Region: Viet Nam

Humane Society International / Viet Nam

HSI

HANOI, Viet Nam—Seven grocery stores and a bakery in Viet Nam are supporting Nguyen Khoi Green JSC (the makers of Nguyen Khoi – Natural Pork brand or Nguyen Khoi) to end the gestation crate confinement of female breeding pigs and to implement group housing, which gives these intelligent animals room to move.

The supplier’s transition plan will see 25% of pigs in group housing by the end of 2023, with the expectation that all Nguyen Khoi facilities will be gestation and farrowing crate-free by 2025. These improvements are in response to growing awareness and demand for higher animal welfare. Humane Society International, a global organization working to protect all animals, is providing technical assistance—conducting farm visits, connecting Nguyen Khoi with animal welfare experts, and facilitating certification to a meaningful program.

Nguyen Khoi in Phu Tho Province (north of Hanoi), is among the first pork producers in the country to join the global movement to phase out gestation crates. In much of the pork industry, sows are confined to crates roughly the same size as their bodies throughout each of their nearly four-month long pregnancies. These crates confine sows so tightly they are unable to turn around, easily lie down or take more than a few steps forward or backward.

Instead, Nguyen Khoi will transition to group housing, which has been successfully used by farmers around the world to provide sows more space to move, socialize and adopt more comfortable resting postures during their pregnancies.

“Animal welfare is a growing global issue and we want to do our part. This is something we value, and we believe our customers appreciate that too,” said Thao Nguyen Phuong, co-founder and COO- Nguyen Khoi. “We are also looking forward to working further with HSI and our retailer partners to educate the market on animal welfare since we are one of the first companies implementing such a humane initiative in Viet Nam.”

Xanh Sam, a grocery store in Hanoi has committed to sell exclusively 100% crate-free pork from in all of their stores and future locations by 2025. Ms. Lai Thi Huong, CEO and co-founder of Xanh Sam stated: “As an organic and sustainable food store in Hanoi, we applaud Nguyen Khoi for this pioneering transition. This next step on animal welfare is very crucial and aligns with Xanh Sam’s core values.”

Three of Nguyen Khoi’s buyers in Hanoi’s neighboring provinces have committed to 100% crate-free for their entire supply chains too.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy My, the owner and founder of Khoẻ 365 Mart in Hai Phong Province, said, “We’re very delighted about this opportunity, we are very ready to follow our long-term supplier’s journey by committing to 100% crate-free by 2025.”

In Lao Cai Province, TrangHealthy has partnered with Nguyen Khoi for years because of a similar vision. The shop owner, Ms. Nguyen Huyen Trang, said, “We are very excited to be leaders in by adopting 100% crate-free by 2025.”

Similarly, Ms. Hoang Thi Minh Trang, the owner of Organio Corner in Hai Duong province, said, “Farm animal welfare is something quite new in Viet Nam, and Organio Corner is very proud of pioneering on this journey. We have committed to work with our partners to ensure 100% of pork sold in existing and future stores is from crate-free farms.”

An Nong Farm, a food retailer in Quang Binh, has also followed its pork supplier’s path by adopting a commitment of having a 100% crate-free supply chain by 2025. “We have the same vision of producing and selling sustainable foods not only focusing on humans and the environment, but also animals. The new chapter of Nguyen Khoi on animal welfare is aligns with our values,” shared by Ms. Le Thi Thanh Thuy, CEO and co-founder of An Nong Farm.

Another client of Nguyen Khoi joining the call for better animal welfare is Stephanie, the first organic bakery in Hanoi. The bakery chain has committed to switch to 100% crate-free pork. “We will continue sourcing pork from Nguyen Khoi as we share the same core values and vision,” said Ms. Le Thu Tra, CEO and co-founder of Stephanie.

Similarly, two other food retailers, Eco foods and Leaf Organic have committed to source crate-free pork, 50% and 80% respectively, by 2025. The two retailers have additionally committed to source pork from other suppliers that don’t use gestation crates.

Nguyen Khoi joins other producers in Southeast Asia, such as Betagro, that are already converting to group housing systems.

Hang Le, HSI’s Southeast Asia regional farm animal welfare program manager, said, “Nguyen Khoi, Xanh Sam, Khoẻ 365 Mart, TrangHealthy, Organio Corner, An Nong Farm, Stephanie, Leaf Organic and Eco foods have taken animal welfare seriously by adopting a crate-free commitment. Consumers care about the way animals are treated in food production and oppose the cruel, lifelong confinement of sows in gestation crates. These companies are sending a clear message that in Viet Nam the future of pork production is crate-free.”

HSI works with members of the food industry and producers to help ensure a successful transition to higher animal welfare systems through educational events, technical workshops and by facilitating the exchange of best practices among experts.

Because of this work and due to the growing demand from the global food industry, producers in Viet Nam and the entire region are now improving the lives of farm animals by committing to crate-free pork production. A growing number of food and hospitality companies, including Tesco Lotus in Thailand, Unilever, Sodexo and Hilton Worldwide, have adopted crate-free pork procurement policies as part of their corporate social responsibility goals.

ENDS

Media contact: Hang Le, Southeast Asia regional farm animal welfare program manager: hanglt@hsi.org

Reference in this release to any specific commercial product or service, or the use of any brand, trade, firm or corporation name is for the information of the public and does not constitute or imply endorsement by Humane Society International or its affiliates of the product or service, or its producer or provider, and should not be construed or relied upon, under any circumstances, by implication or otherwise, as investment advice. Links and access by hypertext to other websites is provided as a convenience only and does not indicate or imply any endorsement with respect to any of the content on such website nor any of the views expressed thereon.

Owner Mr Hiep works with Humane Society International in Viet Nam to exit the trade and save 18 remaining dogs for adoption

Humane Society International

Chau Doan/AP Images for HSI

HANOI, Viet Nam—The owner of a dog slaughterhouse and dog meat restaurant in Viet Nam, which killed thousands of dogs for human consumption over the past five years, has become the first in the country to take part in a new Models for Change program by animal protection group Humane Society International. The program helps people transition out of the cruel and dangerous dog meat trade.

Forty-year-old Mr Hiep of Thai Nguyen province—a dog meat hotspot—was eager to work with HSI’s team in Viet Nam to permanently close his dog meat business and stop slaughtering dogs, because he believes killing the animals brought his family bad luck. His business was responsible for killing an average of 10-15 dogs every day. HSI and officials from the Departments of Agriculture and of Animal Health were on site to help Mr Hiep close down his slaughter operation and rescue 18 dogs found alive at the property.

HSI’s Models for Change program is coming to Viet Nam after successfully operating in South Korea since 2015, where the HSI has closed down 17 dog meat farms so far, rescuing more than 2,500 dogs and helping dog farmers transition to more sustainable livelihoods such as chili or water parsley growing.

As well as tackling the tremendous animal cruelty associated with the capture, trafficking and slaughter of an estimated five million dogs a year for human consumption across Viet Nam, HSI’s Models for Change program will also provide workers with a way out of a trade that is known to facilitate the spread of the deadly rabies virus in Viet Nam. Rabies kills more than 70 people in Viet Nam each year, according to the World Health Organization, with most cases caused by dog bites, and several verified cases linked to dog slaughter and even dog meat consumption. Last month, authorities in Hanoi reported the death of a man who contracted rabies after slaughtering dogs for meat.

Phuong Tham, Humane Society International’s country director in Viet Nam, said: “We are very proud to bring our Models for Change program to Viet Nam. The dog meat trade is not only unbelievably cruel, but also poses a very grave risk to human health from the transmission of potentially lethal diseases like rabies. Mr Hiep is the first of what we hope will be many more people to leave this dangerous trade behind them, helping the government achieve its goal of eliminating human rabies deaths from dog interactions by 2030. We recognize that many people involved in the dog meat trade are keen to leave due to low profitability, societal and family shame as well as fears of bad karma. We hope our Vietnamese Models for Change program will become a key component of Viet Nam’s strategy to provide industry workers with alternative and economically viable livelihoods, whilst also supporting the government in its efforts to eliminate rabies.”

The 18 dogs rescued, some of whom had been locked up in cages for fattening to reach slaughter weight, were vaccinated against rabies and distemper, and moved to a nearby HSI-supported, temporary care and rehabilitation facility at the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, to receive necessary medical care before being considered for local and international adoption. Mr Hiep plans to transform his business to sell agricultural services such as crop fertilizer, as well as groceries, green tea, beer and snacks to waiting customers.

Mr Hiep said: “I know in my heart that killing and eating dogs is wrong, and it was becoming harder and harder for me to do it. I am convinced that being part of this trade was bringing my family bad karma, so I am relieved to work with HSI in Viet Nam to end this chapter in my life and start afresh. The risk of spreading rabies through the dog meat trade is something we should all take very seriously, so I feel proud to be standing up for change in my community, and happy to know that the dogs who have been saved will be able to live new lives with families. It’s a good outcome for me, the dogs and my community.”

HSI conducted research in Thai Nguyen and Hanoi to establish that Viet Nam’s dog meat trade is largely supplied through snatching dogs from the streets or stealing pets from private homes. Traders frequently use poison bait such as meatballs laced with cyanide, and catch the dogs using painful taser guns and pincers. Pet theft and the arrest of pet thieves is frequently reported in the Vietnamese media, and devastated pet owners often buy back their beloved companions if they are fortunate enough to locate them after capture. Traders also go village to village by motorbike to purchase dogs from rural communities that occasionally sell “excess” dogs for extra income. Once there is a sufficient number of dogs to fill a truck, they are tightly packed into small cages and driven for hours or even days, many sustaining injuries as well as enduring exhaustion, dehydration, suffocation, heatstroke and even death before the truck reaches its final destination – a slaughterhouse, market or restaurant.

The link between rabies transmission and the dog meat trade has been well established by the World Health Organization, and the virus’s elimination is undermined by continued dog meat trade activities. Studies by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology demonstrate that a significant percentage of patients in Viet Nam who become infected with the virus after contact with dogs, do so not due to a bite but after killing, butchering or eating dogs. The link between rabies and the dog meat trade is so well established that in 2018 and 2019, authorities in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City urged citizens not to consume dog meat to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Dr. Phan Thi Hong Phuc, dean of animal science and veterinary faculty at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, said: “Rabies is endemic in Viet Nam, and the dog meat trade is a contributing factor to the spread of this virus to humans. So, we are very pleased to work with HSI in Viet Nam on Models For Change, a first-of-its kind program for our country demonstrating how dog meat trade workers can transition to better, safer livelihoods.”

Dog meat facts:

  • Viet Nam kills more dogs for meat than any other country in Southeast Asia.
  • While the sale and consumption of dog meat is not illegal in Viet Nam, the unregulated trans-provincial movement of dogs has been illegal since 2009, and pet theft was made a punishable offence in 2016. While several cities including Hanoi and Hoi An have pledged to end the trade, enforcement of laws is rare and trucks continue to openly transport hundreds of dogs at a time on national highways.
  • Unlike most other countries across Asia where the majority of citizens don’t eat dog meat, in Viet Nam dog meat —known as thịt chó— remains more popular, and is the go-to dish for special occasions. One recent study of dog meat consumption found that 11% of people in Hanoi and 1.5% of people in Ho Chi Minh City, regularly consume dog meat (at least once/month on average).
  • A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog meat has medicinal properties and can increase male virility.
  • Dogs are usually killed with a knife to the jugular and heart, in full view of other dogs.
  • A 2016-2017 study of dog brain samples from Hanoi slaughterhouses commissioned by Asia Canine Protection Alliance (of which HSI is a member) in partnership with Viet Nam’s National Center for Veterinary Diagnosis showed that one in every 100 dogs had been infected with rabies, which is a high incidence rate.
  • Academic papers published in 2008 and 2011 are among those that establish the connection between the dog meat trade and rabies. Detailed references are available upon request.

Download video and photos of the dog slaughterhouse closure operation.

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Global

HSI/Viet Nam country director rescuing a dog from a slaughterhouse in Viet Nam
Chau Doan/AP Images for HSI

The dog and cat meat trade in Viet Nam

Every year in Vietnam, an estimated five million dogs and one million cats are captured, stolen, trafficked and brutally slaughtered for their meat. This trade is not only marked by extreme animal cruelty but also involves significant criminal activity. To capture dogs, traders often resort to using poisoned bait tasers, and iron pincers, while cats are trapped using spring-loaded snares. Pets are frequently stolen from homes, and animals are trafficked across borders from neighboring countries such as Laos, Cambodia and China.

During transport, the animals are crammed into small cages and loaded onto trucks for grueling journeys that can last several days. Throughout this ordeal, they are deprived of food, water and rest, leading to some dying from suffocation, dehydration and heatstroke before reaching their final destination—a restaurant, market or slaughterhouse where they are killed and sold on as dog or cat meat.

Threat of rabies

The dog meat trade is not only inhumane but also poses significant public health risks, especially concerning the spread of rabies. Vietnam continues to see approximately 70 human deaths each year from rabies, with most cases linked to dog bites. The trade in dogs of unknown disease or vaccination status undermines anti-rabies efforts and endangers everyone involved.

Growing local opposition to the trade

Viet Nam is somewhat unique in Asia regarding the relatively widespread consumption of dog and cat meat. Unlike most countries on the continent, where such practices are limited to a small minority, a recent Nielsen poll from September 2023 commissioned by HSI revealed that nearly 40% of the Vietnamese population consumes dog meat, while 21% eat cat meat. Dog meat is particularly popular among men in northern Viet Nam, while cat meat dishes are especially common in Hanoi and the northern province of Thai Binh.

Despite this, there is growing local opposition to these trades, especially among young people and pet owners. Nationally, 64% of people support a ban on dog meat consumption, and 68% support banning the dog meat trade. Similarly, 71% of the population favors a ban on both the consumption and trade of cat meat. The primary reasons for this opposition are a strong aversion to the cruelty involved and the belief that dogs and cats are companion animals, not food. This sentiment is likely driven by the increasing number of pet owners in Viet Nam; 87% of poll respondents reported having directly or indirectly experienced the theft of a pet for the trade.

Our work in Viet Nam

HSI is dedicated to tackling the dog and cat meat trade in Viet Nam by advocating for stronger laws and regulations that prohibit these practices on the grounds of animal welfare, public health and safety and stopping illegal cross border movement of animals.

We aim to raise awareness among both the government and the public about the inherent cruelty, the illegal nature of the trade, the emotional toll on pet owners and the significant public health risks linked to rabies. By amplifying the voices of Viet Nam’s growing community of pet owners and animal lovers, we seek to influence policymakers in favor of reform while also working to reduce demand for dog and cat meat. Our goal is to secure a nationwide ban on the slaughter and consumption of dogs and cats in Viet Nam.

As part of our program in Viet Nam we are collaborating with the authorities in two target provinces, Thai Nguyen and Dong Nai, to launch initiatives aimed at reducing the dog and cat meat trade and dog and cat meat consumption in each province. This involves enforcing existing laws, such as health and safety regulations, environmental regulations and animal welfare laws to restrict the trade and training local law enforcement agencies to combat it effectively. Additionally, we deliver community initiatives in these provinces that raise awareness of the risks of the dog and cat meat trade, encourage responsible pet ownership, support pet sterilization and increase canine rabies vaccination coverage.

Additionally, after years of success with our Models for Change program in South Korea, we launched this initiative in Viet Nam in 2022. While most animals for the trade are either stray animals caught from the streets or stolen pets, some dogs and cats are farmed for the meat trade. These farms are not farms in the traditional sense but are rather facilities where young dogs and cats, often unwanted litters, are sold by their owners into the trade, where they are fattened on farms and then slaughtered. We are working directly with farmers who want to leave this cruel trade behind and transition to alternative humane livelihoods. Our Models for Change program not only enables workers to leave the trade but also allows for the rescue of dogs and cats who are voluntarily handed over to HSI as part of the closure, ending their suffering and the suffering of dogs and cats who would have been slaughtered in the future. The dogs and cats we rescue from the meat trade receive veterinary care and rehabilitation at our partner shelter facilities. Once restored to full health, these animals are available for local adoption, enabling them to find safe and loving homes.

Sofitel Saigon Plaza, part of an international hotel chain, goes 100% cage-free

Humane Society International / Global

Chicken with chicks
volody10/iStockphoto

Update: As of May 2021, Sofitel Saigon Plaza has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Viet Nam—Humane Society International, a global animal welfare organization, congratulates Sofitel Saigon Plaza—one of Accor’s international hotel brands—for their efforts to reach a 100% cage-free egg supply chain.

The milestone comes after Accor committed to completely eliminating eggs that come from caged hens from its supply chain in some markets by 2020, and in remaining markets by 2024.

HSI began working with Accor to establish this timeline in 2016 and began discussions with Sofitel Saigon Plaza during the COVID-19 pandemic when all of Ho Chi Minh City was in lockdown. Despite the challenges of business shutdowns, HSI and Sofitel Saigon Plaza developed an action plan for implementing the cage-free egg commitment. The hotel started working with a Humane Farm Animal Care certified supplier in Ho Chi Minh City, followed by a site-visit to a cage-free farm and processing plant, which provided hotel representatives with a firsthand look at how seamless a change to higher welfare for egg laying hens could be.

During the farm visit, Mario Mendis, Sofitel Saigon Plaza general manager, was able to see how these social and intelligent animals behave when given room to walk and spread their wings in cage-free environment.

Mendis said: “It was eye-opening to see the hens have more freedom to move. They are able to walk around and reach comfortable nests for egg laying. This is something that our group cares deeply about, and that Accor’s Planet 21 initiative on healthy and sustainable food, and animal welfare, is designed to achieve”.

In contrast, cage systems confine hens in tiny spaces, where each individual lives her life in a space equal to an A4-sized sheet of paper. Hens in these systems cannot move freely or fully spread their wings.

Hang Le, Southeast Asia manager for Humane Society International’s farm animal welfare and protection program, said: “Sofitel Saigon Plaza’s leadership sets an important precedent for other companies in Viet Nam and Asia, many of whom have made public commitments to go cage-free but have yet to make significant progress. Ensuring better treatment of the animals involved is a shared responsibility of consumers, corporations and producers alike, and we encourage more companies to follow this example”.

“Confining hens to cages is cruel, and that is why we made a plan to change our purchasing to suppliers that have implemented animal welfare measures. To meet the challenge of a slight increase in cost, we are supporting producers through long-term contracts as well as removing unnecessary packaging.  Critical to this is ensuring that our guests know why we have made the change: because we care about animals. We believe our guests and society will recognize our efforts because it is the right thing to do. We encourage other hotels and food industry entities to follow our path”, Mendis added.

HSI’s work to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture is both science based and collaborative.  The organization works with companies, farmers, processors, scientists and certifiers to support a transition to cage-free housing systems, and offers a wide range of support to companies like Sofitel Saigon Plaza, including farm visits, consumer education, and corporate roundtables and workshops.

As one of these efforts, HSI and the National Agriculture Extension Center of Viet Nam are hosting an event at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza to recognize companies and producers who are implementing higher animal welfare on Nov. 30, 2022. This is the first event of its kind in the country where media are welcome to join. To register, please reach out to An Tran, HSI farm animal welfare manager for Viet Nam, at antc@hsi.org.

ENDS

Reference in this article to any specific commercial product or service, or the use of any brand, trade, firm or corporation name is for the information of the public only, and does not constitute or imply endorsement by HSI in Viet Nam or any of its affiliates of the product or service, or its producer or provider, and should not be construed or relied upon, under any circumstances, by implication or otherwise, as investment advice. Links and access by hypertext to other websites is provided as a convenience only and does not indicate or imply any endorsement with respect to any of the content on such website nor any of the views expressed thereon.

Humane Society International / Global

HSI

HO CHI MINH CITY, Viet Nam—Yesterday, Humane Society International and the National Agriculture Extension Center of Vietnam hosted “Animal welfare in food supply chains: from commitment to implementation.” The corporate roundtable highlighted the need for improving farm animal welfare policy and practices and how the collaboration between stakeholders throughout the supply chain can help with implementation of corporate animal welfare policy. This in-person event follows a series of virtual webinars hosted over the past two years.

Nearly 60 attendees, including experts from the hospitality sector, food processors and retailers, egg and pork producers, government officials and academics, gathered in Ho Chi Minh City. Participants discussed the importance of obtaining animal welfare expertise to help educate and align acrosss teams, the value of direct engagement with suppliers and how government can support the transition from cages and crates to more humane, higher-welfare housing systems and other topics.

Speakers from multinational corporations including Marriott Hotels and Mondelez International shared their animal welfare commitments and why the commitments are so crucial to their companies, as well as their plan for implementing those commitments.

The Vietnamese producer V.Food showcased their cage-free egg facilities, which provide hens space to move, dustbathe, nest and forage. V.Food began their journey last year in response to the growing demand for cage-free eggs in Vietnam. Representatives of Nguyen Khoi Farm, a pork producer in the midst of transitioning to group-housing, spoke about their decision to stop using gestation crates and communicating that to consumers through their label.

Dr. Ha Thuy Hanh, deputy director of the National Agriculture Extension Center, said in the opening speech: “Farm animal welfare is one of the core programs that the Vietnam government has prioritized, as it is growing around the globe. As a representative from Vietnam government, I’m very delighted to see the level of commitment by the food industry to higher animal welfare, and the pioneering producers who are supporting them to address the welfare of farm animals. NAEC is committed to collaborate further with HSI to provide support to producers and other stakeholders.”

Hang Le, Southeast Asia manager for HSI’s farm animal welfare program, stated, “We are pleased with the positive feedback we received from this event and look forward to continuing to foster open dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders in the country to improve the welfare of animals on farms.”

HSI animal science and policy experts  covered animal welfare science and its importance, as well as the tools and assistance they can provide to support companies and producers as they transition. Dr. Saravanakumar Pillai, HSI’s senior advisor on animal welfare briefed attendees  on the  cage-free progress in Malaysia and how it could be applied to Viet Nam.

Around the world, every year, more than 6 billion hens and an estimated 75 million sows are confined in cages and crates so small that they are unable to engage in important natural behavior, including walking or stretching their limbs. These animals suffer tremendously as a result of spending nearly their entire lives in such physically and behaviorally restricted conditions.

Animal welfare is a corporate social responsibility issue for companies in Viet Nam resulting in a major shift in the country’s food industry towards more ethical sourcing of animal products. Dozens of food industry leaders in Viet Nam, including Mondelez International, Marriott International, Unilever, Fusion, 4P’s and Accor, have committed to sourcing exclusively cage-free eggs in their supply chains.

#

Reference in this article to any specific commercial product or service, or the use of any brand, trade, firm or corporation name is for the information of the public only, and does not constitute or imply endorsement by HSI or any of its affiliates of the product or service, or its producer or provider, and should not be construed or relied upon, under any circumstances, by implication or otherwise, as investment advice.

ENDS

Media contacts:

 

 

Humane Society International

V.Food

HO CHI MINH CITY—One of the largest egg suppliers and processing companies in South Viet Nam, Vinh Thanh Dat (V.Food), has joined the global cage-free movement by launching their first certified cage-free egg brand in the country. The project is freeing thousands of hens from cages in the first year and will expand in the years to come, with the assistance of Humane Society International (HSI), a global organization working to protect all animals.

As an industry pioneer, V.Food has observed the cage-free movement increasing around the globe. The company management team has a vision to differentiate from the most common industrial way of producing eggs in Viet Nam, where nearly 77 million hens are confined in small, crowded, wire cages every year.

With this project, and as of today, V.Food has become the first producer and processing company to earn the Certified Humane label in Viet Nam, meeting dozens of requirements for the health, nutrition and management of cage-free hens under the Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) standards. Consumers will be able to find V.Food’s Cage-free Eggs brand in the largest supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City soon. These eggs are packaged in paper boxes, differentiating them from other single-use plastic egg boxes already in the market, a further sign of V.Food commitment to corporate social responsibility, and to the community and environment.

The two single-floor, cage-free barns in Dong Nai province, about 100km north of Ho Chi Minh City, house 6,000 hens total, and can bring around 1,5 million cage-free eggs to the market annually. In these barns, hens are free to express their natural behavior, i.e., dust-bathing in rice husk bedding and resting on elevated perches.

“We hope this new brand of certified cage-free eggs will be supported by consumers even though the pricing is higher at the beginning compared to eggs from caged hens that are already in the market. With consumers’ support, the number of hens freed from cages will increase as Viet Nam’s egg production catches up with the regional cage-free trend.” said Mr. Truong Chi Thien, V.Food founder and general director.

Hang Le, farm animal welfare manager, HSI in Viet Nam states: “We are delighted that producers and processing companies are beginning to address the welfare of hens by moving toward cage-free egg production in Vietnam. HSI applauds V.Food’s movement. We are committed to providing support and to ensuring that these and other pioneers have all of the tools and resources they need to make the cage-free future for laying hens a reality. Consumers play a key role in the effort to improve the lives of farm animals, and HSI urges those consumers who purchase eggs, to choose cage-free. This small change means a world of difference to each of those hens.”

HSI’s approach is science based and collaborative. The Farm Animal Welfare department works with companies and producers to support a transition from intensive cage confinement to cage-free housing systems instead. HSI offers a wide range of technical support to producers and egg processing companies such as V.Food,  including peer-to-peer learning, farm visits, study tours and annual technical workshops.

V.Food joins other egg production companies in Southeast Asia as part of the cage-free movement, including Charoen Pokphand Foods, Betagro of Thailand, San Miguel Corporation and Bounty Fresh of the Philippines. This transition will meet the growing demand for cage-free eggs from the global food and hospitality industry. A growing number of food and hospitality companies has adopted cage-free egg procurement policies as part of their corporate social responsibility goals.

Reference in this release to any specific commercial product or service, or the use of any brand, trade, firm or corporation name is for the information of the public, and does not constitute or imply endorsement by Humane Society International or its affiliates of the product or service, or its producer or provider.

ENDS

Media contacts:

  • Humane Society International: Phuong Tham: phuongth@hsi.org
  • V.Food: Truong Chi Cuong: cuongtc@vinhthanhdat.com.vn

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

Humane Society International / Viet Nam

Hang Le/HSI

Update: As of April 2022, Fusion Hotel Group Viet Nam|Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

HO CHI MINH CITY—Fusion Hotel Group is partnering with Humane Society International, a global animal protection organization, to improve animal welfare in its supply chain. To do this, Fusion has committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs, both in shell and liquid forms, in its existing and future properties in Vietnam, and elsewhere.

Fusion, which launched its brand of wellness-focused hotels and resorts in 2008, is the only fully vertically integrated hospitality company in Southeast Asia. All of Fusion’s locations in Vietnam, in Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Phu Quoc, Quy Nhon and Vung Tau, will start implementing the use of cage-free eggs by 2021 and to reach 100% by 2025.

With this commitment, Fusion Hotel Group becomes the first Vietnam-based hotel and resort company to join the international cage-free egg movement. Phuong Tham, HSI Vietnam country director, said: “We are delighted with Fusion’s commitment to a cage-free egg policy. We appreciate its desire to lead the way among hospitality companies to a higher standard of corporate-social responsibility for animal welfare in the country.”

HSI actively supports companies throughout South East Asia with the implementation of their animal welfare policies. This includes conducting workshops for a range of stakeholders. Fusion’s commitment reflects what previous workshop participants have stressed: The future is cage-free.

Samir Wildemann, Fusion’s vice president of operations, said: “We are proud of our commitment to corporate social responsibility and responsible consumption, which includes animal welfare in our supply chain. There is a growing demand for higher welfare and quality products, and cage-free eggs are a key example of humane and sustainable ingredients.”

Battery cage systems are infamous worldwide for confining hens in tiny spaces, no bigger than an A4-sized sheet of paper; hens in these systems cannot move freely or fully spread their wings. In Vietnam, the majority of egg-laying hens live in battery cages.

But there is progress being made around the world for egg-laying hens, as more corporations choose to emphasize animal welfare in their supply chains, which is good news for billions of these birds.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Humane Society International

HealthyFarm

Update: As of 2021, HealthyFarm has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

DANANG—HealthyFarm, a sustainable retailer in Vietnam, officially announced a policy to highlight animal welfare in its supply chain, committing to sell only cage-free eggs. The social enterprise worked with Humane Society International, a leading global animal protection organization, on the adoption of this policy. By working and supporting its farmer networks, HealthyFarm’s new policy will help to improve the lives of up to 10,000 hens this year. HeathyFarm will focus on growth and expansion in the years to come.

Established in 2016 in Danang, HealthyFarm is a social enterprise focusing on food sustainability including natural farming practices and upholding animal welfare. The enterprise seeks to protect public health while maintaining low environmental impact. HealthyFarm’s mission is to bring clean, safe and natural food to consumers while simultaneously supporting the local farmers and local communities. After nearly five years of operation, HealthyFarm has distributed more than half a million free-range eggs to both wholesale and retail channels. Starting from 2020, the social enterprise has been partnering with HSI and World Animal Protection to develop networks of small-scale producers from rural communities to fulfill its commitment to serve 100% cage-free eggs in its stores and to its business customers. This is one of HealthyFarm’s most dedicated projects as it matches the organization’s mission. Additionally, HealthyFarm is planning several consumer engagement events to raise awareness about cage-free eggs and animal welfare across Vietnam.

Dr. Kasia Weina, founding partner and director of HealthyFarm, stated: “We are excited to take the next steps towards sustainable, responsible consumption that highlights ethical treatment of animals throughout our supply chain. We aim to pioneer this movement and continue to raise awareness and facilitate change surrounding this issue.”

Hang Le, corporate outreach manager for HSI/Vietnam, stated: “We applaud HealthyFarm for joining hundreds of food companies 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: Immobilizing egg-laying hens in cages is unacceptable, and the days of not questioning how animals are treated in the food industry are long gone. The future of egg production is cage-free, and we look forward to continuing to work with HealthyFarm on the implementation of this policy.”

In Vietnam, the vast majority of egg-laying hens are confined in wire battery cages, where each hen has less space than an A4-sized sheet of paper to spend her entire life. Battery cages are inherently cruel—hens are unable to move freely or express important natural behaviour, including nesting, perching and dustbathing. Cage-free systems generally offer hens higher levels of animal welfare than battery cage systems.

HealthyFarm joins other multinational companies that have made similar global cage-free egg commitments that apply to Vietnam and the rest of Asia, including 4P’s Corporation, AccorHotels, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Nestle, Sodexo and Mondelez International, among others.

For more information on the project’s progress and updates, please follow the fanpage HealthyFarm – Naturally raised eggs.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Humane Society International / Viet Nam

Pan Nature Turtles for sale in a wildlife market in Vietnam, October 2019

HANOI—Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a new directive that bans wildlife imports and closes illegal wildlife markets, a move applauded by Humane Society International/Vietnam. This directive provides clear instructions to relevant enforcement agencies and authorities to take immediate actions to better control wildlife trade as part of the global response to the threat of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19 posed by wildlife consumption and trade.

The move follows a letter and recommendations sent to the Prime Minister’s office in February 2020 by 14 wildlife protection organisations, including Pan Nature, Change, Save Vietnam Wildlife, ENV, WCS, WWF Vietnam and Humane Society International/Vietnam, urging the government to shut down wild animal markets and other vendors selling wildlife for human consumption. Additionally, in April, HSI/Vietnam sent an urgent plea and science-based white paper to the Prime Minister’s office and other relevant ministries calling for immediate action to ban wildlife trade, transport and consumption — particularly mammal and bird species, which are known to contract coronaviruses — in order to address the threat they pose to public health in addition to animal welfare and species conservation.

Ms. Phuong Tham, HSI/Vietnam director, said: “Vietnam’s directive clearly shows the government’s commitment to eradicating illegal wildlife trade and consumption. The directive bans wildlife imports with certain exemptions and urges the closure of illegal wildlife markets. It also discourages all citizens from illegally hunting, catching, buying, selling, transporting, slaughtering, consuming, storing and advertising wildlife. These measures combined with strict management of wildlife farming are extremely welcome news in the global efforts to end wildlife exploitation and the grave risks for conservation, animal welfare and human health it poses.

“The existence of  wildlife markets in many locations has been a big problem in Vietnam for a long time, with many Vietnamese people consuming endangered species such as cobra, turtle and pangolin, as well as all manner of monkeys, birds and other unprotected species. Without stronger actions, Vietnam risks eating many of these species into extinction because they can so easily be purchased in markets, from street vendors and even just outside of our national parks. Vietnam’s rapacious appetite for wildlife is endangering not just these species’ survival, but as we have seen with the coronavirus outbreak, it is endangering people’s lives too, so this ban can’t come soon enough.”

Although the exact origins of the current coronavirus are still unknown, it likely originated in a market in Wuhan, China, that was selling and slaughtering live wild animals on site. Multiple infectious disease outbreaks have been tied to the wildlife trade, including SARS, which is believed to have been passed to humans by civets sold in a Chinese wildlife market for meat in 2003. An estimated 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic (spread from non-human animals to humans).

Teresa Telecky, vice president of wildlife at Humane Society International, said, “The current COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated just how deadly the wildlife trade can be, not just for the wild animals involved, but also for people throughout the world. COVID-19 is a tipping point that governments like that of Vietnam are wise not to ignore. Wildlife markets worldwide are a petri dish for the next global pandemic, so this directive opens a way for Vietnam to end illegal wildlife trade and also help global efforts to prevent the next global pandemic from happening. Furthermore, the temporary ban on wildlife imports will save many endangered and threatened species from exploitation and consumption. Based on this directive, we look forward upcoming actions that Vietnam will to take to prevent wild tigers from being captured and laundered into captive facilities and also prevent the trafficking of tigers and their products and derivatives from captive facilities in the country.”

Last month, the Vietnamese National Assembly ratified a free trade agreement with the European Union that includes provisions to support the Vietnamese government’s efforts to curb the wildlife trade.

ENDS

Media contact in Vietnam: Mai Nguyen, maitn@hsi.org

Learn More Button Inserter