March 30, 2021 New York, New York – Multiple global food brands are resistant to improving their animal welfare standards, according to a new report launched today by World Animal Protection and Compassion in World Farming (CIWF).
The 2020 Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) report reveals that 59 of the world’s 150 largest food brands appear in the lowest tiers (Tiers 5 and 6), indicating these companies provide little or no information on their approach to farm animal welfare. Even more surprising, is that one in five (31) trusted global food companies has no farm animal welfare policy at all. There is some encouraging news in that 23 companies have moved up at least one tier, yet the average score for companies overall is a mere 35%, showing there is much room for improvement.
Some of the lowest scoring companies – ranked in Tiers 5 and 6 of the Benchmark – are Subway, Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr., United Natural Foods, and Publix, many of whom went down in the ranking since 2019 and lag significantly behind their peers on farm animal welfare.
This is in stark contrast to other leading names such as Kraft Heinz, who are working hard to improve animal welfare in their supply chains and advanced in this year’s ranking. The most improved companies since the BBFAW was launched in 2012 include Nestlé, Sodexo, and Barilla, which have moved up an impressive three tiers since they were first assessed.
The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) is the leading global measure of corporate action on farm animal welfare. The report ranks 150 global food companies on farm animal welfare standards across six tiers. Tier 1 is at the top, demonstrating leadership on farm animal welfare, and Tier 6 is at the bottom, indicating that companies have yet to acknowledge animal welfare as a business issue.
US Company Rankings in BBFAW 2020:
Reporting the proportion of animals that currently meet standards is a key part of the BBFAW scoring system to ensure that policies are successfully being implemented. However, company data indicates that more needs to be done to deliver positive welfare impacts for animals, including:
- Only one in eight companies reports on the proportion of laying hens free from beak trimming. Of these, just four companies (3%) report that more than 25% of laying hens in their global supply chains are free from beak trimming.
- Only one in eight companies reports on the proportion of broilers that have better welfare due to a more natural growth rate[1]. Of these, just one company (<1%) reports that more than 25% of broiler chickens in its global supply chain are from strains of birds with improved welfare outcomes and with a slower growth potential.
While there is clearly a long way to go, there were some encouraging moves such as:
- The proportion of companies that report on the number of broiler chickens that grow at a more natural pace resulting in improved welfare outcomes has increased to 13% from just 4% in 2019. While this proportion is still low, this was a new question added to the Benchmark in 2019 and scored for the first time in 2020.
- Thirty-one percent of companies, compared to just 21% in 2019, report on the proportion of animals (including fin fish) in their global supply chains that are pre-slaughter stunned. While we welcome this improvement, most companies do not still report this data.
Overall, the bulk of US companies assessed continue to fall in the lower tiers, with only 10 companies achieving Tier 3 (compared to 37 companies globally) and just one, Cargill, achieving Tier 2 (compared to 19 companies globally). No US companies are among the four achieving Tier 1 and recognized as leaders in farm animal welfare.
Consumer interest and growing momentum for companies to take an interest in animal welfare shows why the world’s most influential food companies should be willing to change and continue to improve year over year. Thirteen producers and manufacturers improved their score by at least one tier between 2019 and 2020, compared to nine retailers and wholesalers, and just one company in the restaurants and bars sub-sector.
However, the report also warns that progress is still too slow for the nearly 40% of companies who appear in the two bottom tiers
Steve McIvor, CEO at World Animal Protection, said:
“COVID-19 has brought new challenges like never before, but despite this, we must continue to accelerate and drive forward the animal welfare movement. We must do better for the world’s 50 billion animals who are factory farmed each year, causing immense suffering. Not only do the cruel practices of intensive farming subject animals to misery, but they expose us to potential diseases and risks too. The BBFAW tool exposes those companies that care for animals, and those who do not.
“Animal cruelty is becoming more and more important for consumers – producers, supermarkets and restaurants would be foolish to ignore it. This tool brings all the commitments together in one place, providing a clear and transparent scorecard for all to see.”
In April 2021, World Animal Protection will hand over the BBFAW baton to Four Paws International. World Animal Protection, alongside Compassion in World Farming, has steered the BBFAW since its inception in 2012 through providing vision, dedication, technical expertise and financial support over the past nine years. World Animal Protection will continue to take an active interest in the BBFAW as Four Paws and Compassion in World Farming together support and drive forward the BBFAW program as it enters its second decade.
For more information, please visit http://worldanimalprotection.us/BBFAW
