Welfare charity Compassion in World Farming is extending its supermarket survey across Europe, enabling European retailers to benchmark their farm animal welfare performance against industry peers.
For over a decade, leading UK supermarkets have taken part in the survey that rates their policies, performance and overall approach to welfare, but this year, due to interest from companies on the Continent.
The 2013 survey will review welfare standards for laying hens, broilers, pigs, dairy cows and calves (with an option to include beef and sheep meat, turkey, duck and fish).
Retailers are benchmarked anonymously using the highest and lowest percentage scores for each area of performance to maintain confidentiality.
Companies participating in the Supermarket Survey are automatically considered for Compassion’s Retailer Awards that form part of the annual Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards.
This year they are going to be bigger and better with one awards ceremony for the entire EU market, including the UK. Compassion is introducing four new award categories for the 2013 Retailer Awards:
· Best Retailer Award 2013 – based on the highest overall score of all 5 surveys (broilers, laying hens, pigs, dairy cows and calves and overall approach to welfare)
· Best Performing Retailer Award 2013 – based on scores awarded for performance in the following areas: housing systems, environmental enrichment, treatments and procedures, breed, slaughter & transport, welfare outcome measurement
· Best Retailer Innovation Award 2013 - the retailer that provides the best example(s) of work to improve farm animal welfare within their supply chain
· Best Retailer Marketing Award 2013 – the retailer that provides the best example(s) of work to communicate farm animal welfare to the consumer
"Most food shopping takes place in supermarkets so retailers are the main link between the farm and the food that goes into our shopping trolleys" said Dr Tracey Jones, Director of Food Business at Compassion.
"The influence retailers have over the farm animal welfare standards adopted by food producers is enormous due to their buying power and ability to promote one product over another.
"Therefore, encouraging them to place greater focus on farm animal welfare standards is vital. By expanding the scope of the survey to incorporate European retailers, Compassion aims to drive farm animal welfare higher up the agenda across Europe."
One retailer which has been taking part in the survey since its inception in 2000 is Marks and Spencer.
Mark Atherton-Ranson, Agriculture and Animal Welfare Manager for M&S, said: "Compassion's Supermarket Survey is an important tool that helps us drive our standards forward and achieve our welfare commitments.
"The tailored and comprehensive feedback we receive steers the development of our Health & Welfare improvement programme, and enables us to maintain our leading welfare standards by providing a benchmark to gauge against our competitors in the retail sector."
Dr Jones adds: "I'm delighted to be able to invite European retailers to take part in the survey this year.
"Their participation allows us to better understand the importance attributed to farm animal welfare across Europe, and enables retailers to harness their influence over the welfare standards adopted for animals producing the eggs, meat and dairy products they sell."
