The situation was so dire that the zoo cut nine dolphins’ daily food rations by a whopping 60%, and one dolphin lost more than 100 pounds. These intelligent, social animals should not even be in tanks to begin with, and the fact that they were forced to endure additional cruelty is terrifying.
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), addressed the attendees of COP27 this morning to call for a Global Agreement on Food and Farming, as part of a new campaign they’re calling the ‘End of the Line for Factory Farming’.
Their goal? To ‘bring factory farming and high meat consumption to the end of the line once and for all’.
It’s an ambition we share. At Eurogroup for Animals, we’ve been lobbying to reduce meat consumption by 70% by 2030 in the EU/UK, as well as for food system transformation that shifts away from industrial agriculture to agroecology: a farming system in which nature is respected and high animal welfare standards are prioritised.
CIWF’s amazing initiative is therefore one that we’re delighted to support… and it’s off to a powerful start. Representatives from the NGO called on policymakers today at this year’s global climate conference to take action urgently, with evidence showing that intensive farming systems pose a huge threat to the planet.
A leading source of suffering for farm animals across the world – not to mention a key driver of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation – industrial farming systems are at the heart of significant issues that world leaders can no longer afford to ignore.
Use your voice: call for the end of intensive farming systems
A report commissioned by CIWF last month, covering 13 UN regions and surveying over 14,000 participants, indicates that an overwhelming majority of the public has a negative view of factory farming. Among other things, they believe that industrial systems put profit ahead of:
“The science is clear that we need to reduce the number of animals farmed and eat more plant-based products if we are to have a chance to limit global warming to 1.5°C,” says our Political Adviser for Food Policy, Camilla Björkbom. “Ending factory farms is also important for the sake of animals themselves, as they suffer greatly within them. We need a farming system which focuses much more on plants, and respects the needs of all animals.”
We’re excited to help this movement grow. Will you be a part of it?
FOUR PAWS conducted the first ever survey in Ukraine on the welfare of companion animals during the war, to help mobilise support for shelters and volunteers in the country. 670 respondents took part in the survey, which revealed that the biggest problems are abandonment of pets, unsterilised animals living on the streets, and a lack of food for pets, strays and shelter animals.
FOUR PAWS carried out the survey to find out where its support is most needed.
The organisations’ local Stray Animal Care team has been active in Ukraine for the past ten years. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 FOUR PAWS, in coalition with other organisations, helped establish UPAW for efficient delivery of humanitarian aid to animals. Despite the challenging logistics in the country, 130 staff and volunteers of UPAW managed to distribute 944 tons of humanitarian cargo to animals over 8 months of their work.
UPAW is delivering aid based on the urgency of the need: the regions close to the combat zone, temporarily occupied and liberated by Ukrainian Armed Forces, are the areas of priority. But UPAW also covers the rest of the Ukrainian territory, where many animals were evacuated to. In addition to pet food aid, UPAW also distributes veterinary drugs to clinics, supports spay and neuter campaigns, and runs fundraising campaigns for the shelters in Ukraine.
Unfortunately, in-kind donations UPAW receives from international NGOs have decreased in recent months compared to February and March 2022. They are struggling to fill their warehouses, yet the many needs of animals in Ukraine continue to grow because of the prolonged war.
World Animals Voice 