We are thrilled to announce that Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) is our featured organization of the month. The Farm Animal Coalition (FAC) is honored to count CIWF as one of our esteemed member organizations. We work closely with Jeff Zhou, the China Chief Representative at CIWF, who also serves as the leader of our FAC Alternative Protein subgroup. His expertise and dedication are invaluable to our shared goals. Read on to learn more about CIWF's impactful work and how they are transforming the global food landscape.
Who is Compassion in World Farming?
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF or “Compassion” in short) is the leading international animal welfare environmental organization dedicated to ending factory farming and reshaping the food system to benefit the lives of animals, people and the health of the planet.
Animal welfare is at the heart of their work. Through campaigning, lobbying for legislative change and positive engagement with the global food industry, they seek to influence key decision makers that shape, make and fund the food system.
What is CIWF about?
CIWF strives to create a world where farmed animals are treated with compassion and respect, and farming practices align with principles of sustainability and ethical responsibility. Because CIWF believes factory farming causes significant suffering to billions of animals, the organization campaigns for better welfare standards and promotes policies that ensure humane treatment.
CIWF advocates for farming practices that are sustainable for the environment, humane for animals, and beneficial for human health. Additionally, they work to raise awareness among consumers about the conditions of farmed animals and the importance of animal welfare.
Compassion’s Three Goals
To achieve global action to end factory farming and reduce overall meat consumption in favor of regenerative agriculture.
To achieve government legislative and subsidy reforms that drive transformational change for animal welfare, reduce reliance on animal-sourced foods, and encourage nature-friendly farming.
To achieve corporate commitments from leading companies that drive transformational change for animal welfare, reduce reliance on animal-sourced foods, and encourage more regenerative, nature-friendly farming.
Compassion’s Key Activities
Campaigning and Advocacy: Engage in lobbying and advocacy at both national and international levels, influencing legislation and policies related to animal welfare and the importance of food systems transformation for the sake of animals, people, and the planet.
Corporate Engagement: Collaborate with the world's largest companies to drive transformational change for animal welfare, reduce the reliance on animal-sourced foods, and encourage more regenerative, nature-friendly farming.
Research and Reports: Conduct research and publish reports on various aspects of animal welfare, sustainable farming practices, and industry progress.
Public Campaigns: Run public awareness campaigns to educate consumers and promote more compassionate choices.
What makes CIWF the organization of the month?
CIWF is now a fast-growing and influential worldwide movement present at many key decision making forums including the United Nations. CIWF’s views are sought and valued by policy makers and they have supporters and partners throughout the world who help them deliver initiatives from China to the USA.
By working in partnership with inspirational supporters, progressive policymakers, and visionary companies, CIWF is mobilizing a movement for transformative change to improve the lives of billions of farmed animals worldwide, while creating a more humane, and equitable food system for all.
Through their Food Business program, CIWF collaborates with some of the world’s largest food companies — including retailers, producers, and manufacturers — to place farmed animal welfare at the heart of the food industry. These partnerships are crucial in driving the shift towards a more ethical and sustainable food supply. To date, the organization has secured corporate commitments to improve welfare standards that are set to benefit OVER 2.6 billion animals each year.
CIWF Food Business Brochure
In 2023, CIWF held the inaugural Asia Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards Ceremony in Bangkok, creating an opportunity to recognize CIWF award-winning companies and inspire others to follow suit. Nineteen awards were presented to companies from Thailand, Japan, and China. Eleven awards went to Chinese companies, whose policies and commitments are set to benefit nearly 85 million animals annually. This raises the total number of animals in China set to lead better lives each year to 369 million.
CIWF Asia Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards Ceremony in Bangkok
CIWF Global Awards Ceremony
CIWF offers a variety of tools and resources to encourage companies to adopt higher welfare policies and practices, and to highlight the progress made by committed businesses.
CIWF annual reports
CIWF’s political lobbying and campaigning have resulted in the EU recognizing animals as sentient beings, capable of feeling pain and suffering. CIWF has also secured landmark agreements to outlaw the barren battery cage for egg-laying hens, narrow veal crates and sow stalls across Europe. In May of this year, after 50 years of hard work alongside supporters, CIWF successfully achieved a ban on the trade in live animal exports in the UK.
Celebration at the White Cliffs of Dover
CIWF actively organizes or participates in global conferences dedicated to advancing farmed animal welfare and promoting sustainable farming practices.
Activities in China
Last year, CIWF hosted the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023 in collaboration with IPES-Food and several other partners. During two days of the conference, there were five plenary sessions, six parallel sessions, and one closing panel which featured 63 speakers and chairs from 20 countries, 740 delegates plus 370,000 people watching the live stream including thousands on official Chinese government websites, with 25 international journalists attending and one news story ran in over 250 publications.
Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023
Credit: Compassion in World Farming/ Nacho Rivera
Learn more about CIWF, and stay connected by following them on social media!
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