FAB-C.07.B - Animal Welfare Target Setting
Does the company set targets to address animal welfare issues?
About the data
The WBA Food and Agriculture Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential food and agriculture companies on their efforts to transform global food systems, tracking how companies work towards food that is healthy and nutritious, produced sustainably within planetary boundaries, and accessible and fairly produced for all. The 2026 edition assessed 350 companies spanning the entirety of the food and agriculture value chain, from agricultural inputs and commodities through to manufacturing, retail, and food service. Companies were scored on 23 food and agriculture-specific indicators and 18 core social indicators across four measurement areas: governance, sustainable food systems, healthy food systems, and inclusive food systems. The benchmark is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee and is designed to incentivise the most influential companies in the sector to adopt sustainable business practices across their own operations and supply chains, addressing critical issues including greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, freshwater use, nutrition, and living incomes for farmers, with human rights and social equity at its core. More information can be found here.
Methodology
More than 70 billion land animals are farmed for food annually, with two-thirds in
conditions that prevent them from moving freely or living naturally. Approximately 600 million pigs,
for instance, are estimated to live in intensive and confined conditions that deny their natural instincts
to forage and to nest (World Animal Protection, 2021).
Such intensive farming practices serve as optimal breeding grounds for viral pathogens, leading to the
rise of infectious diseases. Over half of all infectious diseases transferred from animals to humans
since 1940 have stemmed from intensive livestock production systems (UNEP and ILRI, 2020).
Moreover, the use of antibiotics in livestock and aquaculture production leads to antimicrobial
resistance and is a significant public health threat (FAO, n.d.). Companies must respond to the call of
governments and stakeholders around the world to ensure the welfare of their farmed animals and
eliminate antibiotics use in their farming practices.
Research Guidance:
Target content:
Targets must be related to the following key welfare issues (see table below for a specific list per species):
oEnding (100%) mutilation practices
oCompletely (100%) phasing out confinement or overcrowding during housing and/or transport
oEnsuring 100% humane slaughter (e.g. 100% of animals subject to pre-slaughter stunning).
Targets to partially reduce the incidence of mutilation or overcrowding/confinement, or partially improve slaughter methods, are not accepted.
Number of targets:
If the company only sources 1 species, they must have targets or achievements that cover at least TWO key welfare issues for that species.
If the company sources 2 species, they must have at least one key welfare issue target or achievement per species.
If the company sources 3 or more species, they must have key welfare issue targets or achievements related to at least three species.
If chickens and/or pigs are sourced, these must have associated key welfare issue targets.
Complete achievements of key welfare issues (e.g. 100% cage-free hens) across all geographies sourcing that species count.
Additional requirements:
Targets do not require a baseline value or year
Targets must be short-term (i.e. with target years within 5 years of the reporting year).
For food retailers, targets must cover the company‚s own-branded products at a minimum.
\* See FARMS stocking densities per species: .
This indicator is applicable only to companies with animal proteins as a part of their operations or supply chain.
conditions that prevent them from moving freely or living naturally. Approximately 600 million pigs,
for instance, are estimated to live in intensive and confined conditions that deny their natural instincts
to forage and to nest (World Animal Protection, 2021).
Such intensive farming practices serve as optimal breeding grounds for viral pathogens, leading to the
rise of infectious diseases. Over half of all infectious diseases transferred from animals to humans
since 1940 have stemmed from intensive livestock production systems (UNEP and ILRI, 2020).
Moreover, the use of antibiotics in livestock and aquaculture production leads to antimicrobial
resistance and is a significant public health threat (FAO, n.d.). Companies must respond to the call of
governments and stakeholders around the world to ensure the welfare of their farmed animals and
eliminate antibiotics use in their farming practices.
Research Guidance:
Target content:
Targets must be related to the following key welfare issues (see table below for a specific list per species):
oEnding (100%) mutilation practices
oCompletely (100%) phasing out confinement or overcrowding during housing and/or transport
oEnsuring 100% humane slaughter (e.g. 100% of animals subject to pre-slaughter stunning).
Targets to partially reduce the incidence of mutilation or overcrowding/confinement, or partially improve slaughter methods, are not accepted.
Number of targets:
If the company only sources 1 species, they must have targets or achievements that cover at least TWO key welfare issues for that species.
If the company sources 2 species, they must have at least one key welfare issue target or achievement per species.
If the company sources 3 or more species, they must have key welfare issue targets or achievements related to at least three species.
If chickens and/or pigs are sourced, these must have associated key welfare issue targets.
Complete achievements of key welfare issues (e.g. 100% cage-free hens) across all geographies sourcing that species count.
Additional requirements:
Targets do not require a baseline value or year
Targets must be short-term (i.e. with target years within 5 years of the reporting year).
For food retailers, targets must cover the company‚s own-branded products at a minimum.
\* See FARMS stocking densities per species: .
This indicator is applicable only to companies with animal proteins as a part of their operations or supply chain.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Not Applicable
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report