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Improving farmed animal welfare
Low welfare farming is the single biggest animal welfare issue on the planet. The demand for meat, fish, eggs and dairy is massive and growing. To tackle animal suffering on this huge scale, we all need to play our part. By choosing RSPCA Assured and making small diet changes to reduce the amount of animal products we eat, we can remove 1 billion animals from suffering on farms by 2050.
We can all improve farmed animals' lives
All farmed animals deserve better lives. If you choose to eat animal products, the best way to improve farmed animals’ lives now is to choose higher-welfare RSPCA Assured labelled products. But higher-welfare choices alone can’t solve the problems of lower-welfare farming. We all need to eat fewer animal products to reduce the number of animals on farms, to end lower-welfare farming completely.
Small diet changes can make a big difference. By swapping out animal products for alternatives, or having a few plant-based meals a week, alongside choosing higher welfare, we can all help transform farmed animals’ lives.
1. Choose higher-welfare RSPCA Assured labelled food products
RSPCA Assured means no cages or crates, more space, enrichment, and world-leading animal welfare standards that make a difference to millions of animals’ lives. If you eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy, look for the RSPCA Assured label to ensure farmed animals have better lives.
2. Together reduce our consumption of animal products
The vast majority of farmed animals in the UK come from lower-welfare farms, maximising production over welfare. Huge and growing demand fuels these cruel practices. You can make a difference. Small diet changes can reduce demand and help create a kinder farming industry for animals, people and the planet.
Why
The real cost of lower-welfare farming
Most people don’t realise that the vast majority of farmed animals in the UK (more than 70%) are lower-welfare and most of the animal products on our supermarket shelves come from animals living lives of suffering.
The huge and growing demand for animal products means most of the industry focuses on maximising production and profit with little or no regard for animal welfare. This makes it virtually impossible to give animals the space and conditions they need for a better life.
Millions of animals are kept in cages, or crammed into overcrowded sheds, with barely room to move or play. They are deprived of sunlight and comfortable bedding to sleep on. Many suffer from health problems because they are bred to grow unnaturally fast and abnormally large.
Global consumption of meat is predicted to rise by 70% by 2050. If we continue to eat animal products at our current rate, we won’t have the space, and will likely have to resort to even more intensive, lower-welfare methods to meet demand.
We can all play our part, but individuals alone can’t solve this. We have to work with farmers, retailers, industry and government to end the wide-scale suffering of animals in our food industry.
Research on the welfare impact of reducing animal product consumption in the UK
New research shows how a reduction in animal product consumption can impact animals. If we all make small, incremental diet changes each year, we can reduce the number of animals suffering on lower-welfare farms by 1 billon by 2050. Read our report to find out more.
What
We need to reduce our animal products by 3% per year, every year.
Currently, 94% of us choose to eat animal products. Our report shows that reducing current consumption of animal products by just 3% per year, every year, to 2050 could result in 1 billion fewer animals farmed. That is roughly the equivalent to reducing by one chicken breast, a couple of pork sausages or a milk-filled bowl of cereal a week.
Making changes can be anything from having a plant-based day each week, an extra meat-free meal or swapping meat, fish, eggs or dairy for alternatives. It doesn’t have to mean giving up meat, fish, eggs and dairy, just eating less and choosing higher-welfare RSPCA Assured when you do.
How
Kinder choices for animals and people
Making kinder food choices for farmed animals is easier than you think. For anyone who eats meat, fish, eggs or dairy, the best thing you can do to give farmed animals better lives is look for the RSPCA Assured label in store. This ensures that your food comes from animals who have been reared to our world-leading standards, which cover every stage of their lives. You can find out where to find RSPCA Assured label products below.
We also need to reduce the amount of animal products we all eat if we're going to end lower-welfare farming completely. Just making small changes, bit by bit, can have a big impact on animals’ lives. This could mean anything from swapping half the mince in your spaghetti bolognese for lentils, having one plant-based day a week or trying out some of the growing plant-based alternative proteins in the supermarket. Find out more tips on reducing the amount of animal products you eat below.
Who else is calling for a reduction?
Eurogroup for Animals
We’re an active member of this animal advocacy organisation, working with Eurogroup for Animals members across Europe to improve animal welfare through EU legislation.
Eating Better
As part of the Eating Better alliance, we support the Better by Half roadmap, which outlines recommended actions across five sectors to improve animal welfare in the food system.
Compassion in World Farming
Our friends at Compassion in World Farming work on potential solutions for a healthy, sustainable, humane food and farming system.
Help shape a better future for farm animals
We’re currently working on a full action plan to achieve the vital goal of removing 1 billion animals from suffering on farms by 2050, which will launch at the end of 2025. If you can’t wait to get involved, see below ways you can help right now.
