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It is now inevitable that the movement will expand into the arena of factory farming which accounts for 95% of all animal suffering – an arena with correspondingly far greater challenges
Henry Spira, 1991
Henry Spira certainly had a sense of proportion. Compared to Canadians’ 12 – 15 million pets, or fewer than 2 million animals used annually in research, the welfare of 200 million animals we raise for food each year would certainly seem to be proper cause for concern. But where to start, and how to make effective use of our limited resources?
In Canada, recommended standards for farm animal husbandry have been codified in species-specific Recommended Codes of Practice. The codes describe the minimum standards that should be in place, and reflect input from industry, government and the humane movement. While helpful, they are voluntary, meaning that farmers may choose to follow them, but are not required to. Furthermore, no inspections take place to ensure that they are followed – many farmers are not even aware of the codes. Finally, by focusing on conventional containment systems the codes tend to support the status quo without generating incentives or recognition for enhancements to animal welfare. Clearly, other means must be found to effectively demonstrate and advocate for workable change.
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A national survey conducted in 1997 for the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors found that 39% of consumers think about ethical issues around animal use when making purchases. A similar study carried out in England the same year found 43% of British consumers consider animal welfare issues when shopping.
An outstanding example of successfully introducing change is provided by the RSPCA’s (UK) Freedom Food program, which licences and markets farm animal products that are raised, transported and slaughtered according to RSPCA standards. The program began in 1994, and today covers 18,000,000 animals living on 4000 farms. According to Freedom Food General Manager Mike Sharpe, the RSPCA standards have had a multiplier effect as they have precipitated many improvements for animals outside the program.
Now, Freedom Food was launched amid the fear and uncertainty of the ‘mad cow’ crisis in a country with a large population and a history of strong public support for animal welfare. Would such a scheme be workable in Canada? That was one of the key questions for a group of British Columbia farmers, business people, academics and SPCA personnel who visited England this summer. We visited numerous farms, processors and retail stores, and spent two days being briefed by the program’s senior staff.
We saw farms where thousands of birds have access to outdoors, free range hog operations, and dairy farms that looked not too different from some in Canada. Producers told us they like the program because it pays them a premium for treating their animals the way they prefer to. Processors support Freedom Food because it confers a mantle of quality insurance and price support in a changing market. Retailers found it gave them a competitive edge.
Freedom Food is a registered not-for-profit corporation, which operates at arm’s length from the RSPCA:
RSPCAFreedom Food
- compiles standards (scientific and practical)
- independently monitors Freedom Food members
- conducts research
- funds marketing campaigns
- carries out education and advocacy campaigns on farm animal issues.
- administers standards
- encourages cooperation between all elements of supply chain
- formally assesses FF members
- markets and communicates scheme to producers, retailers, consumers
- provides administrative support for scheme members.
Our overall findings? We were unanimously impressed with the program, and the standards themselves. The strength of the RSPCA’s support is formidable, and was evident in the initial commitment and in ongoing support, currently running at one million pounds per year (or about 2.4 million dollars Canadian). To achieve something similar here will require the participation of several partners and be on a smaller scale.
Meanwhile, back in British Columbia, a confluence of trends and recent events has produced a set of circumstances uniquely favourable to the development of such a program. To begin, British Columbia has an agricultural economy different from the prevailing North American model. Due in part to its varied geography, most BC farms are still smaller, family-owned operations. There is a strong and growing organic sector, whose provincially-regulated code has significant animal welfare content. Secondly, the province’s agri-food policy favours the development of strong niche markets – the Minister of Agriculture and senior officials have been very supportive of our efforts to date. Mention must also be made of the establishment, in 1997, of the Department of Animal Welfare at the University of British Columbia, sponsored in part by the BC SPCA, industry partners, and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). In addition to having two full time professors – Drs. David Fraser and Dan Weary – advising on the program, its graduates have provided a source of trained full time staff to work with us.
Nationally too, we continue to draw on support from CFHS whose Farm Animal Welfare and Transportation Committee endorsed farm animal product labelling programs last May and the Alberta SPCA and the Winnipeg Humane Society who are doing parallel work to ours with the pork industry. We should also acknowledge the leadership and support of CANFACT, the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, the Eden Conservation Trust and the Vancouver Foundation, all of which have provided funding for the program.
To date we have established relationships with egg, broiler chicken, pork, dairy and beef producers who are committed in principle to the program. Species advisory committees are being established to review proposed standards. Focus group and survey research is being planned in cooperation with a major retail chain and the provincial government. One issue to test is the program name. According to Freedom Food’s public relations director, if they were to start over again, they would simply use the term SPCA-monitored rather than invest millions in developing brand awareness for the name Freedom Food. The BC SPCA program, which has been entirely grant-funded until now, will seek formal endorsement and a small budget at a presentation to the BC SPCA Board in late September. By next spring at the latest, we hope to have the first products on grocery store shelves.
