20 ANNUAL REVIEW 2022
SHARING EXPERTISE
Working together for farm animals
We want the best possible welfare for all farmed animals, everywhere. We use our expertise to influence
governments, retailers, food businesses, the farming industry and the public. This year saw significant
developments on several fronts.
It's all about the standards
In striving to make every farmed animal's life
as good as it can be, we have developed higher
welfare standards for all the major farm animal
species. These standards cover the whole of the
animal's life - from birth to slaughter - focusing
on their welfare all the way. All members of
our RSPCA Assured scheme must follow them.
However, they are also used in a wide variety of
ways to help drive better farm animal welfare -
both nationally and internationally - by a large
number of stakeholders, including other farm
assurance schemes, retailers, food businesses
and other animal protection organisations.
This means they have a significant
impact on improving the lives
of many millions of farm
animals globally.
Because the standards are informed by robust
scientific evidence and practical experience,
they are well respected internationally and are
instrumental in changing the way farm animals
are treated.
Our top 2022 achievements for farm animals
❚ With the news that the UK
Government will subsidise
farmers to improve animal
welfare, Defra published its
species-specific welfare priorities,
which included the majority of
our recommendations
❚ We updated our evidence-based
farm animal welfare standards
(see below) for salmon,
turkeys, sheep, laying hens
and beef cattle
❚ Two major supermarkets
committed to meet the Better
Chicken Commitment for
higher welfare meat chicken
production by 2026, with M&S
beginning to deliver on its pledge
by stocking only RSPCA Assured
fresh chicken
❚ Our report, Eat, sit, suffer, repeat,
which examined the welfare
of meat chickens, formed the
basis of the Humane League
UK's landmark judicial review
to challenge the cruel use of
fast-growing breeds of meat
chickens in the UK
❚ We worked with and
influenced the UK Government
on issues such as transport,
slaughter, welfare payments
for farmers, avian flu and fixed
penalty notices for farm animal
welfare offences
❚ We also worked with the British
Veterinary Association on
its position on sustainable
aquaculture - breeding, rearing
and harvesting fish, shellfish
and other organisms in all types
of water environments