Document type : article published in Food and Drink International
Author : Tess Egginton
Preview: Today's publication of the Business Benchmark on Animal Welfare (BBFAW) reveals that most global food giants (95%) acknowledge the importance of animal welfare and are addressing it with policy commitments and clearer governance. Few however are reporting successful implementation of these ambitions with 93% given the lowest ratings ('E' or 'F') for 'Performance Impact' - i.e. an assessment of the tangible impacts on the lives of farm animals reared for food in corporate supply chains. (...) BBFAW was originally launched in 2012 and remains the leading global assessment of companies' farm animal welfare policies and practices. It is supported by partners. (...) This year's benchmark found several encouraging signs as it set a new baseline for corporate performance, including:
- The vast majority of benchmarked companies (95%) now identify farm animal welfare as a relevant business issue, up from 79% in 2012.
- Three companies (Marks & Spencer, Premier Foods, Waitrose) achieved 'Tier 2' status, therefore demonstrating leadership in making farm animal welfare integral to their business strategy.
- The highest scoring companies on 'Performance Impact' - a measure for how well businesses demonstrate actual welfare benefits for farm animals in their global supply chain - were the six companies (4%) that achieved a 'C' rating: Marks & Spencer (UK), Groupe Danone (FR), Premier Foods (UK), Waitrose (UK), Cranswick PLC (UK) and Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund (Switzerland).
- There are generally high levels of ambition on cage-free eggs, with 73% of the 141 companies that have eggs in their supply chains now having cage-free egg commitments. (...)
However, many findings in this year's benchmark also showed the work that still needs to be done by the food sector:
- Implementation lags commitment (...)
- No (...) formal farm animal welfare policy
- Close confinement: (...)
- Routine mutilation: (...)
- Live transport: (...)
- Antibiotics: (...)
"As an investor which regularly engages with companies operating in the global food sector, the BBAW helps to shine a light on those which are making critical progress towards addressing these challenges and enables us to analyse management quality in a systematic and consistent manner."
