Fighting for the animal’s right in the food chain

Mar 9 2015, 1:26 PM6 min read

The Sunday roast, the Christmas turkey dinner and the summer BBQ – most of us enjoy meat as part of our diet. But do we give enough consideration to animal welfare in the supply chain?

For many people, meat plays a part in most meals during a week. Traditionally, the Sunday roast was a time for families to sit down and enjoy a long, relaxing meal and some quality time together.

However, over the past couple of years, there has been increasing focus on the welfare of the animals, from battery and caged hens, to stall-bred pigs and cows. Despite the best efforts from some high-profile organisations, there are concerns that there is much still to be done.

Meat Sales on the Rise

In the past year, sales of all meat in the UK have increased, following falls in 2013 in relation to the horsemeat scandal. It may come as a surprise to many, but sales of horsemeat have actually increased too, with more people enjoying the meat as a leaner alternative to beef.

Sales of Scottish meat have been given a boost by a new partnership with Swedish retailer ICA, while Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) – Meat Promotion Wales – aims to increase Welsh beef and lamb sales by more than one-third by 2020. Part of the HCC plan involves ensuring that farmers are balancing efficiency with sustainability and strong environmental credentials.

Welfare Concerns

But further afield, welfare concerns still abound. Australia has seen a boom in exports of live cattle for slaughter to Vietnam, with a 274 per cent increase in sales between 2013 and 2014. However, exports are predicted to slow dramatically in coming months due to a number of factors, one of which is the suspension of facilities due to animal welfare concerns and suspect supply chain practices.

It was also reported in the USA last week that both McDonalds and Costco are phasing out the use of human antibiotics in their chicken supply chains. The move comes after consumer pressure and concerns that the common use of these antibiotics could increase bacterial resistance to treatment, potentially creating ‘super-bugs’ in humans.

Although McDonalds has given suppliers two years to comply, many experts warn that it will take up to a decade to fully eradicate the practice.

Similar timescales can be expected on the eradication of caged-hen eggs in supermarkets. In Australia, Woolworths and Coles, both came under public scrutiny for stocking caged-hen eggs in the past year. Both have since removed own-brand caged eggs them from their shelves, but they won’t be fully removed from shelves until 2018.

Global Efforts

Full-scale, global change in animal welfare will take time. Organisations need to take responsibility for not only their own practices, but also the practices of their supply chains, down to second and third tier suppliers and beyond.

In late 2014, Nestle signed an agreement with World Animal Protection to improve the standards of animal welfare in its supply chain, while Subway, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer all have existing commitments to sustainability and animal welfare as part of long-term goals.

As consumers, we can also play our part by purchasing sustainably. If it becomes unprofitable for organisations to source in a way that is not sensitive to animal welfare, then it’s more likely that change will take place.

Find out more about UK animal welfare policy by clicking here.

Read on for the other procurement and supply chain stories making the headlines.

Fairtrade Foundation assesses female participation in international supply chains

As the world prepared to celebrate International Women’s Day Sunday (8 March), Equal Harvest, a new study published by the Fairtrade Foundation, states that enabling more women to join the organisations that grow produce such as bananas, cotton and tea, could benefit businesses and support global development, as well as bringing gains for women.
Although women make up almost half the agricultural workforce in developing countries, they account for just 22 per cent of the farmers registered as members of the 1,210 small producer organisations that are certified by Fairtrade. Legal, social and cultural norms often act as barriers to women’s participation, for example, membership of co-operatives can be dependent on owning land or crops, some agricultural work may be deemed inappropriate for women, and women may be expected to undertake most of the domestic work in the home, giving them less time to participate in producer groups.
Fairtrade says that increasing the participation of women farmers could boost productivity, improve development outcomes for communities and provide opportunities to launch new products such as the ‘Grown By Women‘ range marketed by Equal Exchange.
A female banana producer in the Dominican Republic said that enabling women to become members of producer organisations is important because “it gives women the right to vote, to participate in decision making, to receive benefits and to live with dignity.” A male cotton producer in India said that women should be supported to take up leadership positions because “women are more disciplined and organised and will run these institutions better, whereas men fight amongst themselves and let egos come in the way.”