Animal welfare standards inch forward as advocates call for “concrete action”: BBFAW report

Global food companies are stepping up their animal welfare practices by adopting more humane standards, such as giving livestock more space and improving slaughter practices, reveals a report by the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW). As pressure mounts, the industry is not only rethinking how animals are treated but also how to reduce dependency on animal-sourced foods.

BBFAW is a global annual assessment of the food industry’s farm animal welfare policies, practices, and performance. From October to November 2024, it analyzed 150 global food companies across 51 criteria and five pillars and ranked them across six tiers.

Its “Impact Rating” grades companies (from ‘A’ to ‘F’) on their “tangible” welfare impacts, such as the percentage of cage-free laying hens in a company’s supply chain, the proportion of dairy cattle free from disbudding and dehorning, and the proportion of pigs free from tail docking.

“This is the second year of results since BBFAW introduced more stringent criteria and it’s encouraging to see companies responding positively with 14 companies moving up a tier, and a further 14 improving their Impact Rating,” says Nicky Amos, executive director of the BBFAW.

“It is not just animals that feel the benefit of those changes — with more space to roam and fewer farm animals suffering mutilations or long-distance live transportation. Companies feel the benefits too, in terms of building their reputation with consumers and getting ahead of potential regulation.”

Animal welfare organization Four Paws’ president Josef Pfabigan says he appreciates the progress made by companies on reducing dependence on animal-origin foods, but believes that animal welfare is “merely lip service” for the majority of companies to this day.

“Here, tangible measures and concrete actions must urgently be implemented. Four Paws keeps on advocating and fighting for ending cruel practices in factory farming, including a reduction of farmed animals, worldwide.

Waitrose, Greggs, Marks & Spencer and Premier Foods achieved a score of between 62-80% against all BBFAW criteria.

Leaders and laggards

BBFAW reported a “marginal” positive progress in animal welfare, with average overall scores across all companies rising one percentage point for the second consecutive year. Fourteen companies moved up a tier ranking. 

Greggs, Marks & Spencer, Premier Foods, and Waitrose were the only companies reaching ‘Tier 2’ of the benchmark, having made farm animal welfare an integral part of their business strategy and achieved a score of between 62-80% against all BBFAW criteria.

Meanwhile, progress for a majority of food companies is “slow.” Some 118 companies, including Nestlé, McDonalds, and Cargill, have provided “limited or no evidence” of policies to manage farm animal welfare effectively and are in the bottom two tiers.

Twenty two companies (15%) have still not published a formal overarching animal welfare policy including Avolta AG (previously Autogrill), states the report.

 Geographically, UK-based companies secured the upper tier rankings, with an average overall score of 41%, followed by Europe and Latin America (20%), North America (12%), and Asia Pacific region (9%).

Species specific progress

The report further highlights the difference in animal welfare ambitions based on species. Only 11% of companies with pigs in their supply chains have published clear time-bound targets to end the use of gestation crates/sow stalls (up from 9% in 2023).

For dairy cow welfare, 22% of companies have time-bound targets to eliminate, or already eliminated, the use of tethering — a practice involving fixing cattle to a place in the barn with chains or fixed neck frames.

Only 11% of companies with pigs in their supply chains have set deadlines to stop using gestation crates that restrict movement.Some 70% of companies with eggs in their supply chain have set targets to achieve, or have already achieved, 100% of eggs from cage-free sources (down from 73% in 2023).

Meanwhile, 30% of companies with broiler chickens in their supply chain have set a time-bound target to achieve the requirements for the Better or European Chicken Commitment (down from 31% in 2023).

Food companies falling behind?

Amos says while the leaders are picking up the pace, much more needs to be done with the large majority (79%) of food companies. Household names such as Nestlé and McDonald’s are “stuck in BBFAW’s bottom two tiers.”

Only 42% of companies have committed to end prophylactic and routine metaphylactic antibiotic use despite the risk of surging antibiotic resistance. Restaurants and bars have the lowest overall average score at 16%, but it has increased from 14% in 2023.

“Too many food companies still provide limited evidence that they are managing animal welfare effectively. Perhaps most striking this year is the Atlantic Gap,” she adds. This is due to the role of animal welfare in potential UK/US trade discussions. 

“While the UK is the highest-performing region, practically all North American food companies are stuck in the bottom two tiers of the benchmark.”

Philip Lymbery, global chief executive at Compassion in World Farming sees “eliminating cages” as a key first step in driving businesses to drive an animal welfare-friendly future. 

“As the impact of current practices weighs on people, animals, and the planet, the urgency for change will only grow. Every company has the power to drive meaningful progress by shifting toward higher welfare, cage-free products, diversifying protein portfolios with more plant-based options, and embracing regenerative farming.”