FAB-C.07.C - Animal Welfare Progress Reporting
Does the company report progress on animal welfare?
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:
The company must report continuous quantitative improvements in all key animal welfare parameters (i.e. metrics related to mutilation, overcrowding/confinement, and humane slaughter) it reports on, across the previous three reporting years.
The company does not need targets (i.e. they do not need to meet element B) to meet this element.
Quantitative improvements could include, for example, continuous (i.e. 3 yearly) increases in the percentage of chickens housed in cage-free systems or continuous (i.e. 3 yearly) reductions in pigs subjected to teeth clipping. Disclosure of certifications or third-party audits are not accepted as progress.
If the company reports data on multiple key welfare issues, but are only improving in one, they will meet this element as long as they are NOT regressing in any others. If they regress in any one of the key welfare issues they report on, it is an unmet.
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:
The company must report continuous quantitative improvements in all key animal welfare parameters (i.e. metrics related to mutilation, overcrowding/confinement, and humane slaughter) it reports on, across the previous three reporting years.
The company does not need targets (i.e. they do not need to meet element B) to meet this element.
Quantitative improvements could include, for example, continuous (i.e. 3 yearly) increases in the percentage of chickens housed in cage-free systems or continuous (i.e. 3 yearly) reductions in pigs subjected to teeth clipping. Disclosure of certifications or third-party audits are not accepted as progress.
If the company reports data on multiple key welfare issues, but are only improving in one, they will meet this element as long as they are NOT regressing in any others. If they regress in any one of the key welfare issues they report on, it is an unmet.
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