World Farm Animals Day, observed annually on October 2nd, serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing mistreatment faced by farm animals across the globe. 

More than just a symbolic date, it is a call to action—encouraging individuals, organisations, and governments to advocate for stronger protections and improved welfare standards for animals raised in agricultural systems. The day aims to spark meaningful change, whether through the introduction of new regulations, the reform of outdated laws, or a shift in public mindset toward more compassionate farming practices. 

Bertha Moteane, Campaigns Officer at FOUR PAWS South Africa, highlights that some countries are already making progress by moving away from intensive animal agriculture and banning cruel practices commonly found on factory farms. 

In South Africa, however, animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, lambs, and goats continue to be bred intensively for human consumption, often under conditions that fail to meet basic welfare standards. 

Bertha stresses the urgent need for policymakers to revise existing legislation and implement robust frameworks that safeguard farm animals. She expresses deep concern over the lack of suitable laws to regulate and promote humane treatment on farms, emphasizing that meaningful policy reform is essential to ensure the dignity and well-being of these animals.

She highlights existing government subsidies and policies—such as South Africa’s Poultry Master Plan—which aim to boost local production, stimulate domestic demand, and expand poultry exports.

Currently, statistics show that over one billion chickens are slaughtered annually in South Africa for food.

This perspective aligns with the One Welfare concept, which complements the One Health approach by recognizing the deep interconnection between human well-being, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.

She further notes that the rising demand for animal products has driven a significant increase in livestock production.

These methods have led to the inhumane treatment of farm animals, such as keeping them in confined and overcrowded spaces. Other cruelty practices include routine amputations and mutilations (including debeaking, dehorning, tail docking, castration and others) often without any anaesthetic and analgesia, and cruel and inhumane slaughter methods. It has also created environmental problems such as the over-use of scarce land and water, and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Bertha emphasises that South Africa is already a water scarce country. The fact that factory farms use a lot of water in their production is putting even more strain on the country’s water resources. 

Factory farming also means a loss of productive land as many hectares are monopolised to grow animal feed to sustain these farms. This leads to deforestation, air and water pollution, and soil contamination.  

According to Bertha, animal-friendly animal production faces a number of challenges.  

There is a considerable price disparity between animal products from intensive factory farms and those from animal-friendly farms.  

As a result of the regulation gap, there is also a substantial amount of inaccurate advertising, labelling, or marketing of products. 

She believes this misleads consumers on attributes of products and production methods used. This means products produced under harmful practices get away with being advertised and labelled as sourced ethically. 

There is a solution at hand. She calls on the public to join the FOUR PAWS #LiveKinder campaign by basing their decisions on the 3-R’s principles of reduce, refine, and replace. 

It is, however, not only food choices that matter. Bertha points out that intensive farming can also be all about products for clothes, like leather.  

She called on the public to also protect farm animals by responding and supporting mobilisation efforts for a better deal for farm animals.