UN supports better welfare for farm animals worldwide

Lobbying efforts by animal welfare organization World Animal Protection over the past two years laid the groundwork for farm animals around the world to be better protected with substantive language on animal welfare included in recommendations adopted by member countries.  

World Animal Protection’s International Head of Policy, Lesley Mitchell says: “This change by the UN is a massive step forward in putting animal welfare at the front and centre of farming. It means countries will no longer ask ‘should we include animal welfare?’ but ‘how do we deliver better animal welfare?’

“By treating animals well, we can fight poverty, reduce hunger, improve people’s health, tackle climate change and protect the biodiversity of our planet. We’ve been working to make sure the vital importance of animal protection is recognised at a global level. This is clear acknowledgement that better animal welfare contributes to better food security for communities, which in turn helps to tackle sustainable development goals to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.”

The inclusion of language on animal welfare makes it clear that governments should prioritise animal welfare in designing their country’s farming systems, emphasising that animals should be able to live free from pain, distress and hunger, and able to demonstrate natural behaviours as set out by the Five Freedoms and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards and principles.

The recommendations also stress the importance of animal health and access to veterinary services.

The recommendations were informed by a High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) report on farm animal welfare, which informed the priorities and is the backbone of the recommendations. Lesley Mitchell was one of the experts to input to the report.

World Animal Protection will continue to work directly with key countries to embed these recommendations in policy and practice.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is an international and intergovernmental platform for all stakeholders to work together in a coordinated way to ensure food security and nutrition for all. It underwent reform in 2009 to ensure that the voices of other stakeholders were heard in the global debate on food security and nutrition. The Committee reports to the UN General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and to FAO Conference.
• For more information, or to arrange an interview with World Animal Protection staff on the ground in Rome contact: Bev Boyle, bevboyle@worldanimalprotection.org or +44 7968 415 856.