Why do we support Compassion in World Farming?

Supporting Compassion in World Farming (CiWF) was always a no brainer for us. From Sainsbury’s to McDonald’s they’ve brought about positive change through tireless campaigning and pressuring big business, with their current Five Year Plan providing the backbone to ongoing campaigning activity, the ultimate goal of which is to bring an end to factory farming and raise the welfare standards on farms around the world.

Just check out some of Compassion in World Farming’s key successes, in their own words:

1. Our lobbying has resulted in the EU recognising animals as sentient beings, capable of feeling pain and suffering.
2. Our campaigning has secured landmark reforms including EU bans on veal crates for calves, sow stalls for pregnant pigs and barren battery cages for laying hens.
3. Our food industry engagement work means that more than 311 million farm animals are benefitting from better lives through our work encouraging companies as diverse as Sainsbury’s, The Cooperative, Unilever and McDonald’s to switch to higher welfare meat, milk and eggs.
4. Our award-winning investigations team has exposed the realities of factory farming and brought the plight of farm animals to the attention of the world’s media.
5. Our ability to bring people together has resulted in an all-industry voluntary agreement in the UK to move beyond live calf exports.
6. We are the proud recipients of the BBC Radio 4 award for Best Food Campaigner/Educator (2007) and The Observer Ethical award for Best Campaigner (2011).

(source: ciwf.org.uk/strategic-plan)

There is of course so much still to do both in the UK and worldwide, but if we can trust any organisation to help force through the positive changes needed, I really think it’s these guys. Better farm animal welfare is the founding principle behind The Organic Protein Company, as when you go organic this is a legal requirement. If the rest of modern farming practices could take a few more leaves out of the organic handbook that would make us very happy. In the mean time we’ll continue giving 25p to Compassion in World Farming for every pack to help support efforts to make this happen, with over £30,000 donated so far!