Alternatives to factory farming

WSPA is working hard to convince governments, farmers, corporations and consumers that high welfare farming is better for animals, people and the environment.

As well as campaigning, WSPA’s Model Farm Project, carried out in partnership with Food Animal Initiative (FAI) is a living, practical demonstration that high welfare farming is profitable and sustainable.

There are many benefits to ensuring animal welfare. For example:

• moderate-scale, humane farms with local supply chains create and retain jobs locally and contribute to food security;
• high welfare farms often require fewer inputs of feed, fuel and water. They also keep animals at lower stocking densities reducing the risk of pollution and spread of diseases;
• well-managed farms combining crops and livestock go a long way toward reducing the environmental damage caused by livestock by recycling nutrients and enhancing soil fertility;
• good animal health and welfare can reduce costs and raise profits for farmers.

Make cruelty history

High welfare farms are already keeping animals in conditions close to their natural environment by: 

• farming slower-growing and traditional breeds who suffer from fewer health problems than conventionally–used, fast-growing breeds;
• allowing animals to express their normal behaviors and thereby prevent the need for mutilations such as tooth-clipping;
• providing animals with more space to move and exercise.
  

Humanely-raised animals live longer, healthier and more active lives. The great benefits of higher welfare farming are being recognized in legislation. Starting in 2012, the use of barren “battery” cages for egg-laying hens will be banned in the European Union (EU) and a ban on the prolonged use of sow stalls follows in 2013.

But there is much more to be done – the majority of animals still live and die on factory farms.

Help us to end factory farming

Many farmers are already raising animals more humanely and producing higher welfare meat, milk and eggs.

By supporting them you can send a message to the farming industry: factory farming is no longer accepted. High welfare farming methods can be profitable.

By changing our habits as consumers, we can make the suffering caused by factory farming a thing of the past.