Category: Press Release

Humane Society International / Europe

BRUSSELS—International animal conservation and protection organisations — the Born Free Foundation, Humane Society International, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Pro Wildlife, Animal Defenders International, and the National Resource Defense Council — are calling on European Union (EU) Member States to support a proposal by African nations to protect the imperiled giraffe from international trade that has contributed to the species’ decline by 40 percent in the past 30 years. The Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya, Mali, Niger and Senegal want giraffes listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but they need the support of the EU’s voting bloc, without which the proposal is likely to fail.

The six nations have the backing of fellow members of the African Elephant Coalition (AEC), a consortium of 32 African countries, which released a declaration stating its support for the proposal last month, in recognition of the steep decline in giraffe populations.

Scientists have labeled the plight of giraffes a “silent extinction” due to the lack of attention and support the species is receiving, so the animal groups are urging the European Union to stand in solidarity with the 32 African countries. Winning the support of the EU Member States is absolutely critical for the giraffe proposal to succeed, but as yet a number of MSs look minded to oppose. EU representatives are due to meet and agree their position on 28th March, so the animal groups are increasing their call for the EU to stand in solidarity with the 32 African nations that want to see the giraffe proposal pushed through.

Daniela Freyer from Pro Wildlife, said: “We call on the EU to join the majority of African countries in their efforts to better protect giraffes. The species is endangered, populations have plummeted to less than 100,000 animals and we must ensure that over-exploitation for international trade is not fueling declines.”

While giraffe populations continue to wane, the species has become common in the wildlife trade. A Humane Society International report shows that the United States imported nearly 40,000 giraffe specimens between 2006 and 2015, such as hunting trophies, decoration items, and knife handles, in addition to large shipments of live animals. The EU is also a key consumer of giraffe products; online research detailed in the proposal records over 300 giraffe products for sale by sellers based in seven European Union countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The proposal, to be voted on at the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES in May, seeks to provide giraffes with protections to bring under control international trade in the currently unprotected species. An Appendix II listing would require exporting countries to prove that giraffe specimens were legally obtained and that the export is not detrimental to the survival of the species. Additionally, the listing would provide researchers and governments with important data to track the trade in giraffes throughout the world.

Adam Peyman wildlife programs and operations manager for Humane Society International, said: “The giraffe is going quietly extinct as they are slaughtered for trophies and their body parts used for trinkets. As there are currently no regulations on trade in giraffes, a CITES listing would provide critical measures to ensure giraffes are not pushed to the brink of extinction, and the EU’s vote holds the key to its success.”

The six organisations and the 30 African countries also strongly encourage CITES Parties, the CITES Secretariat, inter-governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations to support the proposal.

Jan Creamer, President of Animal Defenders International, said: “We must act now to prevent the further decline of this iconic species. African nations need our help to protect threatened giraffe populations, and we urge the EU to step up and support this important measure, before it’s too late.”

Notes to Editors:

  • The US, the only country for which importing data is available, imported a total of 39,516 giraffe specimens between 2006 and 2015, some of these originating in countries where giraffe populations are Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.
  • The 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 23 May to 3 June.
  • Members of the Africa Elephant Coalition, which announced support for the giraffe proposal, include Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo, and Uganda.
  • Watch a short awareness video on the giraffe’s silent extinction here.

Media contacts:

Humane Society International (UK): Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org +44 (0) 7989 972 423

Humane Society International / Australia

CANBERRA – The Australian Senate has today passed the Government’s Industrial Chemicals Bills 2017, including measures to prohibit reliance on new animal test data for chemicals introduced into Australia for use as ingredients in cosmetics. Passage of the bill was made possible thanks to an agreement reached with Humane Society International (HSI) this week, which saw the Government commit to 11 substantial reinforcing measures to ensure that all cosmetic ingredients are captured by the ban, together with funding to support the development and uptake of modern non-animal test methods. HSI, together with its #BeCrueltyFree Australia campaign partner Humane Research Australia, have welcomed the essential commitments which will ensure the implementation of a robust ban on cruel cosmetics in Australia.

Hannah Stuart, HSI Campaign Manager for #BeCrueltyFree Australia, said: “We are pleased to welcome this milestone in moving to end reliance on cruel and outdated cosmetic animal testing in Australia. This week’s commitments by the Government to further restrict the use of new animal test data for cosmetic uses, and to reduce reliance on animal testing more broadly as well, come as a product of nearly three years of intensive negotiations with Humane Society International. Paired with the Government’s additional commitments to HSI, this ban reflects both the global trend to end cosmetics cruelty, and the will of the Australian public which opposes using animals in the development of cosmetics. We thank the Government for showing leadership on this important issue, and HSI will continue to work with them to implement the commitments and enforce a robust ban. This is a huge win for animals, consumers and science.”

Stuart added: “Negotiations between HSI and the Government to secure the essential commitments and passage of the bill today were made possible through overwhelming public and cross-party support of #BeCrueltyFree Australia’s campaign for a robust national ban on cruel cosmetics, and in particular through the support of key Coalition MPs Jason Wood and Steve Irons, as well as the crucial backing of Senate amendment and motion co-sponsors Labor, the Greens, Centre Alliance Senator Stirling Griff, Senator Derryn Hinch, and Senator Tim Storer.”

The Government’s additional commitments to HSI and #BeCrueltyFree Australia include the following:

  • Further crucial provisions in the Ministerial Rules that accompany the bill which will prohibit new animal test data for all cosmetic uses of chemical ingredients introduced to Australia, ensuring that consumers won’t be exposed to buying newly animal tested cosmetics even after the ban comes into force.
  • Further measures to increase compliance with the ban once implemented, as well as measures which extend beyond the cosmetics ban, and will contribute even more significantly to a reduction in animal testing.
  • Allocating funding to support the development and uptake of new approach methods to replace animals in regulatory testing, and clearly articulating within the Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines that animal testing must only be used as a last resort, thereby aligning with international precedent.

The letter from the Minister and a full list of Government commitments made to HSI and #BeCrueltyFree Australia can be viewed here.

Facts:

  • HSI’s global #BeCrueltyFree campaign is the largest global effort in history to end cosmetics animal testing and trade. HSI and its partners have played a leading role in many of the nearly 40 national bans enacted to date, and in driving similar measures in active political discussion in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the United States and the ASEAN region of south-east Asia. #BeCrueltyFree Australia is a partnership between Humane Society International and Humane Research Australia which has campaigned for over six years specifically on the issue of cosmetics cruelty in Australia.
  • Humane Society International estimates that around 500,000 animals – mainly rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and mice – suffer and die in cruel and outdated tests of cosmetic ingredients or products each year around the world. Rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and rats are the most common animals used to test cosmetics, subjected to having cosmetic chemicals dripped in their eyes, spread on their shaved skin, or force fed to them orally in massive, even lethal doses.
  • A May 2013 poll by Nexus Research on behalf of Humane Research Australia found an overwhelming majority of Australians (85 percent) oppose using animals in the development of cosmetics with a large majority (81 percent) supporting a national ban on the sale of cosmetics tested on animals – that’s four out of five Australians who support a national ban. Similarly, a July 2014 opinion poll by Roy Morgan Research showed that ‘Not Tested on Animals’ was one of the top three features looked for by Australian female consumers when buying cosmetics.
  • More than 1000 beauty brands are certified cruelty-free globally, including popular Australian brands such as LUSH, Natures Organics, MooGoo, Australis, and many others such as those listed on the Choose Cruelty Free List.
  • These cruelty-free companies have sworn off animal testing, yet still produce new, safe and fabulous beauty products. They do so by using long-established ingredients combined with state-of-the-art non-animal tests that can produce faster, cheaper and more relevant test results.

ENDS

Media contact: Hannah Stuart, HSI/Australia, P 0407 193 526 | E hstuart@hsi.org

Tweet: @BeCrueltyFreeOz @HSIAustralia @hsiglobal #BeCrueltyFree

Humane Society International / Global

NAIROBI—The Lion’s Share Fund, a unique initiative raising much-needed funds to support wildlife conservation and animal welfare across the globe, has today announced its partnership with Humane Society International to deliver projects aimed at tackling animal welfare globally.

The Lion’s Share is an ambitious initiative, led by by a coalition of businesses, with founder FINCH and founding partner Mars, Incorporated, Clemenger BBDO and Nielsen, and the United Nations Development Programme, which aims to raise over $100 million per year within the next three years by asking advertisers to contribute 0.5 per cent of their media spend every time an animal is featured in an advertisement.

Ten percent of The Lion’s Share Fund will be invested in animal welfare projects across the globe to harness compassion for animals and translate it into increased care for nature, with HSI delivering on the global animal welfare programme. The programme includes community engagement to address the issue of street animals in neighbourhoods with a high density of free-roaming dogs, and veterinary training to upskill vets to perform high-quality and high-volume spay and neuter surgery in areas where it’s needed the most, with the aim of reducing the population of homeless animals around the world. The programme also supports actions to address the nexus between wildlife and domesticated animals, including disease transmission that threatens wildlife populations.

Kitty Block, president of Humane Society International, said, “Humane Society International is proud to be a part of this effort by The Lion’s Share to help animals in need around the planet. We’re thrilled that through the Animal Welfare Initiative, they will be supporting critical companion animal spay and neuter campaigns, vaccination drives, and adoption awareness programs, helping dogs and cats in communities in countries like Mauritius, Bolivia, the Philippines and Bhutan, all in the pursuit of reducing pet homelessness.”

One of HSI’s flagship programs that is planned to be supported by The Lion’s Share expands a training program in Bolivia to help government officials and veterinarians reduce rabies and humanely manage dog and cat populations in their cities through spay/neuter. Bolivia is one of the few countries in Latin America struggling to manage not only high street dog populations but the spread of rabies as well. The program works with Bolivia’s community leaders, local veterinarians and government officials to find the most effective and humane way to solve these challenges.

Visit our Lion’s Share page

Animals appear in approximately 20 per cent of all advertisements in the world, yet despite this, animals do not always receive the support they deserve. The Lion’s Share gives brands the opportunity to take urgent and significant action to play their part in protecting wildlife conservation and animal welfare by raising money in a sustainable way.

“Animals and pets make our lives better in so many ways, yet with over 200 million homeless pets around the world, it’s clear a lot more needs to be done to support them. At Mars, we’re on a mission to end pet homelessness, which is why we’re proud to support The Lion’s Share and HSI in their work to make this a global reality. But we know we can’t do it alone. We’re urging advertisers around the world to get involved, so we can work together to create a better world for pets and a healthier planet where animals can thrive,” commented Poul Weihrauch, president of Global Petcare at Mars, Incorporated.

The Lion’s Share was established in June 2018 with Mars, Incorporated as a founding partner, and partnerships with advertising network BBDO and leading measurement company Nielsen.

The Economist Group, which publishes The Economist, has joined the Fund under an alternative model, where media companies can contribute 0.5 percent of the income they receive from advertisers using animal imagery in the ads featured in their publications or outlets.

The Lion’s Share will work to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN’s universal call to action to end poverty and protect the planet. Supporting animals and helping to conserve their habitats is key to achieving Goal 14, Life Underwater, and Goal 15, Life on Land.

For more information on The Lion’s Share Fund, visit www.thelionssharefund.com.

ENDS

Contacts:

Adam Cathro, UNDP, adam.cathro@undp.org

Nancy Hwa, Humane Society International, nhwa@hsi.org

Helen Mills, Mars, Incorporated, Helen.Mills@effem.com

Notes to Editors:

About Humane Society International’s Companion Animal Projects

The framework of HSI’s global work to address dog and cat homelessness is based upon community engagement and veterinary training. Programs being supported by Lion’s Share include:

  • Bolivia — Spay/Neuter Clinics: Bolivia is one of the few countries in Latin America still struggling to manage the spread of rabies, with high street dog populations and few programs to humanely and effectively reduce populations. HSI worked with local veterinarians and government officials to establish a spay/neuter program nearly five years ago that has since expanded in scale and veterinary outreach. The HSI program will establish a training program specifically designed for government officials and veterinarians tasked with the reduction of rabies and the management of the dog and cat population in their cities.
  • Mauritius — Spay/Neuter and Community Engagement: An island-wide street dog culling was in place until HSI partnered with the government and started a humane pilot street dog management program in selected tourism areas, reaching 10,000 dogs over a year. With support from Lion’s Share, this program will be expanded in 2020 to all other regions of the island. Working closely with the local government, HSI will focus on community engagement to help improve the treatment of dogs and the human-animal bond, while at the same time providing critical spay/neuter services island-wide.
  • Bhutan — Spay/Neuter and Community Engagement: Since 2009, HSI has partnered with the Bhutanese government in a long-term dog management program to spay/neuter 70% of all free roaming animals. Having successfully achieved this goal, HSI will work with the Bhutan government to provide veterinary care and spay/neuter surgeries to privately owned pets, thereby completing the nation-wide dog management objective, improving the lives of pet dogs and promoting responsible pet ownership.
  • Vaccinations in Philippines: Philippines has one of the highest rates of rabies in the world, with a high-rate of free roaming dogs and high-density populations. In partnership with the national government, HSI started a mass rabies vaccination program in two of the highest rabies incidence cities in the country. To date, over 200,000 dogs have been vaccinated with a goal to reach at least 50,000 more. With Lion’s Share support, the program will be expanded beyond the two regions to reach all of the highest incidence areas of the country, helping hundreds of thousands of dogs and the communities where they live.
  • South Korea Adoption and Training Center: HSI is working to introduce an adoption and training center to offer a model for the care, sheltering and adoption of dogs in South Korea. HSI is focused on a solution to offer unwanted dogs in South Korea a second chance at a better life, and to build capacity in-country for a sustainable, healthy and well-cared for companion animal population modeled after successful rescue and shelter programs in other countries.

 

 

About the United Nations Development Programme

UNDP partners with people across societies to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. For more information on UNDP, visit undp.org.

About Humane Society International

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at hsi.org.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With more than $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 115,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About FINCH

FINCH is a production company made of filmmakers, artists, and engineers, working at the crossroads of storytelling, entertainment and technology. They believe in impacting culture through work that makes them proud. Finch has offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. FINCH make documentaries, live experiences, TV commercials, feature films and digital content. They hold more than a dozen patents and actively develop and license products and innovations that push the boundaries of conventional storytelling. Founded in 2011, their work has been recognised with advertising’s top honours including Gold Cannes Lions, a D&AD Black Pencil and several Yellow Pencils.

For more information about FINCH, please visit finchcompany.com. Join us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Clemenger BBDO Melbourne

Clemenger BBDO Melbourne is one of Australia’s largest and most creatively awarded agencies, having been named World’s most creative agency at Cannes Lions and D&AD; the region’s most effective agency at the APAC Effies over the past 12 months. A member of the global BBDO network, the agency’s mantra is “The Work. The Work. The Work.” You can find more information on the agency at www.clemengerbbdo.com.au.

Humane Society International / India

David Paul Morris

BANGALORE—In collaboration with Antoine Lewis, a renowned food and wine critic, Humane Society International/India organized a corporate roundtable focused on animal welfare trends in the food and hospitality industries.

The roundtable, which took place at Sheraton Grand, Bengaluru on March 8, saw participation from global leaders in the food and hospitality sector, including Sodexo, IKEA, Compass Group, Hilton, Marriott and Accor.

The event focused on supporting the development and implementation of animal welfare standards within corporate policies, with the purpose of improving the welfare of animals in the food supply chain. Considering the increasing consumer demand for ethical sourcing of food products and the parallel need for traceability, a transition away from battery-cage egg supply chains and towards cage-free egg supply chains and practices was highlighted. Additionally, consumers are increasingly paying attention to the massive negative impact high levels of consumption of meat, dairy and eggs has on the environment and their health, resulting in a growing trend towards the consumption of plant-based foods. To cater to this demand, participants discussed the need to increase the availability of plant-based food on menus.

Speakers included representatives from IKEA India; cage-free poultry farm, Happy Hens; plant-based meat company, Good Dot; and animal welfare experts from HSI. Antoine Lewis, food and wine critic from Mumbai, said, “Many chefs, hoteliers and restaurateurs I have spoken to have expressed a desire to move towards clean, ethically produced ingredients. This is a new area and naturally there are gaps between supply and demand. The roundtable will allow cage-free egg producers and the F&B industry to honestly understand the issues and challenges each faces and hopefully come up with equitable solutions.”

Humane Society International/India is assisting companies with developing and implementing cage-free commitments in their egg procurement policies.

Shreya Paropkari, manager of farm animal protection for Humane Society International/India, said “We are thrilled to be hosting India’s first corporate roundtable on animal welfare. Progressive companies in India have come together for this roundtable with the purpose to build a more humane, healthy and sustainable world. We are here to provide the support the companies require to help achieve this objective, and this roundtable is the first step towards more such collaborations.”

A similar conference will be conducted next week at JW Marriott, Mumbai, and will focus on relationship building with food and hospitality industry leaders and provide attendees with Humane Society International/India’s resources and assistance. Roshith Rajan, director of corporate social responsibility for Sodexo Asia Pacific, will be speaking at that event, sharing the company’s experience in the implementation of animal welfare standards.

Interview opportunities with Antoine Lewis and HSI expert Sara Shields available on request

Media Contact: Sanjana Rao, srao@hsi.org, +91 8897827214

Brussels premiere of BAFTA winner 73 Cows brings transition message to EU Parliament

Humane Society International / Europe

Brussels – European Union policy makers are being urged to help farmers transition away from animal agriculture and towards plant-crop farming in order to capitalise on the growing trend in plant-based eating. Speaking at an event this week at the European Parliament organised by Humane Society International/Europe, farmers, ecologists and academics agreed there is an urgent need for the EU to support transition farming to help farmers adapt and seize the economic opportunity of consumer diets shifting away from meat, dairy and eggs.

A major report from the Rise Foundation recently warned that Europe’s meat and dairy production must be halved by 2050 in recognition of its significant contribution to environmental degradation such as greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. The EU currently raises 9 billion farm animals for food each year – with more than 360 million of these animals spending all or part of their lives in intensive cage systems – and globally the figure is an estimated 82 billion animals.

Oxford University’s Dr Marco Springmann, and Harvard University’s Dr Helen Harwatt were joined at the Brussels symposium event by ecologist and rewilding expert Alan Watson Featherstone, and Swedish farmer Adam Arnesson who is transitioning his pig farm to grow oats for a plant-milk company. Policy makers were also treated to Europe’s first public screening of BAFTA 2019 award winning short film 73 Cows about British cattle farmers Jay and Katja Wilde who sent their herd to a sanctuary and switched to crop cultivation instead.

Alexandra Clark, HSI/Europe’s food policy consultant, said “European consumers are more aware than ever of the animal welfare and environmental impacts of meat, dairy and egg production. The current level of animal production is simply unsustainable, and the continued growth of plant-based alternatives is inevitable. This presents Europe’s farmers with an exciting opportunity to meet this changing demand by transitioning away from industrial animal agriculture to plant-crop production. With the current reform of the EU’s agricultural policy, MEPs have a clear chance to assist farmers in those transition efforts by shifting subsidies away from propping up industrial animal production, and instead supporting farmers switch to fruit, vegetables, fungi, grains and leguminous crops that are growing in demand from an increasingly plant-based public.”

The EU is currently reforming its Common Agricultural Policy, with a crucial vote planned in the Agriculture Committee in early April. Dr Helen Harwatt from Harvard University believes this is a major opportunity for EU policymakers to take leadership in animal to plant protein agricultural shifts.

Dr Harwatt said: “Repurposing portions of agricultural land to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will be crucial for limiting warming to 1.5°C. In turn, restoring this land to its natural habitat opens the door for reintroducing animal species, which would help toward tackling the wildlife crisis. Animal to plant protein shifts are essential and policy makers must ensure that policies and support are put in place to help farmers make this transition”

Swedish farmer Adam Arnesson has shifted his farm production from solely animal-based to the cultivation of multiple crops for human consumption including oats for oat milk production. In doing so he has doubled the number of people his output feeds annually and halved the climate impact per calorie.

Farmers Jay and Katja Wilde, who star in Alex Lockwood’s 73 Cows short film, were keen for MEPs to understand that the pressure and fear for the future that many animal farmers feel, could be alleviated if support existed to help them ‘plant for the planet’.

Speaking at the EU Parliament screening of 73 Cows, Jay Wilde said: “We are thrilled that our film has come to the European Parliament where we hope it inspires politicians to vote for a better future for both farmers and animals. Giving our cows to a sanctuary to live out their years in a safe haven was the best decision of our lives, it became the only decision when sending them to the abattoir was no longer something I could live with. But it’s been a very scary journey too because you’re stepping into the unknown. This shift in farming isn’t just a personal choice, its necessary to protect the environment, so if there was financial and practical support to help farmers like me plant for the planet, it would make life so much easier.”

Spanish MEP Florent Marcellesi said “We need to leave behind our unsustainable farming model and animal-based diets. Instead, we should turn as soon as possible to ecologic plant-based ones and build a farming model which is sustainable, healthy and respectful to animal welfare.”

Italian MEP Eleonora Evi said “Climate change is here, it’s already happening. For our sake but also for the sake of every other species on this planet, we need to take action to mitigate its effects by adopting an ‘all hands on deck’ approach. This means opening up the dialogue to different stakeholders. The agriculture sector has one of the highest levels of emissions, and therefore must become part of the solution. The transition to sustainable production methods and re-naturalization of agricultural areas must inevitably be considered.”

Finnish MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen said “If everyone would shift their diets towards plant-based, it would be beneficial for public health, animal welfare, biodiversity and climate.”

Facts

  • Up to 20 percent (€ 32.6 billion) of the EU’s entire annual budget is spent on animal agriculture (including feed)
  • Around 71 percent of EU farmland is used to grow animal feed
  • Animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5 percent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions
  • According to Euromonitor, in 2017 plant-based milks represented 12 percent of the global fluid milk market, and dairy alternatives are predicted to grow to a market value of €19bn by 2022
  • Europe is currently the largest market for meat substitutes, having a 39 percent global market share and, with an eight percent annual growth rate, they are predicted to reach a global net worth of €4.2bn by 2020
  • A 2017 report by Rabobank suggests that alternative proteins could represent a third of total EU protein demand growth in the next five years
  • The EAT-Lancet Commission found that a transformation to healthy diets from sustainable food systems is necessary to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement
  • The EAT-Lancet Commission also found that transformation to healthy diets by 2050 will require substantial dietary shifts, including a greater than 50 percent reduction in global consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar, and a greater than 100 percent increase in consumption of healthy foods, such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, and legumes
  • Humane Society International’s Forward Food program is one of the largest plant-based culinary training programs globally. Aimed at encouraging universities, caterers, and other institutions to provide more vegan options, Forward Food helps to facilitate diet shifts at scale. HSI believes that by making animal-free food options tastier, more satisfying and widely available, more and more people will opt for meat-free meals which is good news for animals, people and the planet. Humane Society International advocates compassionate eating – or the Three Rs: “refining” diets by avoiding products from the most abusive production systems, and “reducing” or “replacing” animal products with plant-based foods.

Media contact:

United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins whiggins@hsi.org +44 (0)7989 972 423

Iconic Colombian coffee chain commits to sourcing exclusively cage-free eggs

Humane Society International

Chickens
David Paul Morris

BOGOTÁ—Juan Valdez, with approximately 300 locations in Colombia, announced a new policy to improve animal welfare in its supply chain, committing to sourcing only cage-free eggs. The company worked with Humane Society International, a leading global animal protection organization, on the adoption of this policy. The company will conclude the transition to 100 percent cage-free eggs (including processed eggs and products that contain eggs) no later than 2025.

Juan Valdez’s new animal welfare policy states: “Juan Valdez, concerned with the environment, animal welfare, and as part of its sustainability strategy, announces its commitment to use eggs from 100% cage-free hens, for the manufacturing of all its bakery and pastries that it sells in its stores throughout the country…At Juan Valdez we are committed to sustainability and animal welfare, which is why we’ve committed to switching our entire egg supply chain to 100 percent cage-free throughout our operations in Colombia by 2025.”

Elissa Lane, director of HSI Farm Animals Welfare, stated: “We applaud Juan Valdez for joining hundreds of food companies in Colombia and around the globe in pledging to source only cage-free eggs, and we invite other companies to do the same. Through commitments like these, consumers and the food industry in the country are sending a clear message, that immobilizing egg-laying hens in cages is unacceptable and the days of how animals are treated in the food industry going unquestioned are long gone. The future of egg production is cage-free, and we look forward to continuing to work with Juan Valdez on the implementation of this policy.”

In Colombia, the majority of egg-laying hens are confined in wire cages so small they can barely move or stretch their wings. In contrast, hens raised in cage-free environments are able to walk, lay their eggs in nests, forage, perch and carry out other natural behaviors. More than 30 companies have joined this cage-free egg movement in Colombia, including Colombina, OMA, Crepes & Waffles, Pan Pa’ Ya, Hoteles Estelar, IMC Colombia (J&C Delicias and R.A. Catering), McDonald’s, Grupo Bimbo, Burger King, Alsea (Archie’s and Domino’s), Nestlé, Compass Group and Sodexo.

 

Humane Society International / Mexico

HSI

Mexico City—To mark World Spay Day, teams of volunteer veterinarians spayed and neutered 531 cats free of charge in Mexico City. The campaign was executed at local veterinary clinic Cemegatos with support from Humane Society International/Mexico. This is the first time the campaign surpases the 500 cats benchmark. The campaign ran Feb. 21 to Feb. 24 and involved 21 veterinarians and over 30 volunteers.

Dr. Claudia Edwards, DVM, HSI/Mexico programs director, said: “Spay-neutering is critical to address the street cats problem. People often misunderstand cats and have prejudices against them, but they are the most extraordinary pets. Cats need to be included in humane population control campaigns accessible to people without the means to pay for this service.”

World Spay Day reminds us of the power of affordable, accessible spay/neuter services to save the lives of companion animals, community (feral and stray) cats and street dogs who might otherwise be put down in shelters or killed on the street. Spay/neuter is also adviseable for pets to keep them healthy and to avoid unwanted offspring. Mexico has an acute street cat and dog problem, with an estimated 23 million free roaming cats and dogs.

Media contact: Magaly Garibay, (+52 55) 5211 8731, ext. 104, mgaribay@idee.agency

Humane Society International / United States

CINCINNATI—Today the Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) joins with the Humane Society International #BeCrueltyFree campaign, to ban animal testing for cosmetics in all major global beauty markets by 2023.

The #BeCrueltyFree campaign was launched in 2012 with the aim of extending the European Union’s legal precedent – banning cosmetics animal testing and the sale of newly animal tested cosmetics – to countries where this practice is still allowed or even mandated by law. P&G’s support for #BeCrueltyFree will include joint education and capacity-building programs for non-animal alternatives, continued development of new animal-free approaches to safety assessment and advocating for the legislative end of cosmetic animal testing in key global beauty markets.

Kitty Block, President of Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, said: “This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to end animal testing for cosmetics worldwide through our #BeCrueltyFree campaign. By working together with forward-looking companies like Procter & Gamble, we can make this ambitious goal a reality.”

Kathy Fish, Chief Research, Development and Innovation Officer, Procter and Gamble, shared “We are pleased to partner with the Humane Society International in the quest to end cosmetic animal testing. I’m proud of the passion and expertise our researchers have contributed already to this goal. I know they will continue to be a force for good, providing leadership and advocacy to help achieve our shared vision.”

For over two decades, P&G, HSI, the HSUS and Humane Society Legislative Fund have collaborated on the development and regulatory uptake of animal-free test methods. The organizations expect that by bringing their complementary strengths together, they will reach the end goal more quickly. A key focus will be gaining acceptance of new methods by regulators and enrolling many companies and governments globally to adopt cruelty-free public policies and practices.

Dr. Harald Schlatter, P&G Corporate Communications and Animal Welfare Advocacy, added: “We’ve invested more than $420 million over forty years in developing non-animal test methods. Our researchers have led or co-designed at least twenty-five cruelty-free methods that have replaced animal testing of cosmetic products. HSI and the HSUS have been powerful partners in advancing these methods globally.”

Troy Seidle, HSI Vice President for Research & Toxicology, said: “Animal testing of cosmetics not only causes unnecessary animal suffering, but it also represents outdated science. For more than 20 years, we have collaborated with Procter & Gamble to advance the development and regulatory acceptance of non-animal testing approaches, but in order to finally move proposed cosmetic animal testing bans into law in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and other influential markets, we need the active support of major industry leaders such as P&G. With the power of P&G’s household brands, I’m confident we can achieve a legislative end to cosmetic animal testing globally within five years.”

Media contacts:

Procter & Gamble

Humane Society International

  • Canada: Christopher Paré, 438-402-0643, cpare@hsi.org
  • Europe/UK: Wendy Higgins, +44 (0) 7989 972 423 (mobile), whiggins@hsi.org
  • United States: Nancy Hwa, 202-676-2337 (direct), 202-596-0808 (cell), nhwa@hsi.org

Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund

About Humane Society International

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at hsi.org.

About the Humane Society of the United States

The Humane Society of the United States is the most effective animal protection organization, as rated by our peers. For more than 60 years, we have celebrated the protection of all animals and confronted all forms of cruelty. We and our affiliates are the nation’s largest provider of hands-on services for animals, caring for more than 100,000 animals each year, and we prevent cruelty to millions more through our advocacy campaigns. Read about our more than 60 years of transformational change for animals and people. HumaneSociety.org

About the Humane Society Legislative Fund

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

Humane Society International/Canada expresses grave concerns regarding Canada’s new animal transportation regulations

Humane Society International / Canada

MONTREAL – Humane Society International/Canada is expressing its severe disappointment with the long-awaited amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations (Humane Transportation), published today in the Canada Gazette, Part II. The new animal transportation regulations fall far short of addressing the most serious risks to animal welfare, and will not fulfill their stated goal of ensuring that animals are treated humanely while transported between farms, slaughterhouses, auction markets and elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the regulations still allow hundreds of millions of animals to be transported for up to 72 hours without food, water or rest, depending on the species. Moreover, there are no meaningful requirements to protect animals from inclement weather, and only vague instructions for proper animal handling techniques and appropriate space allowances.

Riana Topan, campaign manager for farm animal welfare with HSI/Canada, stated: “Canadians strongly oppose animal suffering, and it is extremely disappointing that the CFIA continues to cater to the interests of the industries it is supposed to regulate, rather than the views of the public it represents. These new laws will do little to stop millions of animals from arriving dead, dying or injured at slaughterhouses each year because transport conditions will continue to be very poor.”

Animal advocates have long called on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to improve animal transport laws and bring them in line with those of Canada’s trading partners, such as the European Union and the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Moreover, instead of ensuring that Canada’s regulations are informed by scientific research, the updated laws appear to have been influenced by livestock industry lobbyists who strongly opposed any changes to the regulations. In fact, investigations into the CFIA’s internal review process revealed that industry representatives fought hard to ensure that maximum allowable transportation times were not significantly reduced, even though CFIA staff recognized shorter times to be better for animals.

Topan continued: “Approximately 800 million farm animals will be transported in Canada at some point this year, and for each of these animals, transportation will be one of the most stressful experiences they are forced to endure. It is unacceptable that laws designed to protect animals have remained mostly unchanged since they were last updated in 1977. Canada has missed an important opportunity to bring its regulations in line with the best available scientific evidence, which shows that animals should not be transported for more than eight hours without a break.”

Media Contact: Christopher Paré – office: 514 395-2914 x 206 / cell: 438 402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

MP Fin Donnelly, Humane Society International/Canada, marine scientists, and the family of the late Rob Stewart urge Members of Parliament to pass Bill S-238

Humane Society International / Canada

OTTAWA – Canada has passed the halfway mark in prohibiting the trade of shark fins with Member of Parliament Fin Donnelly tabling Bill S-238, the Ban on Shark Fin Trade Act, into the House of Commons today. The Bill, introduced by Senator Michael MacDonald in 2017, passed by an overwhelming margin by the Senate in late October.

Conservationists, marine scientists, animal welfare advocates, and the family of filmmaker Rob Stewart are calling on the federal government to pass this bill as a matter of urgency.

Julie MacInnes, wildlife campaign manager for Humane Society International/Canada, stated: “Since 2011, five federal Private Members Bills have been introduced that would ban the trade in shark fins; over just these past eight years, nearly one billion sharks have been butchered and killed for their fins. The sharks – and the ocean ecosystems that depend on them – do not have another election to wait. We are urging MPs to support S-238 and stop this destructive practise once and for all.”

The bill’s House sponsor, MP Fin Donnelly, stated: “Members of Parliament and the Canadian government must act swiftly on this urgent matter to ensure Canada plays a key role in protecting sharks globally, which are vital to sustain ocean ecosystems.”

Brian and Sandy Stewart, parents of the late Rob Stewart, issued the following statement: “We are grateful to MP Fin Donnelly and Senator MacDonald for their leadership in sponsoring this Bill and standing up for ocean conservation. Bill S-238 is an important step towards ending Canadian trade in shark fins. We urge the federal government and Members of Parliament to listen to the overwhelming majority of Canadians who support ending the trade of shark fins in Canada.”

Marine scientist Dr. Dirk Steinke, added: “There is scientific consensus that sharks are among the most threatened wildlife worldwide, which makes this all the more disconcerting. We are hopeful that Canada will take the necessary leadership in ending the shark fin trade.”

The proposed legislation was amended in the Senate so that it prohibits not only the import of shark fins into Canada, but also prohibits their export. Bill S-238 now awaits debate and a vote at Second Reading.

Facts:

  • Shark finning is the practice of cutting off a shark’s fin and discarding the animal at sea to die a slow and painful death. It is an exceptionally cruel and ecologically reckless practice that puts entire ocean ecosystems at risk.
  • HSI/Canada has campaigned to end the shark fin trade for more than a decade. Globally, HSI has been at the forefront of a powerful movement to protect sharks and stop the trade of their fins through education, outreach, and legislative efforts.
  • Canada is the largest importer of shark fins outside of Asia.
  • Every year, up to 100 million sharks are killed to satisfy global demand for their fins and their parts, threatening one-third of open ocean sharks with extinction. Every single hour, over 11,000 sharks are killed in the gruesome international shark fin trade.
  • As an apex predator, sharks hold the oceans in balance and their extinction would have significant effects on all other marine species.
  • Sharks grow slowly, mature late, and have relatively low rates of reproduction, making their populations highly vulnerable to the impacts of overfishing.

Media Contact: Christopher Paré – office: 514 395-2914 x 206 / cell: 438 402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

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