Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Coop Group (Switzerland), as well as Noble Foods, have attained the highest marks in the global Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare report.
Currently, 11 companies occupy leadership positions in the Benchmark’s top two tiers. These companies demonstrate the strongest commitments to farm animal welfare and have well developed management systems and processes. Tier 2 includes The Co-operative Food (UK), J Sainsbury, Unilever, Cranswick, Marfrig, McDonald’s and Migros.
Retaining their Tier 3 ranking are Ahold, FrieslandCampina, Groupe Danone, JBS, Nestlé, Subway, Tesco and Tyson Foods. They are joined by Barilla, BRF, Sodexo and Walmart, who have all moved up one tier, and Compass Group, Greggs, Kaufland, who have moved up two tiers, and Whitbread, moving up three tiers.
Companies were measured on their approach to managing farm animal welfare in three areas: Management Commitment and Policy; Governance and Policy Implementation; and Leadership and Innovation.
The 2015 report reveals that companies are increasing the importance they attach to farm animal welfare, with 69 per cent publishing farm animal welfare policies (compared to just 46 per cent in 2012) and 54 per cent publishing targets on farm animal welfare (26 per cent in 2012).
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
