Farm Animal Voice 190 by Compassion in World Farming

Issue 190 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2014

Farmageddon If you eat food, this matters

liVE TRANSPORT

Tackling cruelty across borders

FARMAGEDDON: The true cost of cheap meat Out now in all good bookshops!

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farm animal voice contents

update 4 News and Campaign Progress 16 A Personal Invitation: Meet the team behind Farmageddon insight 8 Standing Shoulder-to-Shoulder: The power of regular giving 11 F armageddon: The story that must be told 19 Good Dairy that reaches 5 million consumers inspiration 10 Thank You: Your support will help us stop farmageddon

20 Meet the Finlays: Dairy farming pioneers ACTION 6 Live Animal Transport: Tackling cruelty across borders 14 Down to Earth: Our manifesto for a food revolution 22 Cycling, Walking and Writing... all for Compassion.

Front cover: Istock Photo Editor Richard Brooks Production manager Sarah Bryan Design Neo – weareneo.com Farm Animal Voice Compassion in World Farming, River Court, Mill Lane, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1EZ, UK Enquiries Tel +44 (0) 1483 521 953 (lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) Email supporters@ciwf.org Compassion in World Farming is a registered charity (England), registered number 1095050. Our Patrons Bishop John Baker, Jilly Cooper OBE, Princess Alia Al Hussein of Jordan, Dame Penelope Keith DBE, Bruce Kent, Joanna Lumley OBE, Sir Peter O’Sullevan CBE, Jonathon Porritt CBE, Sir Crispin Tickell GCMG KCVO

This eye-opening book, urging a massive rethink of how we raise livestock and how we feed the world, deserves global recognition. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Left to right: Joanna Lumley, Bill Oddie, Isabel Oakeshott, Philip Lymbery and Marc Abraham at the Farmageddon book launch in London.

Welcome to your spring 2014 issue of Farm Animal Voice – your magazine that shows how your support for Compassion in World Farming is making a difference to the lives of millions of farmed animals around the world. For more than 40 years, Compassion has been the voice of reason, campaigning to end the cruelty imposed on animals in factory farms – cages, confinement, overcrowding, live transport. Because of your support, we have already made huge progress. Yet we have so much still to do. Three years ago, I embarked on a worldwide investigation, along with The Sunday Times political editor, Isabel Oakeshott, to tell the story of factory farming and its impact on animals, people and our planet. The resulting book – Farmageddon: the true cost of cheap meat – was published in January 2014, and at the time of writing is already in its third reprint. This landmark investigation was made possible by you – thank you.

Turn to page 10 to find out how Farmageddon is sparking a new level of worldwide debate. Our challenge together is to turn this coverage into worldwide action. Thank you. Because without your support, the story of the true cost of cheap meat could not have been told.

Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive

PS If you would like to buy Farmageddon, it is available to buy from all good bookshops and to order online. And I’m pleased to say that all royalties from the book will be donated to Compassion in World Farming. My personal blog is available at: philiplymbery.com or you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/philip_ciwf

This issue of Farm Animal Voice is dedicated to the memory of Alexandra Bastedo

The actress, Alexandra Bastedo, who died on Sunday 12th January, had been an active Patron of Compassion in World Farming for over 20 years. She starred in several films, including the first Casino Royale, and was best known for her starring role in the 1960’s TV sci-fi series The Champions. She set up an animal sanctuary in Sussex to which she was devoted. Locally, she worked with Compassion to oppose a farm where the turkeys were being kept in a greenhouse. She also helped our national campaigns, such as helping to hand in petitions against the live export trade. In 2011, she gave a charming presentation at our Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards ceremony. We shall all remember her with affection.

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TOP VET AGREES: STOP SLAUGHTER WITHOUT STUNNING Compassion in World Farming agrees with John Blackwell, the President of the British Veterinary Association, when he says that animals should be stunned before slaughter to prevent suffering. Compassion believes that all slaughter should be humane, which means that all animals must be effectively stunned before slaughter. Scientific evidence shows that cutting the throat of an animal that is not stunned causes extreme pain and suffering. EU and UK slaughter legislation currently allows an exemption on the requirement to stun before slaughter for some religious communities. As such, animals slaughtered for kosher or halal meat are legally permitted to be killed without being stunned. Several Muslim groups accept preslaughter stunning and the majority of halal slaughter in the UK is carried out with stunning. Meat from animals which have not been stunned can also make its way into the general market but does not have to be labelled as such. As a result some consumers may unwittingly buy meat from unstunned animals. Compassion is calling on the

Government to require such meat to be labelled “meat from unstunned animal” so consumers can at least make an informed choice. Humane systems on their own cannot guarantee humane slaughter. Compassion in World Farming also campaigns for better enforcement and regulation around slaughter. We believe that the introduction of CCTV could go a long way in promoting better practice in slaughter houses. Following our engagement, a number of supermarkets have now committed to using CCTV in their slaughterhouses. If you are purchasing meat from major UK supermarkets then the strong likelihood is that it will be from stunned animals (with the exception of independent halal butchers operating within some supermarkets). Certified meat, including halal (such as Red Tractor, RSPCA Freedom Food and Soil Association Organic) will have been stunned. With your support, we will continue to campaign for the removal of these stunning exemptions from EU and UK legislation.

P JUSTICE FOR SHEE ISASTER IN RAMSGATE D

The exporter involved in this case has been ordered to pay £19,000 in total and been given a six-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals. Compassion is delighted that those responsible have been held to account but the real justice will be when this trade is brought to an end.

Compassion has stripped The Co-op of its Good Chicken Award, after the supermarket went back on its promise to exclusively source higher welfare chicken meat for its indoor-reared chicken. The company will now be selling chicken from indoor farms with higher stocking densities, meaning that more animals will be packed into the same space. Dr Tracey Jones, Compassion’s Director of Food Business, says, “The Co-op has traditionally been a leader in higher animal welfare but in this case we’re left with no choice but to withdraw its Good Chicken Award. We cannot ignore that the company is now reneging on the promises it made in 2010.” Compassion believes that all chickens raised for meat should be reared in higher welfare systems that allow them to express their natural behaviours – having enough space to move, as well as natural light and substrates to peck and perch on. Access to the outdoors is also important and is our ultimate goal for all chickens. Our Awards are a mechanism to reward those companies that raise their standards of production throughout their supply chain and improve the lives of millions of animals, while we push for a fundamental change to our food and farming systems. Yuriy Poznukhov.© istockphoto

You may remember Compassion reporting in September 2012, how a lorry carrying sheep destined for slaughter on the continent was stopped due to faults with the vehicle. Over 45 sheep had to be destroyed in order to put an end to their suffering. Finally, on the 13th February, 2014 some justice has been served.

CO-OP STRIPPED OF ANIMAL WELFARE AWARD

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In March 2014, Canada voted to phase out the cruel and outdated practice of keeping pregnant pigs in stalls (called gestation crates in North America). This decision will improve the lives of 1.4 million animals every year and marks a major step forward for farm animal protection in Canada. This inhumane system, now partially banned throughout the EU, keeps pregnant pigs in metal crates so small they cannot turn around, or even lie down easily. Compassion in World Farming, along with other animal protection groups from around the world, submitted evidence in the summer of 2013 urging the Canadian government to ban sow stalls.

CANADA TO PHASE OUT SOW STALLS

BRINGING

‘HOPE’ TO EUROPE’S PIGS

Leah Garces, USA Director for Compassion in World Farming, said: “We wholeheartedly applaud the Canadian government, and hope this serves as a wake-up call for the United States’ pork sector”.

The power of email Our investigators were recently shocked to discover scenes of unimaginable cruelty at Karantina slaughterhouse in Beirut. Thank you to the 130,000 people who have supported our campaign to shut down this appalling abattoir by e-mailing the Lebanese Agriculture Minster. At the time of writing, your online support has helped us to secure a meeting with the Lebanese ambassador in the UK. We will also continue to urge the Lebanese Agriculture Minister to take action. If you would like to become an e-activist for Compassion, please sign up to receive our email updates at ciwf.org.uk and we’ll make sure you receive the latest actions to help end animal suffering.

s dem and 475,576 EU citizen pigs bet ter lives for In 2013, Compassion visited 45 farms in six European countries: Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Cyprus and Poland. An astounding 44 of these farms were breaking the rules on enrichment provision and tail docking, blatantly flouting European law. ‘Hope’, Compassion in World Farming’s giant inflatable pig (she is the size of a double decker bus) has been on tour across Europe to bring attention to the plight of pigs in countries where they are suffering in illegal and inhumane conditions. Starting in Westminster, ‘Hope’ has promoted pig welfare in Paris, Rotterdam, Berlin, Warsaw, Prague and Brussels.

Compassion has spent the last year collecting signatures calling on EU agriculture ministers to take action against countries flouting pig welfare laws. On Monday 24th March, we handed the petition with an amazing 475,576 signatures over to Defra, the EU Greek Presidency and key EU policymakers. Emma Slawinski, Compassion’s Head of Campaigns and Advocacy, says: “Having got 475,576 signatures proves to what extent EU residents care about pig welfare. “Europe’s illegal pig cruelty is a colossal problem and for that we urgently need a giant solution. That is why Compassion is bringing ‘Hope’ to Europe’s pigs.” ciwf.org

A C T I ON

Live Transport it doesn’t have to be this way

A huge part of Compassion’s history has been our dedicated work fighting the live export trade from the UK. Since the 1990s, we have seen the number of animals suffering as a result of the UK live export trade decrease from over one million to just over 40,000 each year.

However, as soon as animals cross borders and leave the European Union, they are no longer covered by EU animal welfare legislation. They are too often, quite literally, on their own out there.

s well as being determined to end all British live exports, our campaigners are working hard to tackle this cruel trade on an international scale.

In recent years, Compassion has become increasingly troubled by the trade in animals exported live out of the European Union to the Middle East and North Africa, where EU animal welfare laws do not apply.

With your continued support, Compassion’s investigators joined forces with our colleagues from Animals Australia, bearing witness to the harsh realities of this ruthless trade. We estimate that on average, over 3.4 million animals are exported alive from EU to non EU countries each year. Late in 2013, investigators uncovered the brutal treatment faced by animals who are transported from the EU into other countries. In Turkey, Lebanon and the West Bank we saw European animals restrained, manoeuvred and slaughtered in the most appalling ways.

Within Europe, a level of animal welfare legislation exists that offers some protection against cruelty and suffering. For example, EU policies on agriculture and transport clearly state that the Union and the Member States must “pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals”.

But now, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, this new body of evidence is allowing us to take our campaign to the next level. We are currently sharing this vital information, along with our proposals for solutions, with ministers, MEPs and key figures in Europe, as well as politicians in the destination countries. Over the coming months we will also be staging exhibitions of our findings, mobilising campaigners across Europe and working closely with other organisations to become one clear, loud voice demanding change. We are determined to stop this suffering. We are determined to make sure they are not on their own out there. Our investigators captured horrific cruelty on film.

And with your ongoing help, we will.

ÂŠ RSPCA

REAL CHANGE FOR BRITISH CALVES The Beyond Calf Exports Stakeholders Forum is a pioneering group consisting of all the major UK farming bodies, retailers and producers. It was set up by Compassion and the RSPCA in response to the plight of male dairy calves being shot at birth or exported live to Europe to be raised for veal. The Forum has worked together for seven years, and in November 2013 made its final progress report, focussing on three main achievements: An increase in the uptake of male dairy calves into the beef chain (up 58% since 2006) A reduction in the number of calves killed on farms A reduction in the number of calves being exported for further fattening (down 90% since 2006) The Forum has shown that humane alternatives to live export or shooting at birth are possible and can be profitable for farmers. By working together we have demonstrated that better animal welfare and a better deal for farmers can go hand in hand.

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action

STANDING

SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER In their own words, Compassion supporters, Anna, Jenny and Lucy tell us why they started a monthly gift to Compassion in World Farming.

egular donations are the bedrock of Compassion’s campaigning. They allow us to plan financially for the future – giving us the confidence to look ahead to a world without factory farming. They also have a personal impact on the Compassion team, at HQ and around the world. Each of us gains huge strength from knowing we’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with so many dedicated, passionate people. But when we tried to find the words to explain the importance of regular gifts, we realised we were only telling half the story. So here, in their own words, are the reasons why Anna, Jenny and Lucy give a monthly gift to Compassion.

ANNA

I think it helps Compassion to know there is a certain amount of funds they can expect from a monthly gift like this, especially as they rely completely on public donations.

JENNY

I support CIWF because they encourage people to consider, perhaps for the first time, that animals such as sheep and chickens are just as sentient as dogs and cats and just as deserving of humane treatment. I set up a monthly donation to support the vital work Compassion in World Farming do in reducing the suffering of millions of animals farmed for food every year. Behind the closed doors of factory farms animals suffer a short life of confinement, with all that is natural to them removed.

I give £3 per month to Compassion by Direct Debit, I know it doesn’t sound much – but times are tough for many of us financially, and especially for me being selfemployed, but it all adds up. I do also collect change, buy raffle tickets and do as much as I can, but

LUCY

Compassion’s approach is always positive, professional and peaceful. The brilliant work they do, not only lobbying to change laws but perhaps even more effectively encouraging food manufacturers to change, has helped improve the lives of literally millions of animals throughout Europe. For this reason I will always support them.

CIWF have improved the lives of billions of animals by demanding and achieving improvements in welfare. However, there is a long way to go and their campaign to end live exports is especially important to me because I have 12 ‘pet’ sheep and am appalled that thousands of these characterful and sensitive animals are subjected to such cruelty every year. To help CIWF end this cruel trade, I set up a monthly Direct Debit. CIWF can plan more effective future campaigns if they know they have a regular monthly income. Please join me in giving a regular donation to support CIWF’s important work so they can make far reaching, long term improvement for animals AND people by raising farming standards.

action

TAKE action If you already make a regular gift to Compassion, we hope you’ll recognise some of the sentiments expressed by Anna, Jenny and Lucy. We hope you’ll feel proud to be working alongside them, day-in, dayout, to give every farm animal a life worth living. If, on the other hand, you don’t currently make a regular donation but would like to join Anna, Jenny and Lucy today, please Get in Touch by calling 01483 521 953, returning a Direct Debit form in the post or going online to ciwf.org.uk/donate We’d be thrilled to hear from you!

HOW YOUR REGULAR GIFT CAN HELP EVEN MORE FARM ANIMALS

£3 a month

could help fund an event in Brussels to make EU politicians face the facts about factory farming

£5 a month

could help pay for banners and posters so local campaigners can stand up to factory farms

£10 a month

could help fund an undercover investigation to expose the truth about factory farming

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THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO CHANGE THE WAY MILLIONS OF ANIMALS ARE FARMED

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Compassion supporters like you, our match-funding appeal earlier this year raised a massive £141,323.50 to help stop farmageddon – the global crisis for farm animals, people and our planet. Within just a couple of weeks, all our pledged gifts were released by matching donations, and this amazing response means we can now ramp up the campaign to: • Phase out the use of cruel crates and cages that inhumanely confine farm animals; • Push those in power to make the right policy decisions to change the lives of millions of animals for the better; • Challenge food companies to remove factory farming from their supply chain; • Build a groundswell movement for change, bringing the story of factory farming to life for new audiences around the globe.

THIS COULD BE OUR MOST IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN TO END ANIMAL SUFFERING If you have not already done so and would like to support the campaign, then please visit ciwf.org.uk/farmageddon to make your donation. Together, we can stop farmageddon in its tracks and create a food system that’s better for animals, people and our planet.

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farmageddon THE STORY THAT MUST BE TOLD

Three years ago, Compassion in World Farming decided to tell the story of factory farming. We’ve been doing that for over four decades, of course – showing the price being paid every day by millions of animals. But now we wanted to tell a story that revealed the full extent of the factory farming crisis; a crisis that we knew was affecting animals, but which would also prove to be a disaster for people and the planet.

o do this story justice, we had to travel around the world – from the UK, Europe and the USA, to China, Argentina, Peru and Mexico... with every mile came unbelievable new revelations; animal cruelty, human suffering, trashed environments. Early on, we recognised that we must get this shocking story out through every available channel. And The Sunday Times political editor, Isabel Oakeshott, who came with us, has helped to do just that. The findings of this global investigation were finally published by Bloomsbury in January 2014. Farmageddon: the true cost of cheap meat has now been re-printed three times and is already sending shockwaves through the world’s media. This is just the beginning. On the back of its success in the UK, Farmageddon will now be published in the USA, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Australia and The Netherlands.

An unforgettable indictment of the new hyperindustrialised agriculture... We’ve lived with factory farming for a long time and we probably thought it couldn’t get any worse. But it can – if we let it. Mike McCarthy, The Independent

Lymbery brings to this essential subject the perspective of a seasoned campaigner – he is informed enough to be appalled, and moderate enough to persuade us to take responsibility for the system that feeds us. Tristram Stuart, The Guardian

THE STORY THAT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN TOLD WITHOUT YOU Thanks to the backing of people like you, this new book represents a wake-up call to change our current food production and eating practices. Together we will create a better farming future. The lives of billions depend on us. ciwf.org

A devastating indictment of cheap meat and factory farming – it demands reading and deserves the widest possible audience. Joanna Lumley Thanks to campaigners such as Philip Lymbery, the truth about factory farming has been laid bare. Tom Fort, Daily Telegraph

FARMAGEDDON: BEARING WITNESS TO A GLOBAL PROBLEM Farmageddon tells the story of people and communities whose lives and environment have been blighted by factory farming. Farmageddon is their testimony to a broken food system.

Half the world’s pigs are farmed in China – the vast majority in appalling conditions. This massive industry is not only responsible for untold cruelty but is polluting waterways and forcing people from their land.

The biggest cause of animal cruelty on the planet

In Argentina, cattle feedlots and vast soy plantations are destroying livelihoods, damaging the health of local people and polluting the land.

Vast slurry lagoons, polluted drinking water and animals pushed to their breaking point. The mega dairies of California prove beyond doubt that factory farming is absolutely the wrong way to produce food.

Factory farming breaks the link between livestock and the land; taking animals off pasture and instead crowding them into sheds and muddy paddocks. The facts behind factory farming speak for themselves.

About 70 billion farm animals are produced worldwide each year.

Children with skin blisters; wildlife driven to the brink. The fishmeal industry in Peru is destroying entire eco-systems and polluting local communities – simply to produce cheap feed for factory farms.

orldwide, 70% of poultry meat, W 50% of pork, 40% of beef and 60% of eggs are factory farm produced. In the UK, about 80% of chickens, 45% laying hens and 75% of breeding pigs are factory farmed. typical stocking density in A the UK and Europe for broiler chickens by six weeks of age is equivalent to around 17–20 birds per square metre, for example, a space allowance of less than one A4 sheet of paper per chicken. Caged egg laying hens have a similar amount of space. Piglets born into factory farms are often castrated, have their tails docked and their teeth clipped, usually without any form of anaesthesia.

Hidden from view, bilions of farm animals are suffering around the world. This is farmageddon.

Taking food away from the hungry Industrially-reared animals are typically fed human-edible food like cereals, soya or fish. third of the world’s cereal A harvest is fed to industrial livestock; if it were used directly for human consumption it would feed about 3 billion people.➢ Factory farms don’t produce food, they waste it. For every 100 calories of edible crops fed to livestock, we get back just 30 calories in the form of meat and milk; a 70% loss. F actory farming drives up food prices – by increasing demand for staple foods like cereals at a time when the world’s ability to supply is diminishing. s much as a third of the A world’s fish catch never reaches a human mouth; much of it is diverted to feed farmed fish, pigs and poultry.

FUELLING DISEASE iseases from factory farms are an D everyday threat to public health – the serious forms of the food poisoning bug, Salmonella, have been found to be six times more likely to occur on cage egg farms than non-cage farms in the UK. alf of all the antibiotics used H worldwide are given to farm animals; rising to 80% in the USA, largely to ward off diseases inevitable in factory farms. This contributes to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. typical supermarket factory-farmed A chicken today contains nearly 300% more fat and about a third less protein than 40 years ago. F uelled by access to low-value, poorquality meat, people in the western world are over-eating meat and health is suffering as a result. The western diet, along with factory farming, is being exported across the world, leading to a worldwide epidemic of obesity-related diseases.

HOW TO AVERT FARMAGEDDON Every day, each of us can make the choice to create a kinder, saner food system through the decisions that we take. Simple measures such as eating what we buy instead of wasting it, eating less but higher welfare meat. When consumers choose alternatives to industrial factory farming such as free-range, pastureraised or organic produce then supermarkets and policymakers take note. We can all make a difference and help stop farmageddon.

Farmageddon is available to buy in all good bookshops and all royalties generated from the book will be donated to Compassion in World Farming. You can find out more about the book and even read the first chapter online at raw.info/farmageddon

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DOWN TO EARTH

POSITIVE, PRACTICAL POLICIES FOR A FOOD REVOLUTION With our new book, Farmageddon, flying off the shelves and our campaign against factory farming in full swing, there can be little doubt about the dire impacts of industrial livestock farming – not just for animals, but also for people and the planet.

ut that’s only part of our message. We are also championing the solutions to overcome this vast challenge – sensible, practical ways of feeding the world that nourishes animals, humanity and our environment. That’s why we’ve released our Down to Earth Manifesto for a caring food policy – a series of common-sense, achievable solutions for policymakers to absorb and adopt. We’re working hard to ensure that the messages in Down to Earth are built into political-party manifestos in the run-up to this year’s European elections and next year’s UK elections. For too long, food policy has been seen as marginal. But the subject must take centre stage if we’re to avoid catastrophe on a global scale.

A RATIONAL MANIFESTO Down to Earth proposes a new, caring food and farming model that’s better for us and our world. It revolves around a single core objective – to phase out factory farming and get animals back on the land. And to achieve this goal, we are proposing that EU institutions and member states adopt our Six Pledges (see opposite page).

FULFILLING A PROMISE Governments can ensure that they fulfil these promises and create real, lasting change in a number of ways. One of the most important changes is to encourage people who eat meat, to eat less, but better quality meat – a move that would make a massive dent in the demand for ‘cheap’ meat. This will require investment in education and public information, so that people are aware of the implications of what they eat. Honest labelling and higher prices for ‘cheap’ meat – prices that reflect the true and devastating cost of intensively farmed meat – will feed into this drive for greater transparency, better education and public empowerment.

Animals should be raised on the land so that they convert things like pasture (which people can’t eat) into food – rather than being intensively reared on grains and cereals that could otherwise feed many more people directly. As much as possible, an integrated crop/ livestock production model should be used – a win-win for both animals and the land. Pigs and poultry, nature’s great foragers, should be fed on ‘safe’ food waste, and as much support as possible should be given to smallholders to alleviate poverty and hunger.

LASTING CHANGE On your behalf, Compassion’s small team are working right now to encourage politicians and legislators to include these pledges in party manifestos and policy documents ahead of forthcoming elections in the UK and Europe. Ending factory farming is no mean feat, but we’re getting closer every day. With your support, we’re joining the dots between food knowledge, policy and action.

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OUR MANIFESTO: THIS IS WHAT WE WANT POLICYMAKERS TO DO: top the cruelty: S cruel factory-farming systems, including cages and crates, have no place in a truly sustainable food system. eed people first: F feeding farm animals human-edible crops is not only hugely inefficient, but also scandalous when nearly a billion people go hungry worldwide. nd the drug addiction: E the routine use of antibiotics on farm animals to prevent diseases (that are inevitable in crowded, stressful conditions) is increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance in humans. B e honest: the introduction of mandatory product labelling would allow consumers to see, at a glance, how their meat and dairy is produced. uy better: public-sector B bodies should only buy humane, sustainable food, championing this produce and inspiring the rest of the world to do the same. Spend wisely: subsidies and tax measures could be used to drive consumer support for humane, sustainable food.

Send off for our Campaignersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Corner Letter Writing Pack for latest actions (see page 22). ciwf.org

Exclusive Supporter Invitation to COME AND MEET The TEAM BEHIND

FARMAGEDDON The Royal Geographical Society Kensington, London Saturday 12th July 2014 1.30pm – 4pm Light refreshments will be available on the day

As a reader of Farm Animal Voice, you are the life blood of Compassion, the beating heart of our organisation. We are delighted to invite you to join us in London on Saturday 12th July to come and hear first hand from Compassion CEO Philip Lymbery and Isabel Oakeshott, the authors of Farmageddon – the true cost of cheap meat. Against the powerful vested interests of industrial animal agriculture and the hidden reality of modern food production, this event on 12th July is a unique opportunity to hear first hand just how together, we can start to turn the tide.

When CIWF gets noisy on an issue, it is worth listening to. Evening Standard

Farmageddon is a “classic” that achieves the “wholesale destruction of the myths that are used to sell intensive agriculture to populations around the world”. It reveals “what Defra and governments the world over politely refer to as ‘sustainable intensification’” to be a “big, fat oxymoron”. The Observer

BOOK NOW Tickets are FREE but spaces are limited. If you would like to come and meet the team – and authors – please return the RSVP slip at the bottom of your enclosed letter as soon as you can. We will then send you the details in full, including directions. We look forward to seeing you! 16

action

PLEDGE YOUR COMMITMENT TO FUTURe GENERATIONS OF FARM ANIMAls

e are proud of the progress we are making together for millions of farm animals around the world. Decades of public campaigning and political lobbying have brought about real changes to the way animals are farmed. Everything that we do today brings hope for the way that future generations of farm animals will be treated tomorrow.

By remembering Compassion in your Will, you can be part of a growing group of people who are pledging their commitment to animals now and into the future. If you let us know of your gift, we would be delighted to send you an exclusive Compassion in World Farming lapel pin as a mark of your pledge to help future generations of farm animals.

There is a way that you can continue to be there for farm animals for as long as is needed. By including a gift to Compassion in your Will, you will be joining a select group of visionary supporters who are changing the future of farming. We recognise that leaving a legacy is a supreme act of commitment to animal welfare, and a statement of trust in Compassionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work to end factory farm cruelty. Making the most of your gift to benefit the lives of farm animals is a responsibility Compassion takes seriously. We promise to put your compassion into action and reach out to the millions of animals suffering around the world.

You can help us win our fight against factory farming. Thank you.

You can talk to us in confidence about leaving a gift in your Will, with no obligations. Or we can send you information to read about how supporting us in this very special way today really can make a difference tomorrow. Simply call us on 01483 521 979, email legacy@ciwf.org.uk or write to us at: Legacy Services, Compassion in World Farming, River Court, Mill Lane, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1EZ. You can also visit ciwf.org.uk/legacy to download our Will guide or let us know of your gift.

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I N S P I RAT I ON

Household food names such as Philadelphia are being applauded by Compassion for their commitment to higher welfare. 18

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SPREADING THE WORD OF CompAssion

The higher welfare message is getting out there and it’s all thanks to you.

rom the smaller companies you have told us about, to big household names, we continue to work in partnership with food companies to improve farm animal welfare in their operations and across their supply chains. We are also able to harness the reach of these companies and help them communicate with millions of consumers on the importance of better food and farm animal welfare. good dairy starts with pasture Compassion in World Farming believes that all dairy cows should have access to pasture grazing, at least during the grass-growing season and where possible throughout the year. This not only provides them with their natural fibrous feed, but also gives them comfort, exercise and opportunities to socialise. However, in the US and Europe there is a worrying trend away from giving dairy cows pasture access towards keeping them permanently housed. From mid-April 2014, look out for Philadelphia’s packs promoting their Good Dairy Commendation. This is in recognition of their ongoing commitment to ensure that the milk purchased to produce Philadelphia for the markets in UK/ Ireland and Benelux come from farms

with outdoor grazing and the best animal welfare conditions according to the guidelines set by Compassion. The on-pack promotion and associated marketing that Philadelphia has planned to celebrate their commendation is likely to reach 5.5 million consumers this year alone.

Philadelphia received a “Good Dairy Commendation” from Compassion in World Farming in recognition of their commitment to pasture access and higher welfare for over 4,000 dairy cows every year.

Local companies can be good eggs too Thank you to supporter, Kim Pearce who put us in touch with ‘Gousto’, the online foodservice company that delivers all the ingredients and food portions for customers to cook meals at home. We were able to pick up the conversation with them, recognise them with a Good Egg Award for sourcing only free-range eggs and continue the dialogue with a view to broadening out their higher welfare sourcing to meat and dairy products. With your support, we will continue to work with food companies – big and small – to change the lives of farm animals and reach out to millions of consumers.

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I N S P I RAT I ON

KEEPING CALVES WITH THEIR MOTHERS It is a sad reality of dairy farming that calves are separated from their mothers shortly after birth in order to maximise commercial milk yield. The Finlays are determined to change this.

I N S P I RAT I ON

– PIONEERING DAIRY –

The Finlays A

t a time when British dairying is becoming ever more intensive, it is heartening to meet the Finlays. Farmers who are not only moving towards less intensive production, but are also contemplating the revolutionary step of keeping mothers with their young.

the calves were separated from their mothers, though for the next two months they were allowed together again for 12 hours a day. In November 2014, the Finlays are going to try again. The calves will stay with their mothers for 12 hours a day until they are six months old. Experts from the Scottish Rural College have done the number crunching. There should be enough efficiencies in the new system to make it viable.

David and Wilma Finlay run the Cream o’ Galloway icecream and visitor centre business. They keep beef and dairy cows and in recent years have converted to organic. They have a won a Compassion Good Dairy Award for their higher welfare dairy products. Their visitor centre throngs with families coming to taste the ice-cream and cycle through areas of recently planted forest.

The cows are mainly eating grass which is a cheap food. The dairy cows will produce beefier calves, so they won’t need a separate beef herd. All of this leaves more grass to keep more dairy cows. Fast-growing calves and healthy long-lived cows also help to keep the costs down.

It was Wilma who raised the question first. Do we really need to take calves away from their mothers? One of their staff agreed. However, David believed it was necessary; this is how it had always been. But then he started to wonder – would it possible?

David says that when he tells people he is planning to keep dairy calves with their mothers, they are baffled. Consumers assume this happens already. Farmers think he is mad. “It cannot be done” they say.

In November 2012, he started the trial. The calves stayed with Mum. The effect was dramatic. The company of the calves and the fulfillment of maternal instincts started to work their magic. The cows became more relaxed and confident. They became less aggressive, both to each other and the farm assistants. They even started to tolerate the farm dog! The dairy shed developed an atmosphere of contentment and play.

We will be watching and hoping that it can. More details can be found at creamogalloway.co.u

The calves did well. The improvement in growth and health was astonishing. But for the farm finances, there was a sting in the tail. David had hoped that the calves would drink half the milk, leaving the rest for the cheese and ice-cream. A beef calf will commonly drink up to 10-15 litres of milk each day. David estimated that if his dairy cows produced 30 litres a day, then perhaps the calves would take 15, leaving him the remaining 15. He could afford that. However, the calves were hungry and by three or four months were drinking 25 litres a day, leaving only 5 litres for the farmer. The calves were drinking nearly all the milk that their mothers were producing. David realised that if this carried on he would soon go bankrupt. So sadly,

Consumers assume dairy calves are kept with their mother, and many farmers say “It cannot be done”. The Finlays aim to prove that it can be done.

ciwf.org

A C T I ON

GET INVOLVED! As the weather starts to turn and we enter longer, lighter evenings, it’s the best time to get active for Compassion and farm animals! Here’s some inspiration to help you consider what you can do.

CAMPAIGNERS’ CORNER

WALK WITH COMPASSION

Do you ever wish you could do more for farm animals worldwide, but feel that you can’t take action without the internet? Well you’re in luck because we have our special letter-writing group, Campaigners’ Corner, and we always need more people to join! Four times a year, update packs are sent to our pen-poised supporters to get writing to MPs, MEPs, government officials, restaurants, supermarkets and so on. Letters encourage decision-makers to think about factory farming and the effects it has on animals, people and the planet, so they are well worth writing. Additionally, it is incredibly useful for us to gain insights into the attitudes of decision-makers before we contact them so we can tailor our communications accordingly and increase the opportunity for positive engagement. Campaigners’ Corner is available to all and we’d love to have you as part of the team! Please Get in Touch and we’ll be thrilled to send you a pack.

It’s time to don your walking boots again for our annual sponsored event, Walk With Compassion! Throughout May, supporters from far and wide join friends, family and dogs in the great outdoors to raise money for Compassion. Down at our HQ in Surrey, we’re getting together in Guildford on Sunday 11th May and all are welcome to join. If you’re further afield, please Get in Touch and we can help you organise your own sponsored walk in your area, whether there’s two of you walking, or 200! For those who are unable to get involved physically, please consider sponsoring Team Compassion on our Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/WalkwithCompassion Remember, all funds raised help us fight for farm animals who may never have experienced life outdoors. If you’ve been inspired to get fundraising for Compassion but don’t fancy walking, let our Supporter Engagement Team know! They love helping supporters choose the type of activity they’d like to take part in, from bake sales to sponsored skydives, and everything in-between. To talk about getting involved, please call us on +44 (0)1483 521 953.

A C T I ON

SPONSOR TEAM COMPASSION LONDON DOVER

CALAIS

ABBEVILLE

PARIS

LONDON TO PARIS BIKE RIDE One of Compassion’s very own campaign managers, James West, is bravely taking on the 500km bike ride from London to Paris this September with his father, Graham. Coincidentally, the route takes in locations involved in the live export trade, which Compassion has been battling for many years: They leave the UK from Dover, one of the main UK ports to export animals. pon arrival in France, they set-off again from U Calais, the port where the live export vessel involved in the trade is berthed and where UK animals reach mainland Europe

aham’s To sponsor James’ and Gr sion in bike ride in aid of Compas to: World Farming, please go t2Paris ww w.justgiving.com /Wes Thank you!

Abbeville is another of the locations passed through on the ride. Here lies a lairage, where many farm animals are ‘rested’ for just 24 hours before being sent to abattoirs all across the EU. James and Graham will be thinking of the farm animals at each stage, so please show your support and sponsor them today!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO A BETTER LIFE FOR FARM ANIMALS Without you, the story of Farmageddon would not have been told. THANK YOU Together, we are stronger, united against factory farming. Because of you, farm animals have a voice. Your commitment and support is driving the movement for humane, sustainable food.

“The pun in Farmageddon is fully justified: agriculture has seriously lost its way and since it sits at the heart of all our lives – and the lives of all other creatures – this places the whole world in danger... Farmageddon is an excellent book.” Colin Tudge, Literary Review

You are the reason why Compassion can make a difference to so many millions of animals. Thank you. Compassion in World Farming, River Court, Mill Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1EZ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1483 521 953 Email: supporters@ciwf.org Web ciwf.org.uk Compassion in World Farming is a registered charity (England), registered number 1095050.