This year, we stepped up the campaign to protect your historic EU victory against caged farming.

After the European Commission announced, in June 2021, that it would propose legislation to phase out caged farming for 300 million animals a year, the factory farming industry began intense lobbying against a cage ban.

So, we commissioned a report which showed farmers could get funding to move away from cages; and released a shocking new investigation into the suffering of caged pigs to build public pressure against this cruelty.

What's next?

With your support:

• We’ll continue to hold the European Commission to its commitment to draft legislation to phase out caged farming; and we’ll work to help convince individual EU Member States to back a cage ban.
• In the face of a new legal challenge from pork producers, Compassion USA will continue fighting, alongside other animal welfare organisations, to ensure California’s ban on caged farming is upheld.

Early in 2022, a 900,000-signature petition led by Compassion, Four Paws and WeMove brought the huge citizen movement against live animal exports to the fore.

Then, over 130 organisations across 45 countries united for Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day. And, in the UK, a Great British live export ban remains on the cards, after the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was carried over intact to the current Parliamentary session.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is re-examining EU live transport rules, and MEPs can be in no doubt that their electorate demands an end to this cruel, needless trade.

What's next?

With your support:

• We’ll maintain pressure on the new UK Government to keep the promises made by the previous Government – in particular the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill – to demand progress through Parliament and a Great British ban on live export.
• We’ll keep on challenging European legislation to include a ban on exporting farmed animals for fattening or slaughter outside the EU.

On 28 January 2022, new EU legislation – that you helped secure – came into force: it’s now illegal for farmers to use antibiotics routinely to prevent disease in healthy groups of animals, or to compensate for poor husbandry or hygiene. This represents major progress in the fight to stop vital medicines being misused to prop-up unhealthy, inhumane factory farming.

What's next?

With your support:

• We’ll help secure full implementation of the EU ban on the routine use of antibiotics on farms, and continue to campaign for equivalent UK legislation.

In April, a five-year, hard-fought campaign led by Compassion supporters achieved its goal: recognition in UK law that animals can experience pain, suffering and joy.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act reinstates vital protection for animals that were lost after Brexit. It also goes further than EU legislation by establishing an independent Animal Sentience Committee to scrutinise Government policies. 

The Act acknowledges the ability of vertebrate animals, plus lobsters, octopuses and crabs, to think and feel. A huge breakthrough in the battle to protect their welfare.

What's next?

With your support:

• We’ll campaign to get the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) criteria reflected in EU law and national policies.

After our ground-breaking report on octopus factory farming achieved a 2.5 billion potential reach in the media, we stepped up pressure against plans for the world’s first commercial octopus farm in Spain.

And, with the European Commission reviewing farmed animal legislation, over 50,000 people have already signed our petition calling for stronger rules to protect the welfare of around one billion farmed fish each year.

What's next?

With your support:

• We’ll highlight the damaging dependency of aquaculture on feed made from wild-caught fish, and push for all aspects of farmed fish welfare to be properly addressed in EU animal welfare Directives.

What's next?

With your support:

• We’ll continue to help build the grassroots movement for farmed animals in Japan, Indonesia and South Korea through our Asia regranting programme.