Global supply chains are struggling to implement higher farm animal welfare standards, according to a new study. While there are strong levels of commitment to meet the higher standards, there is an ambition-action gap, the latest Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) report reveals.

According to the BBFAW report, for example, 96 companies have set a cage-free target for laying hens, but just 17 of the firms (18%) reported that 100% of their eggs are cage-free. Even so, there is a decreasing reliance on cages with 71% of companies with eggs in their supply chain reporting progress towards achieving cage-free eggs, up from 67% in 2024. Targets to phase out farrowing crates for sows has also risen – up from 9% in 2024 to 13% last year.

Moving tiers

The study is an annual assessment of the food industry’s farm animal welfare policies, practices and performance, assessing 149 global food companies.

The food companies with the highest overall ranking this year are Marks and Spencer, Premier Foods, Waitrose, and Greggs PLC. This year, 8 companies moved up 1 tier. They are Amazon/Whole Foods Market, Asda (Bellis Topco Ltd), Groupe Casino, Hilton Food Group, Maple Leaf Foods, MBRF, New Hope Liuhe and WH Group.

However, 11 companies fell by 1 tier, namely Arla Foods, Campbell Soup Company, Danish Crown, Darden Restaurants, General Mills Inc, JD Wetherspoon, Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, Premium Food Group, Sysco Corporation, Unilever NV and Woolworths Ltd.

Encouraging progress toward farm animal welfare

This year’s benchmark results demonstrate significant levels of commitment to farm animal welfare and some encouraging progress, including:

• 69% of companies with eggs in their supply chains (96 out of 139 firms) have targets to eliminate cages for laying hens
• 15% of companies with eggs in their supply chains (21 out of 139 firms) now source at least some eggs from supply chains where male chicks are not culled at one-day old, up from 9% last year.

Other findings showed that French and Brazilian companies made the progress last year, with French companies particularly advanced in broiler welfare commitments. UK companies remain the best overall country performers.

Latin America companies outperformed Asian, European and North American companies on farm animal welfare performance for the first time. The region includes some of the world’s largest meat producers, including JBS, Minerva and MBRF.

Asia Pacific is the poorest performing region with 43% of firms failing even to publish an overarching animal welfare policy, while North American companies are the second poorest performers and have the lowest scores of all regions on Farm Animal Welfare Performance Impact.

Protein transition and antibiotics

In terms of protein transition, UK companies achieved an average score of 29% for their efforts to reduce reliance on animal-sourced foods, compared to a global average of 11%. UK firms Hilton Food group, Waitrose, and Greggs PLC rank highest for producing protein transition products and policies to mitigate welfare, environmental and climate risk.

Just two-thirds of firms (40%) have commitments in place to end prophylactic and routine metaphylactic antibiotic use, despite the risk of surging antibiotic resistance

Nicky Amos, executive director of the BBFAW, said that while many companies had set a course for a food system that is more compassionate, resilient and fit for the future, progress remains slow: “That puts not just farm animals at risk, but also consumers and investors. Public ambition on animal welfare issues like cage-free eggs is strong, but the BBFAW research shows few companies translate that into comprehensive action across global food supply chain. Leading companies’ efforts need to be backed by effective policy and market incentives that reward those businesses delivering higher standards of farm animal welfare.”

Philip Lymbery, Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, added that phasing out cages was the vital first step towards transforming the global food system: “Companies with cage-free commitments now have a real opportunity to turn those promises into meaningful progress – progress that will deliver better lives for millions of animals. Industrial agriculture has pushed natural systems to their limits, but by moving away from factory farming, companies can help restore soils, protect water, reduce antibiotic use, cut emissions and support biodiversity.”