Issue Type: Farm Animals

Farm animals

Climate change conference can no longer ignore climate impacts of industrialised animal agriculture

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

dhughes9/iStock.com Cattle awaiting slaughter in a feedlot.

LONDON—More than 50 animal protection, environmental and food justice organisations from around the globe have written to Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, president of the COP26 climate change conference organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), calling on the UNFCCC to publicly recognise the catastrophic impact animal agriculture has on the planet at this year’s conference.

In the animal agriculture industry, more than 88 billion animals are raised and slaughtered for food every year. This industry is responsible for an estimated 14.5%—16.5% of human induced greenhouse gas emissions globally, on par with emissions levels of the entire transport sector. Despite animal agriculture being one of the largest contributors to climate change, it is largely neglected by countries around the world in climate change mitigation strategies and commitments.

The letter, signed by Humane Society International, World Animal Protection, Brighter Green Compassion in World Farming, 50by40, Animal Equality, FOUR PAWS International, ProVeg International, RSPCA, The Humane League and others calls on the COP26 conference, taking place in Glasgow in November, to formally acknowledge animal agriculture’s climate impact. The groups hope that formal recognition at COP26 will encourage world leaders to commit to meat and dairy consumption reduction strategies to meet the Paris Agreement’s below 2°C target.

The letter reads: “Addressing these urgent areas in the UNFCCC COP26 meeting would help propel governments around the world to take action and would provide world leaders with another high impact option to add to their toolbox for tackling climate change. Working with farmers to support and catalyse a shift towards more plant-centric food production and consumption is a proactive step that must be taken to future-proof global food and agricultural industries… We call on the UNFCCC to formally and publicly recognise the role of animal agriculture as one of the largest contributors of climate change and to open a greater space for dialogue.”

In addition to significant greenhouse gas emissions, the farm animal production sector is also the single largest anthropogenic user of land, with meat, egg, dairy and aquaculture production systems using approximately 83% of the world’s farmland while providing just 37% of the world’s protein and 18% of calories. Animal agriculture is also a major driver of deforestation, species extinction, land degradation, exhaustion of water resources and pollution.

Reducing meat and dairy production and consumption is one of the most effective actions we can take to avoid catastrophic climate change. Scientists agree—including the 107 experts who prepared a report for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the more than 11,000 signatories from 153 countries to a recent paper in the journal BioScience —that global shifts towards more plant-based diets will be key in tackling climate change.

The UN’s latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) report revealed that the climate crisis is poised to get worse if greenhouse gas emissions continue to surge, and that the future of the planet depends on the choices that humanity makes today. The report is a stark warning that if we want to win the ‘Race to Zero’, it’s imperative that we tackle every major driver of climate change, including intensive animal agriculture, collaboratively across all countries.

Julie Janovsky, Humane Society International’s vice president for farm animal welfare, says: “When it comes to the impacts of animal agriculture on climate change, we cannot continue to kick the can down the road.  While many governments and constituencies have recognized and taken action to address the impacts of the energy and transport sector, governments have yet to adopt policies to reduce the impact of large-scale, intensive animal agriculture on the environment. If we are serious about avoiding climate catastrophe, world leaders must acknowledge the science and implement strategies to change our global food system to one that significantly reduces industrial animal agriculture. Reducing the number of animals raised and slaughtered is a legitimate and essential component of tackling climate change, restoring biodiversity and ending the cruelty caused by factory farms. Ignoring the immense climate impact of industrial animal farming is no longer an option, and the COP26 climate change conference offers a vital opportunity for world leaders to take action.”

Cities and countries are beginning to acknowledge and make an effort to reduce meat consumption as a climate change mitigation strategy. Earlier this year, France announced that its climate and resilience bill encourages a more plant-based diet to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The bill includes that by 2023, all school cafeterias will have to feature one compulsory vegetarian menu once a week, and that at least one daily vegetarian option should be offered in all state-run canteens. Shortly after, the City Council of Berkeley in the United States also passed a resolution to divert half of the city’s spending money from animal-based foods to plant-based foods by 2024. Further, the Council will also look to adopt a long-term goal of replacing 100% of animal products with plant-based products to combat climate change.

The open NGO-led letter is signed by:

  • 50by40
  • A Well-Fed World
  • AbibiNsroma Foundation
  • Albert Schweitzer Stiftung für unsere Mitwelt
  • Alianima
  • Animal Equality
  • Animal Legal Defense Fund
  • Animals Aotearoa
  • Aquatic Life Institute
  • Bank Information Center
  • Brighter Green
  • Center for Biological Diversity
  • Coalition for Sustainable Food Practices
  • Compassion in World Farming
  • Creature Kind
  • Default Veg
  • Djurens Rätt
  • Earthjustice
  • Eat for the Earth
  • Eurogroup for Animals
  • EuroVeg
  • Factory Farming Awareness Coalition
  • Farm Forward
  • Farm Sanctuary
  • Feedback
  • Fish Welfare Initiative
  • Foundation for Advice and Action in the Defence of Animals (FAADA)
  • FOUR PAWS International
  • Fundación Vegetarianos Hoy
  • Green REV Institute
  • Harvard Animal Law & Policy Program
  • Humane Society International
  • Humane Society of the United States
  • Jem pre Zem
  • LAV
  • Nourish Scotland
  • One Kind
  • Phoenix Zones Initiatives
  • Plant Based Health Professionals UK
  • ProVeg International
  • RSPCA
  • Science and Environmental Health Network
  • Sinergia Animal
  • Song Thuan Chay
  • The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
  • The Humane League
  • The Humane League UK
  • The Raven Corps
  • True Animal Protein Price Coalition
  • True Health Initiative
  • Vegan Society
  • Veganuary
  • VegeProject Japan (VPJ)

ENDS

Media Contact: Leozette Roode, HSI/UK: +27 (0)713601104; LRoode@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Global

Overview

Scientific consensus shows that animal agriculture is responsible for at least 16.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and causes significant environmental degradation, from biodiversity loss to deforestation. Shifting to a plant-rich diet is one of the most effective climate-mitigation measures and provides multiple benefits from health and environmental perspectives.

Building a sustainable and resilient future for all requires comprehensive policy reform, financial incentives, and widespread collaboration among policymakers, financial institutions, businesses, communities and other stakeholders of the global food system. It is also critically important for each of us to take action where we can, since we are all in this together!

Humane Society International / Mexico

Cage-free hens
Michelle Riley/The HSUS

MEXICO CITY—Café Toscano, a cafeteria restaurant with four locations in Mexico (Roma, Condesa, Lomas and Polanco) has committed to exclusively obtaining eggs from cage-free hens throughout its supply chain during the year 2021.

With this announcement, Café Toscano will make a positive impact on the lives of around 18,000 hens annually and joins the growing list of more than 200 companies around the world, including Bimbo, Barilla, and McDonald’s, that have pledged to include only cage-free eggs in their supply chains.

For her part, Alejandra Toscano, owner of Café Toscano, said: “Our commitment to consumers has led us to choose high-quality products and that includes high standards of animal welfare. We will undoubtedly continue to advance on this issue, for the integral well-being of people and animals.”

Arianna Torres, from the Humane Society International in Mexico, said: “We congratulate Café Toscano restaurant for adopting this important commitment to improve the welfare of farm animals by providing these sentient beings with enough room to spread their wings.”

More and more companies are adopting responsible consumption policies, and HSI will continue working with Café Toscano and other companies to enhance the welfare of farm animals in their supply chains.

This commitment improves the lives of tens of thousands of laying hens in Mexico. The country’s conventional industrial egg production systems often confine chickens in tiny cages made of wire, so small that the birds cannot even fully stretch their wings. Common sense and science agree that restricting the freedom of animals for virtually their entire lives causes significant deprivation and frustration.

ENDS

Media Contact: Arianna Torres: atorres@hsi.org

Humane Society International

danchooalex/iStock.com Chicken on a farm resting

SANTIAGO DE CHILE—Cencosud, the largest multinational retail company in Chile, has announced it will sell exclusively cage-free eggs in its own brand by 2025 and all eggs at two of its major chains by 2028.

Cencosud operates in Chile under several supermarket brands, including Jumbo, Spid 35 and Santa Isabel. All of these brands are covered by the policy, which will be fully implemented by 2025 for their own brand eggs. By 2028 the policy will apply to all eggs at the Jumbo and Spid 35 stores and 50% of the egg offerings at Santa Isabel chain. The company also operates in Argentina, Brasil, Colombia and Peru, and has an office in China.

This commitment comes after many years of dialogue with Humane Society International and internal discussion. HSI will continue to work with the company in Chile during the implementation of this policy, and in the countries where they operate, to help them expand and adopt a 100% cage-free egg commitment globally.

Daniela Sanchez, HSI corporate policy manager for HSI Farm Animals in Chile, said: “We are proud that Cencosud Chile has taken this step, adopting a cage-free egg commitment, and we look forward to working with the company and its egg suppliers on the implementation of this policy. I believe that together with relieving thousands of egg-laying hens from the cruel confinement of cages, Cencosud is sending a clear message to the egg industry and related stakeholders that in Latin America the future of egg production is cage-free.”

Egg-laying hens in Chile are typically confined for their whole lives in wire cages so small that they cannot even fully stretch their wings. Cage-free production systems offer hens a higher level of welfare, allowing the birds to express their natural behavior, including ground scratching and pecking, laying their eggs in nests, perching and fully spreading their wings. HSI works together with the food industry in Chile and worldwide to help ensure a successful transition to these higher animal welfare production systems, through a variety of educational events, farm tours, technical workshops and by facilitating the exchange of best practices.

Cencosud joins the other three largest supermarket companies that have fully committed to selling exclusively cage-free eggs in Latin America: Carrefour, Costco and GPA. From one end of the supply chain to the other, companies in Chile and the entire region are improving the lives of farm animals by committing to cage-free egg production.

ENDS

Media Contact: Daniela Sanchez: dsanchez@hsi.org; +56 9 62181089

Animal charity Humane Society International/UK urges Government to end nation’s love affair with meat, and to start by cutting back on House of Commons’ meaty-menus

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

nata_vkusidey via iStock.com Vegan burger

LONDON—The much-anticipated release of Part 2 of the National Food Strategy (NFS), which recommends Brits cut back on meat by 30% over the next ten years, contains ‘bold, visionary and urgent’ recommendations that Government must act upon, says Humane Society International/UK.   The landmark report, commissioned by Government and led by Henry Dimbleby, has taken a comprehensive stance on the future of the UK’s food system, to help improve public health, combat climate change and restore biodiversity.

Warmly welcoming the report, HSI/UK applauds the NFS for acknowledging the detrimental role animal agriculture plays in damaging our health, and the health of our planet, and contributing to the suffering on millions of animals worldwide through the sale of intensively farmed animals to produce meat. The report comes just four months ahead of the UK hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, where world leaders will discuss vital climate change mitigation strategies. HSI/UK urges the UK Government to seize this opportunity to show essential global leadership on transforming food systems to protect people, the planet and animals.

Claire Bass, executive director for Humane Society International/UK, responds to the report, saying: “The recommendations in the Food Strategy report are based on comprehensive science and it is imperative that the UK Government listens and acts decisively to wean the nation off the vast quantities of meat that are harming our health, our environment and causing immense suffering to billions of animals. Through HSI’s plant-based culinary chef trainings, working with huge multinational food service companies and university kitchens, we know that many businesses are already committed to increasing their meat-free and dairy-free options to meet growing consumer demand and reduce their climate impacts. If we are serious about avoiding climate catastrophe, we need politicians to own a meat reduction goal and strategy as a legitimate and essential component of tackling climate change, restoring biodiversity and ending the cruelty caused by factory farms. As UNFCCC COP26 hosts, this year is the UK’s moment to lead the way with a blueprint for a healthy, fair and sustainable food system for us all.”

There has never been a more fitting time for the launch of the report, as the UK eases out of its final stages of lockdown and looks toward restoring public health after the pandemic, in addition to hosting the world largest climate change conference in November this year. Reducing meat and dairy production and consumption is one of the most effective actions we can take to avoid catastrophic climate change. Animal agriculture, which breeds, raises and slaughters more than 88 billion animals worldwide per year, is responsible for a minimum of 14.5% of human induced greenhouse gas emissions globally—on par with all global transportation combined. Plant-centered diets also have many health benefits—studies show that people who eat fewer animal products have lower rates of a range of health issues including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Poor diet currently contributes to an estimated 64,000 deaths every year in England.

Anticipating a negative reaction from some quarters about the prospect of reduced meat diets, HSI/UK responds that the transition away from meat-heavy meals is already well under way, with plant-based food options one of the biggest growth areas for supermarkets in recent years. The shift is also happening in the food service industry; HSI’s global Forward Food programme works with universities, food service providers and the largest caterers around the world to inspire and enable them to add more plants on plates. Since HSI/UK launched the program in 2016, Forward Food has been working together with universities across the country including Cambridge, Oxford, St. Andrews, Winchester, Portsmouth, London School of Economics and Political Science, City University, University of London, Swansea, Harper Adams, Central Lancashire, Oxford Brookes and Sheffield. Major British foodservice professionals such as Sodexo UK, Compass Group and Baxterstorey have also participated in the programme, and are setting ambitious meat reduction targets of their own.

The NFS report recommends ‘strengthening government procurement rules, to ensure that taxpayer money is spent on healthy and sustainable food,’ and HSI urges the House of Commons to be the first to lead by example in response to the NSF report, by overhauling its meat-heavy menus. A 2021 report by HSI/UK, shows that the overall procurement within House of Commons’ catering produces a carbon footprint of 376 tonnes CO2 equivalent per month, of which 72% is attributed to animal-based products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy.  The report also revealed that by cutting meat and dairy on the menus by 50% and replacing them with plant-based alternatives, House of Commons Catering could save 115 tonnes of CO2-e per month, reducing its overall food GHG emissions by almost a third (31%).

Not only are plant-based products better for our health and the environment, but evidence shows it is becoming a good business decision too. By increasing the amount of climate-friendly food on offer, institutions noticed a sales spike of 41-79%. Plant-based food is going mainstream, with more and more supermarkets, restaurants and delivery food providers experiencing an increase in public demand for food that is better for our health, the planet and animals. The time is right to set the British blueprint for a sustainable food system.

ENDS

Media Contact: Leozette Roode: LRoode@his.org; +27 71 360 1104

Humane Society International

Cage-free hens
Michelle Riley/The HSUS

BANGKOK—Cage-free egg sourcing is becoming a sustainability priority for the Southeast Asian hospitality sector. To better understand how sustainability procurement managers are responding, and to support and accelerate further progress, Humane Society International convened a virtual workshop of these leaders on June 23. HSI, one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations, has worked closely with companies and producers across the region to promote cage-free policies and their implementation.

The hospitality sector is unique in several ways: its clientele is global, the service provided is intensely personal – a home away from home; and the customer’s overall impression of the experience can be influenced, positively or negatively, by the smallest of details. These are some of the reasons HSI believes animal welfare has become a priority corporate social responsibility issue for the hospitality industry in Asia.

Attendees from 10 countries representing 15 hotel chains heard how three different types of companies—a small luxury brand (Peninsula), the largest global brand (Accor) and a long-established brand (Hilton) approach the transition to higher animal welfare procurement. Among key strategies identified were the importance of obtaining animal welfare expertise to help educate and align internal teams, the value of internal training for procurement staff, and the usefulness of external certification standards in defining cage-free sourcing requirements and qualifying suppliers.

The Thai egg producer Akara Groups showcased their new cage-free egg facilities that provide laying hens space to move, dustbathe, nest and forage. Akara joins four other (large-scale/commercial) producers in Thailand in responding to the growing demand for cage-free eggs. Certified Humane, one of the leading certification programs now active in Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam), discussed how certification can help provide both producers and companies greater clarity on the conditions that should be addressed in cage-free production.

David Crestani, senior manager, Supply Management for Hilton emphasized: “…. early engagement with producers is important, as it signals a commitment to transition towards a cage-free supply, and encourages improvement of existing practices. We also work with hotel teams to effect gradual change through their menu offerings, in anticipation of the future increase of cage-free egg supply.”

Hotel industry panelists agreed that there is an opportunity to work with other industries to drive cage-free adoption, similar to their experience in eliminating single use plastics. To encourage franchisee adoption of cage-free policies, hotel chains can collaborate with animal welfare groups like HSI to support producer engagement. Andrew Cameron, senior category manager at Accor, commented that: “We understand that the best approach to fulfil cage-free egg commitments is to think holistically and work collaboratively with all invested parties, both internally and externally. Engineering menus are only one piece of the puzzle, and it is with the support of the broader industry, producers, policy-makers and NGOs that we can secure systemic change in how eggs are perceived and purchased globally”.

Participants welcomed the opportunity to learn more about how cage-free production is related to the growing trend in sustainable procurement. Samir Wildemann, Fusion’s vice president of Operations, shared that: “Cage-free is one of the top sustainability policies of Fusion Hotel Group. More and more travelers across the region have raised this issue when traveling. Speakers from this webinar shared step-by-step actions for implementation; as well as the challenges, lessons learned and strategies which I think are very valuable to a new member of the cage-free egg movement, like us.”

Matthew Johnson, HSI’s corporate engagement manager for Southeast Asia, said: “We are very pleased with the positive feedback we received from this webinar and look forward to continuing to foster open dialogue and collaboration among various stakeholders in Asia. We want to ensure that egg producers and hospitality industry in Asia have the tools and resources necessary to successfully meet consumer demand for higher welfare products and ensure a cage-free future for laying hens.”

Egg-laying hens in Asia are typically confined for their whole lives in wire cages so small that they cannot even fully stretch their wings. Cage-free production systems generally offer hens higher levels of welfare, allowing the birds to express more of their natural behaviors, including moving around, laying eggs in nests, perching and fully spreading their wings.

ENDS

Media Contact: Matthew Johnson: mjohnson@hsi.org

Forward Food is inspiring institutional dietary change that is kinder to people, animals and the planet

Humane Society International / Global

HSI

LONDON—As world leaders prepare to meet for the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this November, to discuss vital climate change mitigation strategies, the need to reduce the environmental impacts of our diets has never been more urgent. As well as urging COP26 leaders to ensure that animal agriculture is on the event agenda, Humane Society International/UK also launched a virtual plant-based culinary programme through its Forward Food programme, to help institutions play their part in helping Brits eat for the planet with more plant-based menus.

Reducing meat and dairy production and consumption is one of the most effective actions we can take to avoid catastrophic climate change. Animal agriculture, which breeds, raises and slaughters more than 88 billion animals per year, is recognised as a major contributor to climate change, responsible for an estimated 14.5%—16.5% of human induced greenhouse gas GHG emissions globally. This makes the emissions from farming animals for food on par with the emissions from the entire transport sector. Scientists agree—including the 107 experts who prepared a report for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the more than 11,000 signatories from 153 countries to a recent paper in the journal BioScience—that global shifts towards more plant-based diets will be key in tackling climate change.

HSI/UK’s interactive online culinary workshop equips chefs with the knowledge, skills and inspiration they need to develop delicious and nutritious plant-based dishes in the comfort of their own kitchens. By now offering this training online, HSI/UK not only caters for kitchens that are still operating with a reduced capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions, but also helps meet the growing demand for plant-based trainings by reaching more kitchens and chefs throughout Britain. The video-based workshop, led by HSI/UK’s Forward Food chef and renowned food writer, Jenny Chandler, consist of four toolkits exploring key aspects of plant-based cooking: umami flavour, texture, pulses, and grains and seeds. As part of the training, HSI/UK also calculates greenhouse gas savings from kitchens that are shifting away from meat and dairy-based menus to more plant-based options.

Charlie Huson, HSI//UK’s Forward Food programme manager, says: “Demand for tasty and satisfying vegan options in Britain’s canteens and kitchens is growing rapidly, as students, customers and caterers across the country realise the incredible health, environmental and animal welfare benefits of a more plant-based diet. Reducing meat and dairy consumption is one of the single most important actions we can all take to tackle climate change, so we are incredibly excited that by launching our Forward Food training on a new virtual and interactive platform, we can help even more universities, corporate kitchens and catering companies meet growing demand for more plant-centred menus. Plant-based foods are going mainstream, and kitchens can now serve a plant-based version of almost anything from burgers to brownies. Our Forward Food virtual toolkits are entertaining, super easy to follow, and a must for chefs eager to explore the world of plant-based cooking.”

Watch the teaser video for HSI/UK’s virtual plant-based culinary workshop here.

HSI/UK’s Forward Food programme has already been implemented at top universities across the country including Cambridge, Oxford, St. Andrews, Winchester, Portsmouth, London School of Economics and Political Science, City University, University of London, Swansea, Harper Adams, Central Lancashire, Oxford Brookes and Sheffield. Major British foodservice professionals such as Sodexo UK, Compass Group and Baxter Storey have also implemented the programme.

The very first Forward Food virtual plant-based culinary programme was conducted with the University of Winchester last month. Dave Morton, University of Winchester Catering Operations Manager, said, “We are proud that HSI/UK’s first Forward Food virtual training was held with the University of Winchester. We have noticed a demand for more plant-based menu options, so since 2016 our catering team has worked to reduce our meat and dairy offering, and in 2018 we started collaborating with HSI/UK to create more delicious plant-based meals. We pride ourselves in having a strong commitment to sustainability, animal welfare and social justice, and we are happy to share that by reducing our procurement of meat and dairy, we have lowered our food-related carbon footprint by 39%. The Forward Food virtual training is a great way to further engage our catering team, despite the current restrictions.”

Plant-based diets boast many other benefits. Studies show that people who eat fewer animal products have lower rates of a range of health issues including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Replacing meat, milk and eggs produced by industrial animal agriculture also benefits farm animals, billions of whom spend all or part of their lives in cages or crates, where they are unable to exercise, engage in their natural behaviours and often cannot even turn around because of lack of space.

TAKE PART: If your institution is interested in the Forward Food virtual plant-based culinary programme, please contact Charlie Huson, HSI//UK’s Forward Food programme manager, at CHuson@hsi.org.

FARM FACTS: 

  • 2 billion terrestrial animals are raised for food in the UK every year, with around 3.4 million animals slaughtered every day; which equates to 143,200 per hour; 2,400 per minute and 40 every second (FAO)
  • Animal agriculture is responsible for an estimated 5%—16.5%of GHG emissions globally—roughly equivalent to the exhaust emissions of every car, train, ship and aircraft on the planet. (FAO) In the UK alone, the GHG emissions from a meat-centric diet are 2.5 times that of one without animal products. (NCBI)
  • In the UK 20% of 16-24 year-olds and 12% of adults follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. (Mintel)
  • Nearly half (44%) of people in Britain do not eat meat, have reduced the amount of meat they eat or are considering cutting down.(NatCen British Social Attitudes February 2016)

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, media and campaigns manager for HSI/UK: LRoode@hsi.org; +27 (0)713601104

Humane Society International / HSI in Viet Nam

Nam Huong First Nam Huong’s cage-free barn.

HO CHI MINH CITY—Viet Nam is joining other Southeast Asian countries in the movement to promote cage-free eggs with the opening of the country’s first cage-free barn. Most of the more than 8 billion eggs that are produced in Viet Nam annually are laid by hens kept in wire, battery cages, which are so small the hens cannot even stretch their wings.

As Nam Huong Director Le Van Hoa sees it, the future is cage-free. Nam Huong is an established mid-scale egg producer in Tien Giang, one of the Mekong Delta provinces, about 150 km west of Ho Chi Minh City. Its current capacity is 700,000 laying hens producing about 200 million battery cage eggs per year. Following visits to cage-free operations in the United Kingdom, technical workshops, insights from 14 years of battery cage production, and the mounting shift in consumer demand, Hoa is establishing one of the first commercial cage-free facilities.

Hoa shared that the transition to a cage-free system could be a good path for his business: “Vietnam is one of the fast-growing economic countries in the region. I have seen the cage-free egg movement growing in our neighboring countries, such as Thailand and Malaysia. Consumers’ concern regarding animal welfare is increasing and I am expecting Nam Huong would be one of the first producers in Vietnam to make the switch to cage-free housing.”

In 2019, Viet Nam had 77.07 million hens who laid 8.2 billion eggs, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. There are thousands of egg producers in the country, with varying sizes of production.

The transition to cage-free requires investment and specialized management, and with technical support from Humane Society International, Nam Huong is converting two original battery cage houses to cage-free. This initial project will help to free 3,000 laying-hens in the first year.

HSI applauds Nam Huong for this transition to higher animal welfare practices. Unlike battery cages, cage-free housing allows the hens to move freely and to express their natural behavior, such as dustbathing, nesting, perching and scratching in loose litter. Hang Le, Farm Animal Welfare Manager, HSI in Viet Nam stated “With the movement from producers, like Nam Huong, HSI urges individual consumers and the food industry to consider farm animal welfare when buying or sourcing eggs. By supporting cage-free producers, consumers can drive Viet Nam’s egg production industry toward a more humane way of farming”.

HSI has worked to protect animals, including farm animals, in Viet Nam since 2013, and collaborated with the Department of Livestock Production to endorse humane practices for farm animals in the Animal Husbandry Law that came into force in 2020. The new law is an important vehicle to improve the lives of farm animals in Viet Nam. HSI applauds the Viet Nam government for its forward-thinking approach, keeping animal welfare at the forefront to ensure not only that the animals are well cared for but that farming systems keep pace with international markets.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Trong, Deputy Director at the Department of Livestock Production in the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said, “The cage-free egg production system is a science-based, and higher animal welfare alternative. Nam Huong is one of the first egg producers in Viet Nam to implement humane treatment in livestock production, the Article 69 of Viet Nam Animal Husbandry Law. We welcome pioneers like Nam Huong on this transition. We urge businesses and consumers, please join to support the activities of agribusiness companies and individual producers who are leaders to implement the Law in order to integrate into the growing trend around the globe.”

HSI is helping buyers and producers to transition to cage-free egg production in many ways such as hosting events for a range of stakeholders, from technical workshops for producers to companies that are changing their supply chain throughout Southeast Asia. A recent HSI webinar focused on the hospitality industry, aiming to support the cage-free transition efforts in Asia by illuminating opportunities and successful strategies to transition, including lessons learned.

Nam Huong has committed to working with HSI on improving the living conditions of laying hens in Viet Nam. Both parties will work together in the upcoming years to plan and convert additional battery cages to cage-free for tens of thousands of hens. This humane journey could not be done by any party alone—awareness, participation and support from the government, society and consumers will be crucial.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

  • Phuong Tham, Humane Society International in Viet Nam: phuongth@hsi.org
  • Le Van Hoa, Nam Huong: lehoa83@yahoo.com

Sodexo Canada will convert 20% of its current ingredients purchasing to plant-based to improve animal welfare, sustainability, and human health in the next few years.

Humane Society International / Canada

Ruben Rapetti/Sodexo Canada Scalloped Potatoes prepared by Chef Ruben Rapetti during one of HSI/Canada’s plant-based trainings with Sodexo Canada.

MONTREAL—Sodexo Canada and Humane Society International/Canada are excited to announce a new development in their national partnership: Sodexo Canada has signed onto the Forward Food Pledge, committing to transition 20% of its protein purchases across Canada to plant-based. To achieve this goal, HSI/Canada is supporting Sodexo Canada by providing culinary trainings, recipes, and menu development to Sodexo’s culinary team across Canada.

“Health and wellness are at the heart of our diverse food offer and increases awareness to improving animal welfare. Together with Humane Society International/Canada we have refreshed our strategy to bring our teams the tools they need through training and engagement, data analysis and responsible sourcing strategies to achieve our commitment to reducing emissions and providing increased healthy and delicious plant-based menu offerings,” says Davide Del Brocco, Sustainability Manager at Sodexo Canada.

“Our Love of Food program incorporates the creativity of our chefs and the resources of our Corporate Responsibility team directly into the menu development process. This synergy with HSI/Canada’s Forward Food program enables us to achieve our mutual goals of creating menus that speak to the needs of Canadians and drive sustainable business practices,” says Kyle Mason, Sodexo Canada’s senior manager of culinary development.

Riana Topan, campaign manager for HSI/Canada, says, “We are delighted to be partnering with Sodexo to increase their plant-based and plant-forward menu options, which will save an estimated 510,000 animals each year, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, improve the health of their clients and meet Canadians’ unprecedented demand for delicious, environmentally and animal-friendly food choices. Sodexo is setting a meaningful example for the foodservice industry in Canada by taking the Forward Food Pledge for every one of its accounts that serve food and working to reduce its use of animal proteins by 20% over the next two years.”

This transformative target and milestone make the foodservice industry in Canada more compassionate, sustainable, and nutritious.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Calls to tighten up EU wildlife trade rules and address pandemic risks welcomed

Humane Society International / Europe

Tikki Hywood Trust

BRUSSELS—The global decline in biodiversity poses a serious environmental threat and is also inextricably linked to climate change as well as the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. Today the European Parliament adopted a robust report on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which acknowledges that bold action is needed to halt the loss of biodiversity and protect and restore nature in the EU and beyond.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said:

“It is high time to re-evaluate our relationship with other animals and exploitation of the natural world. The COVID-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call to humanity. This coronavirus is the latest in a long line of zoonotic diseases that have wreaked havoc with human health and society. The more we continue to exploit animals for food, fur and even our hobbies and encroach on and/or destroy animals’ natural habitats and lose biodiversity, the greater the opportunities for emerging infectious diseases to spread to human populations. HSI welcomes the Parliament’s report, which addresses many of our own key concerns, such as the need to tackle legal and illegal wildlife trade, marine species protection, achieving coexistence with large carnivores, and trade policy, and we urge the European Commission to act on MEPs recommendations to further strengthen its Biodiversity Strategy and take decisive action to protect nature.”

A very wide range of environmental issues were addressed in the report, but HSI would particularly like to applaud the Parliament’s:

  • Call for global EU leadership to end the commercial trade in endangered species and for the Commission to address both the legal and illegal wildlife trade in the review of the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking;
  • Request that the Commission to consider adopting a moratorium on imports of wild animals from emerging infectious disease hotspots to minimise the risk of future pandemics;
  • Call for the delivery of a legislative proposal to prohibit the trade in wildlife species taken in violation of the laws of the country of origin since this would close the loopholes in the existing EU Wildlife Trade Regulations;
  • Call for the Commission to revise the Environmental Crime Directive and to recognise environmental crimes and offences, such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and wildlife crime, as serious criminal activities that should be adequately penalised with a strong deterrent effect, especially in the context of organised crime;
  • Request for the Commission to explore the possibility of adding a protocol on wildlife crime to the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime;
  • Expresses strong support for the global moratorium on commercial whaling and urging Norway and Japan to cease their whaling operations, in addition to calling for the EU and Member States to urge the International Whaling Commission to formally address Norway’s commercial whaling activities;
  • Observes that there are clear guidelines to implement preventative measures and compensation in regards to conflicts linked to the coexistence with large carnivores to ensure their protection under the EU Habitats Directive;
  • Acknowledgement that fur production significantly compromises animal welfare and increases their susceptibility to infectious diseases including zoonoses, as has occurred with COVID-19 in mink.

Regrettably, MEPs voted in favour of retrograde amendments that weakened robust language adopted by the Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, which:

  • Demanded a full and immediate EU ban on the trade, import export or re-export in the EU of all ivory;
  • Underlined the importance of facilitating the adoption of sustainable diets, including plant-based diets; recognising that animal agriculture can contribute to biodiversity loss and climate change;

Facts

  • The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 was adopted by the European Commission in May 2020 as a key element of the European Green Deal. It is a comprehensive long-term plan, which makes various commitments to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems.

ENDS

Media contact: Dr Jo Swabe, Humane Society International: jswabe@hsi.org

Learn More Button Inserter