Issue 194 – Summer 2015
14.7 MILLION FARM ANIMALS AND YOU How your support is transforming the food industry
WHY IT’S TIME TO STOP CAGING HENS. FOREVER
MEAT REDUCTION GOES MAINSTREAM
PETER EGAN: ACTING AND ANIMALS
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FARM ANIMAL VOICE CONTENTS
UPDATE 4 News update 6 You and Craig: Shaking up the food system 12 Signals from a changing world 14 Farmageddon How your support is changing the world INSIGHT 10 Food industry progress: Almost 15 million farm animals set to benefit each year 16 Meat reduction is firmly on the menu
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INSPIRATION 19 The power of one person’s legacy 20 Peter Egan: Acting and Animals ACTION 8 An end to all battery cages is possible 18 Transport and slaughter: Hard-won progress against cruelty 22 Amazing supporters who change the world!
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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 521 950 (lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) Email supporters@ciwf.org Compassion in World Farming is a registered charity (England and Wales), registered number 1095050. Our Patrons Jilly Cooper OBE, Peter Egan, Princess Alia Al Hussein of Jordan, Dame Penelope Keith DBE, Bruce Kent, Joanna Lumley OBE, Sir Peter O’Sullevan CBE, Jonathon Porritt CBE, The Duchess of Richmond, Sir Crispin Tickell GCMG KCVO Front cover: © linephoto
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WELCOME Welcome to the summer issue of Farm Animal Voice: Your Compassion newsletter exploring the challenges – and successes – in the fight against cruel factory farming. I am delighted to tell you that a further 14.7 million farm animals are now set to benefit every year as a result of your support for Compassion’s work with the food industry (page 10).
14.7 MILLION ANIMALS AND YOU
You are shaking up the factory farm industry from within (page 6); you are inspiring a global movement against caged farming (page 9); and you are challenging Europe’s leaders to protect farm animals from cruel slaughter and long distance transport (page 18). This is what you have done. So read on and feel proud of how what you do today is helping to shape a future that is better and kinder, for farm animals, people and the planet. Thank you for all that you do,
Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive
SHARE YOUR MEMORIES OF COMPASSION FOUNDERS, ANNA AND PETER ROBERTS Emma Silverthorn, granddaughter of Anna and Peter Roberts, is currently researching and writing a biography of Anna and Peter, and is looking for relevant material for her book.
Anna and Peter founded Compassion in World Farming in 1967 and Peter retired as CEO in 1991. If you would like to help, please send Emma your stories, however big or small. Campaign stories, memories of Compassion events and personal impressions
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of Anna and Peter are all welcome. Many thanks for your help with this exciting project. Please get in touch either by email: emma_silverthorn@hotmail.com or in writing to: Emma Silverthorn, 265 Amhurst Road, London, N16 7UP. Thank you.
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COMPASSION IN POLAND BIRD FLU IS BACK Sadly, the UK has recently been hit by another outbreak of avian flu. The H7N7 strain of the disease affected both caged and free range hens on a farm in Lancashire. Wild birds are being blamed for the spread, but they are not currently migrating. In intensive farms, thousands of birds are kept crowded together indoors. This causes stress which can make birds more vulnerable to infection. The warm and dusty environment enclosing very large flocks of animals also creates optimum conditions for viral mutation and transmission. In short, factory farming creates the perfect environment for developing dangerous new strains of flu virus which can then pass from bird to bird, flock to flock, and farm to farm.
GADHIMAI SLAUGHTER FESTIVAL UPDATE On 14th April (the New Year in the Nepalese Calendar), we released a campaign film calling on the government to make a ‘New Year’s resolution’ to stop sacrificial slaughter. 11,779 of you supported our calls, and emailed Nepalese leaders. Since then, the tragedy of the earthquakes in Nepal has caused huge human and animal suffering. Our patron Joanna Lumley spoke out in sympathy for the Nepalese, renewing her ongoing support for the country, and making her calls to end the slaughter even more poignant.
Our fantastic CIWF Polska team were at Open’er Festival in July campaigning to End the Cage Age, which resulted in a whopping 500 signatures for the End the Cage Age petition! Every day at the festival, volunteers could experience what it’s like to be a caged chicken.
GOOD NEWS
Great news! London’s Natural History Museum is going cage-free on its eggs, thanks to a campaign run by our fantastic colleagues at Sustain. The campaign is calling on other London attractions, such as the British Museum, to do the same. You can find out more and take part at sustainweb.org/londonfoodlink
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POPE CALLS FOR COMPASSION TOWARDS ANIMALS In June, Pope Francis released his environmental encyclical, Laudato Si, about climate change. An encyclical elaborates on the teachings of the Catholic Church on a specific issue. This encyclical was addressed to the whole world. Our ambassador, Joyce D’Silva, welcomed the encyclical and said: “The new encyclical from Pope Francis is an amazing manifesto, calling on humans to recreate their relationship with all other creatures on the earth in the spirit of St Francis”. The encyclical’s message on compassion to animals is clear: “Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another”. The Pope criticises “the idea of infinite or unlimited growth, which proves so attractive to economists, financiers and experts in technology.
It is based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the Earth’s goods, and this leads to the planet being squeezed dry beyond every limit”. He also speaks to the very structure of our food: “Political activity on the local level could also be directed to modifying consumption, developing an economy of waste disposal and recycling, protecting certain species and planning a diversified agriculture and the rotation of crops. Agriculture in poorer regions can be improved through investment in rural infrastructures, a better organisation of local or national markets, systems of irrigation, and the development of techniques of sustainable agriculture”. We believe that factory farming is inimical to the caring relationship that the Pope’s encyclical calls for. We hope that the Pope’s heartfelt words will help bring about a better, more compassionate food and farming system.
DR. BRONNER’S SOAP PROMOTION CLEANS UP FOR COMPASSION! Dr. Bronner’s has been running a promotion over the past six months with part of the proceeds from sales of their vegan-certified organic soaps going to Compassion. Dr. Bronner’s donated 20p for every 473ml and 946ml bottle of liquid soap sold in the UK over this period. We’re delighted to announce that they have contributed over £25,500 to support the fight against factory farming.
support such a great organisation as Compassion in World Farming. The Compassion campaign was conducted by Dr. Bronner’s US head office in conjunction with its UK distributor, Kinetic and supported by a national press and social media campaign.
Michael Bronner, Vice President of Dr. Bronner’s said: “We are thrilled at the success of this campaign. We are always looking for ways to help make the planet a better place and we are extremely happy that we are able to
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KOFI ANNAN ON EATING LESS MEAT In an interview with British newspaper, The Guardian, the former Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan, acknowledged that the global livestock industry is a major threat to the climate and human health. “Keeping meat consumption to levels recommended by health authorities would lower emissions and reduce heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.” Kofi Annan is advocating what we have been saying for some time: factory farming is unsustainable – for our health, for the planet and for farm animals. By eating less meat and making the meat we do eat higher-welfare, we can do our bit to create a food system that we can all be proud of.
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YOU AND CRAIG: SHAKING UP THE FOOD SYSTEM By Leah Garcès, Director of Compassion in World Farming, USA
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arlier this year I wrote to Compassion supporters about Craig Watts, the US chicken farmer who is taking on the intensive farming industry from the inside. Your response has been astonishing. Opposite are just a few examples of the heartfelt, compassionate, and inspiring messages of support that I presented to Craig a few weeks ago. Craig’s legal battle with his employers is still ongoing. So, knowing he has your backing is crucial as we work together to expose how factory farming is failing farmers and animals alike. Thank you.
I had a brief visit from Leah Garcès this morning. She caught me off guard a bit by delivering about 1,800 letters of worldwide support for standing up to Perdue. I can’t tell you how much that means to me, how it makes me realize I’m not alone in this fight. Craig Watts
Craig reads through all your messages of support, thanking him for his courage in standing up against an unjust food system.
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CRAIG RISKED SO MUCH BY STANDING UP TO THE INDUSTRY. THOUSANDS OF YOU HAVE STOOD BY HIM AND SENT MESSAGES OF SUPPORT:
Keep up-to-date with Craig’s fight to give chickens a life worth living. To watch his latest interview with Leah, or show your support with a donation to Compassion, visit ciwf.org.uk/craig 7
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BARREN BATTERY CAGE, 1990s
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Do you have the orginal photos as seperate high-res files? If so I’ll re-create this section page. © CIWF
“ENRICHED” BATTERY CAGE, 2015 8
ACTION
IT’S TIME TO STOP CAGING HENS. FOREVER. We often look back on the great injustices of the past – slavery, universal suffrage, racial segregation and think – how did society allow that to persist? In the end, injustices fall and ‘the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice,’ as Martin Luther King once said.
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ne day, in the not too distant future, we will look back on the practice of confining farm animals in cages and ask the same thing – how did we ever permit such cruelty to become normal? Compassion in World Farming’s End the Cage Age campaign calls to end the era of caging any farm animal. Cages have only been part of agriculture for a relatively short period. And they can just as quickly be dismantled. Cages are already being phased out by visionary companies and governments alike and consumer preference
for products like free-range eggs continues to increase in many parts of the world. This is what makes the wide-spread use of so called “enriched” cages for laying hens such a tragedy. As our recent investigation into caged egg farming so clearly demonstrates: no farm animal should ever spend its life in a battery cage – this is simply cruelty on an industrial scale. If we maintain pressure and build awareness, we believe that consumers will continue to move away from cages, and towards the companies
and leaders embracing better food and farming. This isn’t some pipe dream, especially when we consider some of the brands who have already committed to using 100% cage-free eggs (such as Unilever, McDonald’s, Google and Microsoft). See page 10 to read more about our progress with leading food companies. With your support, we are determined to bring an end to the era of caging hens – across Europe and worldwide. And, thanks to you, we are making headway.
RABBITS – NO LONGER THE FORGOTTEN FARM ANIMAL. Rabbits are the second most farmed animal in Europe and 99% are reared in cages. But together we are inspiring a revolution: rabbits are no longer the forgotten farm animal. Over the Easter Weekend, supporters, staff and celebrities joined forces to raise awareness of the plight of Europe’s factory farmed
rabbits. They posted online pictures of themselves in bunny ears (pictured right) and spoke out to hundreds of thousands of fans and followers. Compassion’s newest patron, Peter Egan, (Downton Abbey) also joined in. You can read more about Peter and his devotion to animals in our interview on page 20.
Our online rabbit petition has now been signed by 243,547 people across Europe! It’s not too late to add your name at ciwf.org.uk/rabbits. We will make sure that each and every signature counts when we hand the petition into the EU Commission later this year. Thank you. 9
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INSIGHT
41 AWARDS, 14.7 MILLION FARM ANIMALS, AND YOU Working with leading companies worldwide, Compassion’s Food Business team is putting farm animal welfare at the centre of the food industry. And none of this would be possible without you. Thank you.
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his year’s Good Farm Animal Welfare Award winners took centre stage at the Milan Expo on 9th June and included globally known brands such as Knorr, Ferrero, McDonald’s, Pret A Manger and the Jamie Oliver Group. The Expo’s theme of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” chimed well with Compassion’s mission of placing farm animal welfare at the heart of the food industry. The Awards were held with kind support from the European Commission and were hosted by chef, writer and broadcaster Allegra McEvedy MBE (pictured opposite in the centre). Allegra presented a total of 41 awards and 14.7 million farm animals are now set to benefit each year as a result of the higher welfare policies of this year’s winners. “Food businesses are hearing the message loud and clear. Animal welfare matters. It matters to customers, to the sustainability of the environment, to the future of the company, and last, but not least, to the animals.” Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive
FIRST-EVER GOOD RABBIT AWARDS One of the highlights of the ceremony was the presentation of our first ever Good Rabbit Awards, which recognise companies for introducing higher welfare systems for does and meat rabbits.
Their combined commitment is set to benefit 911,840 rabbits each year. Five companies were recognised for improving welfare standards for rabbits. Kaufland and Real (Germany), Colruyt (Belgium) and Terrena (France), received Good Rabbit Commendations for committing to source meat from rabbits reared in open pens as opposed to barren cages. BreFood (Germany) was celebrated for going even further; the company received a full Good Rabbit Award for also committing to address the welfare needs of breeding does.
RETAILER AWARDS 2015 saw the return of the Retailer Awards, with several supermarket chains from across Europe celebrated for demonstrating their high standards, marketing initiatives and innovation in farm animal welfare. Coop Switzerland received the Best Retailer Innovation Award for tackling one of the most difficult issues in the laying hen industry. The company has introduced a ‘dual purpose’ breed of chicken, so female birds can be kept to produce eggs and male birds can be reared for meat, instead of being culled as chicks.
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“As someone who has dedicated much of my career to healthy eating and ethical sourcing, I am hugely inspired to see such positive changes in the food chain, due in no small part to Compassion’s Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards.” Allegra McEvedy MBE
Compassion’s Food Business team and some of this year’s Good Farm Animal Welfare Award winners gather to celebrate their achievements in Milan. Belgium’s biggest supermarket chain, Colruyt, was presented with the Best Retailer Marketing Award for actively promoting their farming systems and welfare standards to their customers using a range of marketing channels including their in-store TV and online videos. UK’s Waitrose showed its true leadership by picking up the Best Retailer Award for achieving outstanding scores in Compassion’s Supermarket Survey, covering the welfare of pigs, dairy cows and calves, laying hens and meat chickens, overall approach to farm animal welfare, including research, communication and policy.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD A Special Recognition Award was presented to Knorr, Unilever’s largest brand, which has made ambitious commitments to source 100% of its raw agricultural materials sustainably by 2020. This Award commends the determination, leadership and clear commitment that Knorr has made in starting a challenging journey to globally source all its meat ingredients for its bouillon stock products from higher welfare systems.
US AWARDS Another exciting first for Compassion was the presentation of awards to US retail and food service companies. Whole Foods Market received a Good Egg Award and a Good Sow
Commendation and Pret A Manger became the first restaurant chain in the US to receive a Good Egg Award.
CHINA AWARDS CEREMONY Compassion also welcomed back a delegation from China, with some of the 2014 Chinese Good Pig Production Award winners being commended for their work on pig welfare. Ms Xi Chunling, Executive President of ICCAW, gave an update on farm animal welfare progress and work with Compassion on a new Good Sheep Production Award.
BRANDS THAT ARE LEADING THE WAY All of these companies were recently awarded for their pledges and policies on farm animal welfare:
The message from our winners this year was loud and clear: We’re not perfect, but we want to continue to make improvements to the lives of animals in our supply chain – animal welfare matters. We can’t do it alone – supply partnerships and knowhow are needed and Compassion is helping to facilitate these. As the Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards demonstrate, more and more businesses are prioritising farm animal welfare for ethical as well as commercial reasons and consumers are responding. Thank you for supporting Compassion’s Food Business programme.
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Around the world, the fight against factory farming continues to make headlines. The global debate on the need for kinder, more sustainable farming is heating up.
CANADA
WALMART TURNS ITS BACK ON CRUELTY Walmart, America’s largest retailer (and owner of UK supermarket Asda), made a ground-breaking announcement earlier this year: it would be adopting the “Five Freedoms” of animal welfare in its corporate policy (see right). As an industry leader, Walmart has the power to help ensure that inhumane cages and crates for farm animals become a relic of the past.
Two of the largest dairy companies in Canada, Saputo Ltd and Great Lake Cheese, have announced their commitment to improving animal welfare across their entire dairy supply chains. USA
“The impact of such a market leader taking farm animal welfare seriously cannot be overstated. There is no turning back when the largest retailer in the USA begins to turn its back on these cruel systems.” Philip Lymbery, CEO, Compassion
EATING LESS MEAT The US government has accepted an influential scientific report recommending for the first time ever, that Americans should eat less meat for the sake of their health – and the environment. Data also suggests that meat consumption per capita has been steadily declining in the US – by 10% since 2007.
What are the five freedoms for animals? 1
freedom from hunger and thirst. 2
freedom from discomfort. 3
freedom from pain, injury and disease. 4
The list of well known US food companies implementing or planning to incorporate farm animal welfare policies is growing. Chipotle, Nestlé, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Burger King, Aramark, Panera, Dunkin Donuts and Subway are known the world over and are taking steps to change the lives of millions of animals.
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freedom from fear and distress. 5
freedom to express normal behaviour.
SOUTH AMERICA
SÃO PAULO BANS FOIE GRAS This year, legislators in Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo, banned the production and sale of foie gras. City councillors said animals go through a great deal of suffering for the production of the paté and have set a fine of £1,000 for restaurants and bars that break the new law. EUROPE
EUROPE VOTES TO BAN CLONING The cloning of animals causes great suffering both for many cloned animals and for the surrogate mothers that carry them to birth. In June, two key committees at the European Parliament voted to propose a full European Union ban on producing or importing cloned animals, their descendants and their meat and milk.
MONDELĒZ INTERNATIONAL Mondelez International is a leading global manufacturer that owns iconic brands such as Oreo biscuits, Cadbury chocolate and Philadelphia cream cheese. They only use cage-free egg products for all their European chocolate (mostly Toblerone in addition to Cadbury) and for biscuit products sold in Belgium and Netherlands. They have extended their commitment to use cage-free eggs focusing on biscuits in Europe. Starting from 2016, they will increase the purchase of cage-free eggs to around 15% of total egg use in the EU (from about 5%).
GERMANY: SWAPPING SAUSAGES FOR SOYA Germans are eating less meat because of the effect factory farming is having on animals, human health and the environment. Meat consumption is stable or declining in most developed countries but the shift is particularly striking in Germany, Europe’s biggest pork producer and home to 1,500 varieties of sausage. The number of vegetarians in Germany has doubled in the last seven years. AUSTRALIA
CRACK DOWN ON ANTIBIOTIC OVERUSE The Australian government is now seeking to curb overuse of antibiotics in both humans and animals as part of a national plan aimed at preventing potentially deadly diseases becoming resistant to treatment.
ANIMALS GET A VOICE In an historic election victory, the Animal Justice Party won its first parliamentary seat in the Legislative Council election in New South Wales, Australia. “This is the first time in Australia that animals will be represented at a parliamentary level. We know that more than 80 percent of all decisions made in Australian parliaments impact on the lives of animals and it’s about time they had a voice representing their interests”. Professor Steve Garlick, Animal Justice Party President and Founder
NEW ZEALAND
ANIMALS ARE “SENTIENT” IN NEW ZEALAND In 2015, New Zealand adopted a new amendment in its legislation that recognises animals as “sentient” beings. The new law requires owners of animals “to attend properly to the welfare of those animals”. In addition, the law bans testing cosmetics on animals. CHINA
SOCIAL AWARENESS OF ANIMAL WELFARE IS GROWING In the past few years, the connection between how farm animals are kept and the quality and safety of the resulting food is starting to be recognised in China. Compassion has been working with leading Chinese pig farmers who are making significant commitments to improve the welfare of hundreds of thousands of pigs each year. INDIA
INDIA ACTS ON GESTATION CRATES The Indian government has effectively banned sow stalls for pregnant pigs. Sows are kept in these cages, unable even to turn around, for up to four months at a time. The government’s move is hugely welcome and echoes bans in the UK and EU which Compassion was instrumental in achieving.
They also state that “We want all eggs ultimately to be produced without cages.”
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Farmageddon, the book that tells the story of our biggest-ever global investigation into factory farming, continues to make waves around the world. It is taking us one step closer to more humane and sustainable food and farming. Thank you for making this work possible.
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n its first year of publication, Farmageddon reached an international media audience of over 140 million people, and that figure continues to grow.
The impact of the book has been such that it has not only added weight to the work of Compassion’s campaign team but is also affecting the lives of countless individuals. For example, New! Magazine, a women’s weekly, featured an article about a 28 year old from London, who said that reading Farmageddon changed her life, causing her to adopt a meat-free diet. Comments made on our website about the book include accounts of the book being purchased for others, which again helps to build the campaign against factory farming.
So far this year Farmageddon has been released as a paperback in the UK, India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. This year has also seen the publication of translated versions of Farmageddon in Japan, Italy and Poland. A Chinese version for Taiwan will be published later this year and the book is also being translated for publication in the Czech Republic.
INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN DOVE FOR PEACE The “Golden Doves for Peace” are a journalistic prize that recognise those who work for peace and social justice in the world. Following previous winners such as Nelson Mandela and Jane Goodall, Compassion CEO, Philip Lymbery, was awarded the International Golden Dove for Peace Award in June. The award was given following the publication of Farmageddon and in recognition of decades of work, fighting against intensive farming and its detrimental impact on human health, our planet and farm animal welfare.
Farmageddon: now available in Polish
Mary McCartney and Chrissie Hynde show support for Farmageddon. Image ©John Morgan.
“Farmageddon is a wake-up call that exposes factory farming as one of the most pressing issues of our time; responsible for unparalleled food waste, damage to our health and the countryside, and the biggest cause of animal cruelty on the planet.” Philip Lymbery
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Actor Luca Zingaretti presents the International Golden Dove for Peace Award to Philip. Image ©Renato Franceschin.
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ANTIBIOTIC FARMAGEDDON? MRSA is in British meat – is this the wake-up call we need? Compassion’s Farmageddon campaign has already highlighted the severe risks of “antibiotic armageddon”. Unfortunately, that day seems ever closer.
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ith your support, we have discovered the first evidence that British-produced supermarket pig meat is contaminated with MRSA. The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, of which Compassion is a founding member, commissioned research via Cambridge University to look into pig meat sold in UK supermarkets. The findings indicate that British consumers are already being exposed to MRSA in retail meat, with a person eating pork twice a week likely to be exposed to contaminated meat once every three months.
ANTIBIOTICS: PROPPING UP CRUEL, CRAZY FACTORY FARMING A staggering 40-42% of the antibiotics we use in the UK are used in animals, including use of drugs deemed critically important for humans. Over 88% of farm antibiotic use is for mass medication. This approach to disease control is not only enabling low welfare, intensive farming practices to continue, but is fuelling the emergence of bacteria which resist the drugs thrown at them. These bacteria then do what they do best: multiply and spread. MRSA bacteria can be passed to humans through direct contact with animals or raw meat, or through the environment. Worryingly, several European countries report increasing cases of livestock-related MRSA occurring in people with no direct contact with pigs.
THREE STEPS TO SAVE OUR ANTIBIOTICS With your support, we are calling on the UK government to take three steps which mirror measures taken in other EU countries:
et targets to cut farm antibiotic S use by 50% by 2020 and 80% by 2025, including reduced use of “critically important” antibiotics
an all preventative mass B medication in feed or water, except where disease is identified in some of the animals by a vet
We now have a choice. We can carry on with the business-as-usual practices which are propelling us closer towards the “antibiotic armageddon” predicted by experts. Or we can use these findings as a warning signal, and act to conserve our drugs for treatment of sick humans and animals. Let’s hope we do the right thing – our very lives may depend on it. The Alliance to Save our Antibiotics is extremely grateful to the A Team Foundation and the Jeremy Coller Foundation for funding this vital work.
I mprove surveillance data on the human health impacts of antibiotic resistance
The Alliance was delighted to work collaboratively with Avaaz, the online campaigning community that empowers people to have their say in politics. With our help, Avaaz launched a petition for ‘citizens concerned about human health and animal welfare’ demanding that the UK government tackles the routine preventative use of antibiotics in livestock farming. The petition currently has 1,092,269 signatories who have taken action to save animals from suffering, save lives and save a vital tool of modern medicine.
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INSIGHT
MEAT REDUCTION GOES MAINSTREAM In recent years, there’s been an upsurge in the number of high-profile events, campaigns, media stories and public figures highlighting the benefits of eating less meat – for animals, people and the planet.
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here can be no argument: our decades-long obsession with “cheap”, factory-farmed meat is causing no end of harm, from animal cruelty to humanhealth crises, poverty, hunger and ecological devastation. The need to eat less meat (and to buy higher-welfare when we do) is at last taking root, as the growing popularity of “flexitarian” (also known as “demitarian” or “part-time vegetarian”) diets so powerfully attests.
LOW-MEAT MENUS In 2004, Compassion in World Farming launched our first significant “Eat Less Meat” campaign, which highlighted the scientific benefits of eating less meat. This was followed, in 2009, by Paul McCartney’s famous MeatFree Monday campaign (and the Meatless Monday campaign in the USA), which – as their names suggest – encourage people to go vegetarian for one day every week. Then there was the ‘VB6’ diet from New York Times journalist Mark Bittman, which promotes the idea of eating like a vegan before 6pm, after which you can eat whatever you like.
Other similar initiatives include World Meat Free Day which is supported by Compassion and partnered by the meat-substitute brand Quorn; Jamie Oliverbacked Meat Free Week; and Friends of the Earth’s Meat Free May to name but a few. As Jamie Oliver says: “We should all be focusing on enjoying more plant-based delights. I personally try to eat vegetarian two to three times a week. It will save you a load of money and it challenges you to be more creative.” So what’s the key to this flexitarian success? Well, unlike all-or-nothing diets that require rigorous discipline, flexitarian eating is eminently realistic and achievable for many more people. (Remembering that globally, it is estimated that most people do eat meat or fish on a regular basis.) In short, it’s a model for life and for many people, a first step towards more ethical living. As the bestselling author Michael Pollan says: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
FLEXITARIAN FUTURE? Importantly, these popular campaigns and initiatives are being reinforced by leading scientists and other experts, who are trying to shape food policy at the highest level. Not only does Defra’s Global Food Security Programme report advocate reducing meat intake, but environmental, public-health and food-advocacy professionals in the United States are calling on the government to urge people to eat less meat in new official dietary guidelines. As the former secretary-general of the UN, Kofi Annan, said recently: “We cannot continue the way we are producing and consuming meat... Keeping meat consumption to levels recommended by health authorities would lower emissions and reduce heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.” In other words, eating less meat is no longer a question of taste, but a compassionate and logical imperative.
The UK-based Eating Better initiative is a Compassion-backed NGO alliance that was formed in 2013 to promote eating less meat and only higher-welfare animal products. 17
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ACTION
TRANSPORT AND SLAUGHTER:
HARD-WON PROGRESS AGAINST CRUELTY Is Europe waking up to the fact that farm animals are not commodities?
BUILDING SUPPORT FOR A BAN ON LIVE EXPORTS
Jilly Cooper OBE, Author of Animals In War & Compassion patron
Achieving a ban on live exports from the EU is no easy task. Governments across Europe place huge emphasis on growing trade, and that includes animals too. But we’re working hard to mobilise Members of the European Parliament for an end to this cruel trade. At the time of writing, over 100 MEPs have signed up to our campaign and we have received encouraging words of support from influential figures in response to our last investigation.
“I haven’t been so shocked and disgusted for a very long time. It is beyond belief that some of the cattle transported to the EU (and hopefully treated humanely), can then be moved outside the EU where no protection apparently exists. It’s very sad that we need laws to tell us we should treat living creatures humanely.”
FIGHTING INHUMANE SLAUGHTER IN EUROPE © Andy Gotts
Virginia Mckenna OBE, Founder & Trustee, The Born Free Foundation
“It is a disgrace that Europe’s leaders allow animals to be sent into these terrible conditions where they know the animals will suffer so terribly. This trade must stop.”
Time and again, we’ve written to the European Commission to raise concerns about animals facing inhumane slaughter across Europe. We’ve raised issues ranging from illegal slaughterhouses, to ineffective stunning of poultry prior to slaughter and the disregard for the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter. To help amplify our concerns, we also asked supporters to take action, and 27,904 have now emailed the Commission calling for urgent action!
LANDMARK RULING THAT COULD MEAN SO MUCH After years of campaigning and lobbying, the European Court of Justice has finally made a landmark ruling in favour of animals facing export from the EU. When approving export paperwork, authorities in Member States across Europe are now required to ensure that European regulations on journey time and provision of rest will be applied even beyond EU borders. Previously, exporters did not have to plan any rest for animals once they left the borders of the European Union. On your behalf, Compassion has written to the Agriculture Minister, Chief Veterinary Officer and Government office in Brussels of every single Member State to inform them of this new decision and to request face-to-face meetings with our expert team. With your support, we will now work towards full enforcement of this important new ruling.
TAKE ACTION If you want to join our online activists and help bring pressure on the Commission, please visit ciwf.org.uk/get-involved 18
I N S P I R AT I O N
ONE SUPPORTER’S
LEGACY FOR FARM ANIMALS Gifts made in Wills are vital to Compassion in World Farming’s fight to protect farm animals. Up to half of our work is made possible by supporters who had the vision and generosity to remember us when making their Will.
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adeleine Carritt was one such supporter. Throughout the 1990s, Madeleine was a stalwart campaigner against the export of live animals, attending rallies and demonstrations in the UK and beyond, and writing personal letters to policy makers demanding an end to this cruel trade. Madeleine saw the number of animals exported live from the UK fall dramatically from 2.5 million in 1993 to around 50,000 in 2013. But there is still work to do. And, when Madeleine sadly passed away last year, her commitment to ending farm animal suffering continued beyond her lifetime. Compassion was privileged to receive an incredibly generous legacy from Madeleine through her Will. In a fitting tribute, her gift helped expose the shocking treatment of European cattle who are being exported through Israel into war-torn Gaza. Madeleine’s generosity helped to inspire a movement of almost 100,000 people against this trade. And press coverage of Compassion’s investigation further boosted public awareness, galvanising opposition to live exports and appalling, unregulated slaughter. Madeleine’s gift also allowed us to contact every single Member of the European Parliament to alert them to our findings. Over 100 MEPs have now joined our campaign against the live export trade. Madeleine’s legacy has brought us a step closer to getting this terrible suffering outlawed in Europe. We are so honoured that Madeleine decided, many years ago, to include a gift to Compassion in her Will. If you too would like to leave a gift to help our work continue long into the future, please visit ciwf.org.uk/legacy for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Hannah Child at legacy@ciwf.org, or by calling on 01483 521 953.
Madeleine Carritt at a Compassion demonstration in London, 1995
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I N S P I R AT I O N
PETER EGAN ON ACTING AND ANIMALS
I think that industrialised farming of any kind is totally ‘anti’ our planet. Totally ‘anti’ the health of the individuals on our planet.
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I N S P I R AT I O N
Compassion caught up with our newest patron to discuss farm animals and the future of food.
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eter Egan is a celebrated British actor, who has appeared in everything from the 1980’s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles to recent period drama Downton Abbey. Today, he spends most of his spare time campaigning against animal cruelty.
The actor discusses how factory farming’s behind-closeddoors culture has “disconnected” people from their food, and praises the urban farm we’re sitting in, which helps people to “relate a hamburger to where it comes from”. Questioning society’s bizarre habit of perceiving companion and food animals differently, Peter highlights the sentience that unites all living creatures: “Once you look into any animal’s eyes and you realise that they are receiving you, you start to wonder – do all animals function in the same way? And of course they do.”
“I’m passionate about animals and their lives and freedom... and the fact that animals do not belong to us. We have no right to treat animals the way we do”, he says.
ACTING AND ANIMALS Alongside acting, animals have been a dominant force in Peter’s life for decades – he and his wife have been rescuing dogs for the past 20 years (they have six at home). But it’s in the last five years that Peter has started dedicating much more of his time and energy to spreading the word about animal welfare.
CHANGING THE WORLD Despite the actor’s horror at the treatment of animals all over the world, listening to him talk is an incredibly uplifting experience. And that’s because, above all, he is hopeful that things will change.
“I wish I’d got into animal welfare earlier, because I think I could have made a greater contribution to it when I was younger and I was on television a huge amount of the time”, he says. “But what I love now is having whatever degree of celebrity I have, and using it energetically and in the most positive way possible.”
“Education, education, education! All change is about education”, he declares. “I believe that animal welfare should be part of the curriculum in all schools.” But it’s not just about informing children, he insists, adults also need to be better informed, in order to make better choices at the checkout.
ONE THING A DAY
“This government has got to insist that all meat is labelled...so people have a choice. The government has a responsibility to all those people who choose to be compassionate and eat well-sourced meat”.
A great example of Peter’s energy and positivity is his “one thing a day for animal welfare” Twitter initiative, which encourages people to do something every day to help ease the plight of animals, whether it’s a practical, hands-on step or simply helping to get the message out there. And although the actor does an awful lot more than that himself, it’s a powerful rallying cry and a great way to get people involved.
A FINAL WORD Peter describes himself as “animal-welfare ‘glue’” because he holds together so many discussions on the issue – and it’s easy to understand why. This is a man who lives and breathes animal welfare, who travels the world to ease the pain of all kinds of creatures, and whose impassioned remarks on the subject cannot help but move you.
“Often people say to me: ‘I feel so helpless – I don’t feel like I am doing anything!’. So I say: ‘You can do one thing, you can share this. Just share it. Even if you’ve got 20 followers…. And don’t stop!’”
If we take one thing away from our conversation, it is this: “Insist on knowing how your food was produced. If we are to sustain the planet (and it’s a wonderful planet), everything has to be designed with the future in mind rather than the present”.
THE MADNESS OF FACTORY FARMING Peter, a committed vegetarian, is vocal in his views on the evils of factory farming – not only for animals, but for the planet and everyone living on it: “It’s not sustainable”, he declares. “I think that industrialised farming of any kind is totally ‘anti’ our planet. Totally ‘anti’ the health of the individuals on our planet.”
We’re delighted to have Peter as our newest patron and look forward to continuing our work with him to raise awareness about the injustice of factory farming.
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ACTION
SUPPORTERS WHO SOW THE SEEDS OF COMPASSION
Compassion supporters like you are a constant inspiration. Everything you do, no matter how big or small, really does make life a lot better for millions of farm animals. Through acts of generosity, courage and determination, you are spreading Compassion around the world!
MARVELLOUS MARK HANGS UP HIS RUNNING SHOES Five marathons, five weeks and over five thousand pounds for farm animals. That was Mark Herbert’s aspiration – and he did it! (With only a couple of injuries.) Mark crossed his last finishing line, in Copenhagen, on 24th May. He says: “Compassion in World Farming is a charity very close to my heart and has changed the way I think about food.” Congratulations Mark and a big thank you from all of us.
JAY BIKES TO BRUSSELS Inspiring Jay McIlwain is so sick of the legislation that permits factory farming, that he cycled 322 miles to Brussels to hand-deliver a letter of complaint! He says: “As I have bored all my friends and family about choosing high welfare meat, I thought it was time to let others know what is going on and what they can do to help stop it.” He certainly achieved this – and raised an astounding £1,135 for Compassion along the way. Well done Jay!
London, 26 April: The first of Mark’s five marathons for Compassion.
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Above: Jay meets Keith Taylor MEP after his 322-mile ride.
LOCAL GROUP’S CLAIM TO FAME Being part of a local Compassion group comes with some nice surprises! At a recent event, the Compassionate Norfolk team met Blue Peter presenter, Radzi Chinyanganya, as well as getting local radio airtime and press coverage. Thank you to everyone in Compassion’s local group network for spreading the truth about factory farming across the UK.
Compassionate Norfolk’s Rachel and Adrian meet Radzi Chinyanganya (right) from TV’s Blue Peter.
CONNECT WITH COMPASSION
CHRISTMAS CARDS
SPACE FOR A TINY TIN?
If you’re passionate about farm animal welfare, get in touch for help to plan your own fundraising event. Whether you take on a sponsored challenge or you can’t wait to Bake with Compassion this September, we’ll be delighted to help you fight factory farming!
It may be summer, but we’re already thinking about Christmas cards! If you’ve ordered Compassion cards before, we’ll be in touch in September. If not, and you’d like to buy cards, let us know by the end of August and we’ll send you more details on how to order. Remember, the cards raise vital funds towards our work, and they spread the word of Compassion.
Could your local shop host a Compassion collection tin? It’s a simple way to help farm animals, and the pennies really do add up! Sue, from our Edinburgh group, oversees tins in four shops, and says: “I would encourage all supporters to do it. Imagine the numbers, set yourself the challenge and you will be amazed how easy and rewarding it is!”
Above: Here is a sneak preview of this year’s card, painted by Compassion supporter, Debbie Murphy.
Simply Get in Touch with the Supporter Engagement Team to find out more.
GET IN TOUCH! Compassion in World Farming, River Court, Mill Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1EZ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1483 521 953 (9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday) Email: supporters@ciwf.org Web: ciwf.org.uk/get-involved 23
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THANK YOU FOR BEING THE VOICE OF BETTER FOOD AND FARMING WORLDWIDE
TOGETHER, WE ARE CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD THINKS ABOUT FARM ANIMALS AND FOOD. 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 and Wales), registered number 1095050.