can be difficult to see how things can be different. However, to pay tribute to your support and how you’re really helping to make a difference, I’ve summarised here some of the successes we’ve achieved together for farm animals over the past three months.
Animal welfare as part of sustainability – The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), used by many top global companies to measure their sustainability credentials, has included a measure on animal welfare for the first time. It will feature as part of a new ‘sector supplement’ designed to deal specifically with the food processing industry. Compassion’s involvement in the development process over the last two years has ensured that key areas of our concern are covered. Read more…
Good Farm Animal Awards – Some 30 UK companies, including major retailers and food service businesses, were recognised by our Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards for their animal-friendly policy pledges. Around 174 million meat chickens and laying hens are set to benefit each year, thanks to these pledges. Congratulations go to Waitrose for receiving the Most Compassionate Supermarket Award, to Morrisons for best improver and to Sainsbury’s for best of the ‘big four’. Further events will be held in France and Germany later this year to recognise European businesses that have joined the move to compassionate policies for farm animals. Read more…
Local authorities – Over 90 local authorities in the UK have now become ‘cage-free councils’ as a result of our campaigning work. The 35 or more councils that have switched their egg sourcing to cage-free over the last 12 months were recognised at a packed event in Bournemouth, where the Local Government Association annual conference was taking place. Compassion’s stand at the event generated written expressions of interest from over 20 more councils seeking to take the cage-free pledge over the coming months. Read more…
Cloning – The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly for a ban on the cloning of animals for food. Working with Eurogroup for Animals, we are now pressing the European Commission and the Member States to follow the Parliament’s lead and agree legislation which would categorically ensure that no products from cloned animals or their offspring would be put into the European food market. Read more…
Fish – The European Parliament has produced a report that calls for significant changes in the way that fish are farmed – emphasising the importance of their welfare. The Strategy for the Sustainable Development of European Aquaculture is the first major EU report that takes the welfare of fish seriously. Significantly, the report stresses that as fish are sentient beings, countries must pay full regard to their welfare (Article 13, Lisbon Treaty). Read more…
South Africa – Cape Town launches its official meat-free day a week on 29th July. The city has become the first in Africa to officially endorse a weekly meat-free day following a campaign by Compassion in World Farming (South Africa), which was unanimously endorsed by the city’s Health Portfolio Committee. As Tozie Zokufa, our South African representative explains: “It is a triumph. We started negotiating with the City Health Committee last December. Their decision to work with us on this issue is not only a triumph for human health, but also for the planet and animal welfare too”. You can keep up-to-date with our campaign in South Africa through our new dedicated website. Read more…
European Farmers Network (EFN) – Our work to engage the farming community is now taking off with the launch of the EFN website. The EFN is a partnership between Compassion and the Food Animal Initiative (FAI) and seeks to provide a voice to higher welfare farmers, and ensure that their voice is heard loud and clear in Brussels, in the head offices of major food companies, and by those in the farming community keen to learn about new and better practices.
Thanks so much for all your support with our urgent campaigns and for helping to make a real difference for farm animals.
