Noble Foods, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Coop Group (Switzerland) have attained the highest marks in the global Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare report, published today (26 January, 2016).
Now in its fourth year, the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) provides an annual review of how 90 of the world’s leading food companies are managing and reporting their farm animal welfare policies and practices.
The report, which is compiled in collaboration with leading animal welfare organisations
Compassion in World Farming and World Animal Protection and investment firm, Coller Capital, reveals that companies are increasing the importance they attach to farm animal welfare.
For example:
Currently, 11 companies occupy leadership positions in the Benchmark’s top two tiers. These companies demonstrate the strongest commitments to farm animal welfare and have well developed management systems and processes. They include Marks & Spencer, Coop Group (Switzerland), Waitrose and Noble Foods in Tier 1,and The Co-operative Food (UK), J Sainsbury, Unilever, Cranswick, Marfrig, McDonald’s and Migros in Tier 2.
Reflecting on these findings, BBFAW Executive Director, Nicky Amos, said, “The results show that it is realistic for companies across the world and in all sub-sectors (retailers, wholesalers, restaurants, bars and producers) to aspire to and achieve high scores in the Benchmark and to recognise the responsibility they hold for the welfare of animals in their supply chains.”
Despite the overall progress made since 2012, some 40% of companies (including Burger King, Domino’s Pizza Group (UK) and Starbucks) provide little or no information on their approach to farm animal welfare. Nicky Amos commented “Despite the progress we are seeing, there is clearly much work to be done to get farm animal welfare on the business agenda of many large global food companies”.
The report highlights the growing influence of global investment companies on farm animal welfare. Reflecting on the global investor collaboration on farm animal welfare convened by the BBFAW and which now has 18 investors representing over one trillion pounds in assets under management, Rory Sullivan, BBFAW Expert Advisor said, “For the first time we are seeing global investors actively engage with companies to encourage them to improve their practices and reporting on farm animal welfare. The annual Benchmark provides a strong incentive for companies to improve their disclosure and to account for their performance. As we build investor awareness and understanding of systemic risks and opportunities posed by farm animal welfare, we expect to see investor interest and, critically, action, increase over time”.
Download the full press release here.
NN Group, a Dutch financial services company, with a strong presence in several European countries and Japan, has become a member of the BBFAW Global Investor Collaboration on Farm Animal Welfare. As a signatory to the Collaboration, NN Group will participate in an annual engagement to improve animal welfare management practices amongst BBFAW’s 150 global companies.
26th February 2024In March and April 2023, the BBFAW conducted a pilot assessment of 150 companies against the new 2022 benchmark criteria. Instead of the usual public BBFAW report, this briefing paper summarises methodological findings from the BBFAW 2022 pilot benchmark and includes case study examples of company reporting. The briefing also confirms the assessment approach for the BBFAW 2023 assessments, which are scheduled to take place in October to December 2023.
31st July 2023Two consultation webinars were held on the 2nd February 2023 and offered companies the opportunity to hear more about the proposed changes to the 2022 BBFAW methodology and to submit responses live during the webinar. View the video and presentation if you missed this event and wish to catch upon-demand.
6th February 2023