WSPA Farm Animal Welfare Programme

In terms of numbers, intensive farming is the biggest cause of animal suffering in the world today.

Each year 61 billion farm animals are reared for meat, milk or eggs worldwide. The majority are farmed intensively in systems where they are caged or confined, overcrowded, mutilated, and unable to express their natural behaviours.

Such a global problem requires a global solution.

In countries all around the world, the WSPA is helping fellow animal welfare organisations to raise awareness and introduce legislation to protect farm animals. Working in this way has already seen:

• The launch of the Model Farm Project, a partnership between the WSPA and the Food Animal Initiative (FAI) which aims to establish an international network of development and demonstration farms, and to show that humane and sustainable farming is a practical and viable reality
• The formation of the first and only Asian Coalition for Farm Animals (ACFA)
• Farm animal welfare campaigns up and running in the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Korea, Argentina and Israel

Other achievements include:

• August 2007: The first ever humane slaughter conference held in Brazil
• July 2007: An agreement on farm animal welfare certification concluded with Pulmuone, one of the largest egg providers in South Korea
• June 2007: An amendment to the Taiwanese Animal Protection Act making animal cruelty (including inhumane slaughter) a criminal offence
• February 2007: A Memorandum of Understanding on humane slaughter programmes signed in China
• April 2007: Israel's two largest egg marketing companies discontinuing the use of misleading images on egg boxes
• April 2005: Foie gras production and the use of veal crates banned in Israel
• November 2004: The first ever farm animal welfare conference in Colombia