Compassion in World Farming

"How low can we go?"

Mon, 18 Jan 2009 17:30:49 GMT

Compassion welcomes the ‘How low can we go?’ report, published by WWF and the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN). This expert report looks at the greenhouse gas emissions from food in the UK. Contrary to previous estimates, it puts these food-related emissions at 30% of the UK total, rather than 20%.

Food 2030: the route to a sustainable future for farming and food?

Tue, 05 Jan 2009 17:01:12 GMT

Defra Secretary of State Hilary Benn launched the Government’s Food 2030 strategy at the Oxford Farming Conference on January 5th, saying, “We know we are at one of those moments in our history where the future of our economy, our environment, and our society will be shaped by the choices we make now".

Thousands of animals drown as cargo ship sinks

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:06:29 GMT

A ship transporting thousands of livestock from Uruguay to Syria has sunk off the Lebanon coast, highlighting this unnecessary and cruel trade. The Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, carrying 83 people and thousands of livestock, sank off the Lebanese coast on Thursday (17 December 2009) after traveling thousands of miles. According to BBC news, the ship was reportedly carrying 10, 224 sheep and 17,932 cattle.

DEFRA acts on chicken welfare

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:12:28 GMT

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced new rules on the amount of chickens that can be kept per square metre. Such space allowances are always measured in kilograms of chicken per square metre.

Compassion and The Evening Standard uncover the veal truth

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:52:37 GMT

Compassion carried out undercover investigations to reveal where top hotels and restaurants source their veal. We found that double Michelin-starred chef Hélène Darroze of the Espelette restaurant at The Connaught hotel served Dutch veal while waiters claimed the meat was British.

Government report accepts eating less meat can tackle climate change

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:44:25 GMT

With almost a fifth of the world’s total manmade greenhouse gas emissions originating from livestock, and factory farming representing the biggest issue of animal cruelty on the planet, Compassion has long called for a reduction in meat and dairy consumption in order to mitigate these problems. Now a new Government funded report supports this call...

New voluntary code of practice from Defra

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:23:45 GMT

A new voluntary code of practice for labelling pork products is to be drawn up by Defra over so-called ‘British’ meat and aims to ensure packaging clearly displays the origin of the meat before processing.

Science backs the beak trimming ban

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:22:17 GMT

A new report from Compassion in World Farming calls for an end to the beak trimming of laying hens and provides strong scientific evidence for why the UK ban on this mutilation should go ahead in 2011.

Chicken welfare in top five of MP concerns

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:57:57 GMT

A parliamentary motion calling for the UK Government to improve the welfare of chickens has reached a top five position out of over 2400 tabled motions.

The Lisbon Treaty: recognising animal sentience

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:14:23 GMT

The Lisbon Treaty is good news for farm animals. It brings a greater opportunity to improve the lives of billions of individual animals, each one a sentient being with intrinsic value.

Prince Charles calls for sustainable farming

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:39:15 GMT

At the recent BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards, HRH the Prince of Wales spoke out against the industrialisation of farming.

Demand that London Olympics raise the bar on animal welfare

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:51 GMT

The Food Vision Paper for the 2012 Olympics could see Olympic athletes and the public served standard intensive chicken and pig meat if a current proposal by the organisers goes ahead.

Pigs in Europe still suffering says Compassion

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:24:59 GMT

Urgently needed enforcement of EU laws on pig welfare received welcome attention at a recent European Commission workshop following calls on this issue from Compassion in World Farming.

We don’t need factory farming to feed the world – report says

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:11:11 GMT

New scientific research commissioned by Compassion in World farming and Friends of the Earth shows that we can feed the booming world population without intensive livestock production just by choosing to eat less meat.

Campaign victory as passenger ferry company agrees not export live animals for slaughter from Britain

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:44:01 GMT

Celtic Link Ferries announce no live animal exports for slaughter through Portsmouth. Celtic Link Ferries’ initial proposal to open a live farm animal transport route from Portsmouth, Hampshire to France was met by regular demonstrations and high profile opposition. Over 1,500 of Compassion in World Farming supporters sent emails to Celtic Link in protest of the exports and local demonstrations were held regularly since news of the proposal broke.

60,000 male dairy calves avoid export

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:08:54 GMT

The Beyond Calf Exports Stakeholders Forum has, by giving calves a value in the UK, led to a reduction in the number of male dairy calves shot at birth or exported live to veal farms on the continent. Around 18 months after the launch of an all-industry voluntary agreement on calf welfare, real progress can be shown by the 60,000 calves that have been saved from export or being shot at birth over the year June 2008 to May 2009.

Climate change expert urges people to eat less meat to save the planet

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:07:23 GMT

Compassion in World Farming welcomes Lord Stern’s call for a reduction in global meat consumption. On 27 October Lord Stern, author of the influential Stern Review on global warming, told The Times that “Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world’s resources. A vegetarian diet is better.”

Passenger ferry to take live exports from Britain

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:29:32 GMT

Celtic Link Ferries are proposing a new English Channel route that may export live animals to the continent from Portsmouth, Hampshire to France.

Government allows factory farmed food in the public sector

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:51:23 GMT

New draft standards for the Government’s Healthier Food Mark misleadingly claim to promote “high standards of animal welfare” for public catering while in fact allowing public sector bodies to use battery eggs and factory farmed pork and chicken.

Killing Fields: the battle to feed factory farms

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:13:56 GMT

A new investigation by the Ecologist and a coalition of pressure groups exposes the dark side of soy production for animal feed: deforestation, loss of biodiversity, depletion of natural resources and destruction of local communities. The film, Killing Fields: the battle to feed factory farms– produced by Friends of the Earth, Food and Water Watch and with European coordination by Via Campesina, – documents the experiences of people in Paraguay and Brazil, where soy farming causes social conflicts and environmental destruction. The investigation reveals how intensive animal farming across the EU, including the UK, is fuelling these problems. Watch the film...

Animal welfare council undermines beak trimming ban

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:47:23 GMT

The Government’s own advisory body on animal welfare has undermined a ban on hen beak trimming. The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) has recommended the deferral of the British ban on the beak trimming of laying hens which was due to be implemented in January 2011. In a recent letter to Jim Fitzpatrick MP, the Minister for Food, Farming and Environment, FAWC advises deferring the ban with no set date for implementation.

Higher welfare is healthier chicken

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:36:22 GMT

Following this week’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) findings that two thirds of uncooked chicken on sale in supermarkets and butchers were infected with the food bug Campylobacter, public concern is understandable. However, newly published findings which suggest that farm animals are more prone to Campylobacter infection when stressed are especially interesting. Research from Bristol University has shown that “there is reliable evidence that stress increases susceptibility to bacterial infection, including campylobacter”. This could include keeping animals in a poor environment or feeding them a poor diet.

Polish investigation into dairy farm cruelty

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:35:23 GMT

Otoz Animal and Straż dla Zwierząt, leading animal welfare organisations in Poland, visited a dairy farm in Janowice in Northern Poland and discovered cows were underfed, exhausted, had no access to water and suffered from poor welfare conditions. Otoz Animal reported the case to the Polish Chief Veterinary Officer Bureau, but was only able to effectively help the 600 cows on the farm when it brought it to the attention of the media and the local police.

Animal welfare ignored in Government vision for future of farming

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:29:53 GMT

Defra is developing a vision for the future of our food system which gives a very low priority to animal welfare. We believe that it’s essential for good standards of animal welfare to be included among the core objectives of government food policy.

Freedom food increases outdoor stocking for laying hens

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:17:11 GMT

In a bid to meet the rising demand for British free-range eggs, RSPCA Freedom Food has announced an increase in the maximum outdoor stocking density of free-range laying hens.

Joint venture to lobby for better animal welfare

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:42:53 GMT

Compassion in World Farming has joined forces with other leading animal groups to maximise the pressure on MPs and MEPs across the parties in the UK and the EU. The coalition, Vote Cruelty Free, is now working together to ensure the political process reflects public concern for animal protection.

Honest labels for Tesco and Morrisons

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:49:53 GMT

Shadow Environment Secretary, Nick Herbert MP said Tesco and Morrisons have pledged to spell out the origin of meat on their labels following the Tories' Honest Food Campaign.

Demand for Halal raises animal welfare issue

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:49:53 GMT

The Guardian’s article, Halal food no longer a minority taste, by Huma Qureshi and Rebecca Smithers (published on 19.09.09) raises the issue or Halal slaughter methods in today’s more welfare-conscious society.

Marcus the sheep sent to slaughter

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:11:51 GMT

The sheep, named Marcus, reared by pupils of Lydd Primary School in Kent, has been sent to slaughter despite calls for a reprieve. The primary school’s council voted to slaughter the sheep and sell his meat to buy other animals as part of a project on the origins of food.

Greek government condemned for failure to enforce animal welfare laws

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:22:43 GMT

On the 10th of September the European Court of Justice ruled in a case brought by the European Commission against the Greek government that alleged Greece had failed to enforce the EU Transport and Slaughter Directives.

US investigation reveals suffering of day old chicks

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:06:19 GMT

A new and shocking investigation by US organisation Mercy For Animals has yet again highlighted the suffering of young chicks being hatched for egg producing hens.

Chicken Out! Tour on the Home Straight

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:32:11 GMT

Throughout August and September the Chicken Out! tour has been visiting towns and cities in the UK to highlight the unacceptable practice of the intensive factory farming of chickens and to encourage consumers to choose higher welfare standards when buying chicken.

Animal aid exposé

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:06:16 GMT

Compassion in World Farming supports the Animal Aid exposé of Slaughterhouse standards

Cage eggs declared ‘extinct’

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:18:16 GMT

Compassion in World Farming is celebrating the UK’s leading grocery retail magazine – the Grocer – for listing eggs from cage hens as ‘extinct’.

It's time to face the facts: We need humane and sustainable farms to feed the world

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:32:21 GMT

Compassion in World Farming has long argued that factory farming of animals cannot feed the world. Programmes such as The Future of Food (BBC 2, August 09) echo our arguments. As the programme said: "The food chain is fit to break."

UK government turns its back on chickens

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:43:27 GMT

The UK Government is set to lower chicken welfare standards despite soaring sales of higher welfare, major shifts in retailer policies and high-profile chicken campaigning.

Time magazine’s great exposé on American food

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:38:26 GMT

On Friday 21 August, we read a fantastic article in Time magazine headed “America’s Food Crisis and How to Fix It.” The article shows how the current American farm and food system is contributing to human ill-health, devastating resources and causing animal suffering.

Food, feed and the future

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:42:18 GMT

Whilst the government is rightly concerned about food security for Britain, it is a mistake to see this issue as single nation concern. With over 1 billion people currently suffering from under-nutrition, access to sufficient and affordable food is one of the most urgent global issues. At the other end of the scandal spectrum, around half the adults in Europe and the United States are overweight, about a fifth are obese.

Chicken Out! launches 39 day campaign

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:48:51 GMT

Chicken Out! is taking its campaign to the next level. Led by River Cottage Chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the Chicken Out! campaign will tell the 39 day life story of an intensively reared meat chicken.

Global expert, Lester Brown, to give Compassion lecture

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:40:43 GMT

"How can we feed the world and protect the environment?" 29 October 2009 at 7.30pm

Organic is better for the animals- and for you, too

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:38:19 GMT

A Food Standard Authority’s study claims organic is not healthier than conventionally produced food, failing to take into account the huge benefits organic standards have for farm animals, the environment and people

Compassion supports campaign against import of live piglets

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:27:06 GMT

Compassion in World Farming welcomes the National Pig Association’s campaign to prevent a trade in imported piglets which threatens to bring diseases such as MRSA from Belgium into the country

Compassion in World Farming slams decision to delay sheep mulesing ban

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:00:06 GMT

Compassion in World Farming is deeply disappointed by the decision of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) to abandon its commitment to phase out mulesing by 2010

An animal welfare law for China?

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:32:25 GMT

Thanks to a project sponsored by the RSPCA and IFAW, an animal welfare law is being drafted by a legal team within China, headed by Professor Chang Jiwen of the Law Institute of The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Compassion & BBC tell the veal story

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:50:13 GMT

Compassion joins BBC Breakfast as they report from a British veal farm following veal opinion by PM's wife on Twitter

EU: Cows are milked beyond endurance

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:50:21 GMT

New reports on dairy farming by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conclude that cows in the European Union are bred to produce unreasonable amounts of milk and suffer from hunger, lameness and infertility

Egypt: your campaigning makes a difference

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:30:21 GMT

Let’s be clear about the bad and sad news first. To the best of our knowledge, all the pigs in Egypt have now been killed

Bake with Compassion this week

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:40:41 GMT

From Monday, you have all week to bake cakes with free range eggs and raise awareness and funds for Compassion

Is your local council a good egg?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:30:21 GMT

22 councils received a ‘Good Egg Award’ for committing to ditch the battery cage egg in favour of eggs from free-range hens

New hit-and-miss EU slaughter regulation

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:30:21 GMT

The new Slaughter Regulation includes several welcome provisions, but fails to address serious welfare problems

Jeffrey Masson

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:30:21 GMT

The celebrated author recently took time to speak with friends, supporters and staff of Compassion about his new book

Pig Business on More4

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:30:21 GMT

Tracy Worcester's documentary on intensive pig farming will be shown on More4 on Tuesday 30 June at 10pm

Visionary Sweden says: Eat less meat

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:30:35 GMT

Sweden's authorities have set out draft guidelines asking people to reduce their carbon footprint by eating less meat

Kate Ford supports Bake with Compassion

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:30:35 GMT

Actress Kate Ford donates her very compassionate recipe for a banana and walnut loaf

Nature calls for OIE investigation

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:28:35 GMT

Scientists, in this week's Nature journal, call on World Organisation for Animal Health to investigate origins of swine flu

Compassion in Egypt: eye witness account

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:28:35 GMT

"Knowing how intelligent pigs are, there is no doubt they knew what was awaiting them. They seemed paralysed with fear..."

An evening with Dr Jane Goodall DBE

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:28:35 GMT

Dr Jane Goodall’s pioneering studies of wild chimpanzees revolutionised our knowledge about their sentience

Egypt pig crisis: Horrendous scenes, glimmers of hope...

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:28:35 GMT

Our campaign continues as Egypt's horrific pig 'cull' bludgeons on

Swine flu on BBC Radio 4

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:28:35 GMT

A major BBC Radio Four documentary has highlighted the potential links between swine flu and industrial pig farming...

Celebrity chef donates recipe to Compassion

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:28:35 GMT

Food writer and chef Sophie Grigson gives her support to our Bake with Compassion fundraising week...

Compassion witnesses the slaughter in Cairo

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:28:35 GMT

On 09 June, Compassion was allowed to visit the notorious Bassatin slaughterhouse in Cairo to witness the slaughter