It is estimated that 92.2 billion farmed land animals are used for food (meat, milk and eggs) every year globally; of these, an estimated 83.3 billion are slaughtered for meat1. Approximately around three quarters of farmed land animals are living in factory farms2. Not only does factory farming cause extreme animal suffering but also damage to the environment:
- Animal agriculture is responsible for roughly one sixth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions3.
- The cultivation of animal feed, in particular soya and maize, as well as the land use change from primary forest or other natural landscapes into pasture, are responsible for 67% of deforestation worldwide4.
What FOUR PAWS is asking from the food industry:
FOUR PAWS is asking companies to take responsibility for their impact on farmed animals and the climate and play a positive rather than a destructive role. Companies are beginning to do this by expanding their plant-based range, including meat and dairy alternatives. However, for companies to have a truly progressive impact, such steps need to happen at a much larger and more transparent scale.
FOUR PAWS expects action and progress from the food industry within the following scopes:
- defining, implementing, and reporting concrete strategies to promote meat and dairy reduction in their CSR and/or separate policy, which includes a clear statement highlighting the benefits of reduction for animal welfare and to reduce GHG emissions from livestock;
- ensuring that the reduction of meat and dairy is not compensated with the increase of another animal-based product/ingredients;
- promoting plant-based alternatives through consumer awareness by highlighting animal- and climate-friendly food via various marketing tools;
- setting time-bound targets for the transition of the remaining animal-derived ingredients away from factory farming and supporting farmers to implement high welfare husbandry systems.
Over 80 billion farm animals[1] are slaughtered for food each year which involves extreme animal suffering and damage to the environment. Intensive livestock farming is responsible for 14.5[2] to 16.5[3]% of the world’s man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
By assessing the level of effort from leading food industry players compared to their competitors, FOUR PAWS shows where companies stand and encourages them to reassess their goals and strategies.
With meat and dairy production negatively contributing to factory farmed animals and the climate crisis, industries hold a powerful key to deciding the fate of billions of farmed animals and the planet.
