Globally, nearly 70 billion animals are farmed annually for meat, milk and eggs. Two-thirds of these are farmed intensively. The views held by food companies on animal stewardship, and the management practices and processes that they adopt are, therefore, of critical importance in determining the welfare of these animals.
Yet, despite the scale of the food industry’s impact, farm animal welfare remains a relatively immature management issue. There is a lack of consensus around the specific responsibilities companies have for farm animal welfare, and around how companies should treat the animals in their or in their suppliers’ care.
This book, The Business of Farm Animal Welfare, provides an extensive, authoritative analysis of current corporate practice on farm animal welfare. It critically reviews and assesses the ethical and business case for action. Through a series of practitioner case-studies, it describes how companies have addressed farm animal welfare in their operations and supply chains. It analyses the key barriers to companies adopting higher standards of farm animal welfare, and offers a series of practical recommendations to companies, consumers and policy makers on the role that they might play in raising farm animal welfare standards across the food industry.
As the first comprehensive account of business and farm animal welfare, this book is an essential resource for researchers, practitioners and general readers looking to understand and influence corporate practice on farm animal welfare.
1. Introduction
Rory Sullivan (University of Leeds & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK); Nicky Amos (Nicky Amos CSR Services & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK)
CORE PRINCIPLES
2. The Key Issues in Farm Animal Welfare
Tracey Jones (Compassion in World Farming, UK)
3. Ethics, Religion and Farm Animal Welfare
David Grumett (University of Edinburgh, UK)
WHY SHOULD COMPANIES BE CONCERNED ABOUT FARM ANIMAL WELFARE
4. The Legal Journey to Improved Farm Animal Welfare
Heleen van de Weerd and Jon Day (Cerebrus Associates, UK)
5. Consumers, Corporate Policy and Animal Welfare: How Societal Demands are Shaping the Food Industry’s Approach to Farm Animal Welfare
Sally Healy (Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Australia)
6. The Power of Partnership: A Personal Perspective on the Role of NGO Corporate Engagement in Setting Food Industry Farm Animal Welfare Standards
Jemima Jewell (Compassion in World Farming, UK)
7. Farm Animal Welfare as an Investment Issue
Rory Sullivan (University of Leeds & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK); Kate Elliot (Rathbone Greenbank Investments, UK); Abigail Herron (Aviva Investors, UK); Helena Viñes Fiestas (BNP Paribas Investment Partners, France); Nicky Amos (Nicky Amos CSR Services & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK)
8. Investor Case Study: Rathbone Greenbank Investments
Kate Elliot (Rathbone Greenbank Investments, UK)
9. Investor Case Study: Aviva Investors
Abigail Herron (Aviva Investors, UK)
10. Investor Case Study: BNP Paribas Investment Partners
Helena Vines Fiestas (BNP Paribas Investment Partners, France)
11. Bringing Farm Animal Welfare to the Consumer's Plate - The Quest for Food Business to Enhance Transparency, Labelling and Consumer Education
Minna Autio (University of Helsinki, Finland); Jaakko Autio (University of Helsinki, Finland); Ari Kuismin (Aalto University School of Business, Finland); Brigit Ramsingh (University of Central Lancashire, UK); Eliisa Kylkilahti (University of Helsinki, Finland)
12. The Human-Animal Bond: A Risk and Asset for Animal-Based Agriculture
Emily Patterson-Kane and Cia Johnson (American Veterinary Medical Association, USA)
CORPORATE PRACTICE
13. Global food companies and farm animal welfare: the state of play
Nicky Amos (Nicky Amos CSR Services & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK); Rory Sullivan (University of Leeds & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK)
14. Case Study: Good for You, Good for the Planet
Leonardo Mirone (Barilla Group, Italy)
15. Case Study: Animal Welfare as a Part of the DNA of BRF
Geraldine Kutas (BRF, Brazil)
16. Case Study: Cook and Animal Welfare
Richard Pike (COOK, UK)
17. Case Study: The Business of Farm Animal Welfare at Greggs
Malcolm Copland (Greggs Plc, UK)
18. Case Study: Animal Welfare at the Epicentre of a Perfect Storm
Steven McLean (Marks & Spencer plc, UK)
19. Case Study: The Co-Op’s Agricultural Journey
Rosie Barraclough and Ciara Gorst (The Co-op, UK)
20. Case Study: Unilever and Farm Animal Welfare
Bronwen Reinhardt (Compassion in World Farming, UK)
WIDER REFLECTIONS
21. Revisiting the Business Case for Action
Nicky Amos (Nicky Amos CSR Services & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK); Rory Sullivan (University of Leeds & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK)
TECHNICAL BRIEFINGS
22. An Introduction to Farm Animal Production Systems
Heather Pickett (freelance researcher, UK); Inês Ajuda (Compassion in World Farming, UK)
23. An Introduction to the Impacts of Antibiotic Use in Animals on Human Health and Animal Welfare
Ines Ajuda, Vicky Bond and Jemima Jewell (Compassion in World Farming, UK)
24. An Introduction to Animal Welfare Issues in Aquaculture
Martin Cooke (World Animal Protection, UK)
25. Farm Animal Welfare: Disclosure Practices and Expectations
Rory Sullivan (University of Leeds & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK); Nicky Amos (Nicky Amos CSR Services & Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, UK)
Biography
Nicky Amos is the Executive Director of the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare.
Rory Sullivan is Expert Advisor to the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare.
'This remarkable book provides a one-stop-shop on why animal welfare matters to the corporate world and what can be done about it. It provides vital understanding and practical insight that will help companies manage the reputational and investment risks associated with the farmed animals in their supply chain. It will also help meet the expectations of customers who increasingly want to know that companies are taking proper care of animal welfare. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.'
Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive, Compassion in World Farming
