Animal Welfare Policy

This Policy sets out the baseline standards and commitments for Farmers Choice on Animal Welfare.
We believe that having a good Animal Welfare management system is an important part of our business and forms part of our technical strategy to continually improve on the standards within our production and supply chain.

We recognize our responsibility to work with our suppliers to ensure that they are also committed to the best practice in Animal Welfare while supporting continuous improvement in welfare standards. We also aim to ensure that supplier performance against this policy is continually measured, monitored and improved where necessary.

1. Policy Statement

As the leading regional pig producer, Farmers Choice is committed to the well-being of all the animals in our supply chain. We believe that proper animal care practices are based on both science and ethical obligations and values. This belief stems from our responsibility towards our customers and the environment as stated in Mission and Sustainability.

We aspire to produce products from animals that are treated according to established Animal Welfare standards hence we expect our suppliers to be committed to upholding good animal welfare practices and to strive for continuous improvement. We will not tolerate animal abuse or neglect within our production and supply chain. We shall regularly review and modify our policies with the guidance of a third-party panel of scientific experts.

2. Scope

Our Animal Welfare policy predominantly applies to the entire pig value chain, from breeding, rearing and fattening to transportation and slaughtering. It also applicable to all animal products sourced locally and internationally hence it is universal for all relevant species including, but not limited to: pork, beef, lamb, poultry and fish. We also adopt a clear position regarding environmental issues relating to the production of animal raw materials.
This Policy provides a framework to:

1. ensure the ethical, humane and responsible treatment of animals within our production and supply chain and
2. ensure that we comply with all relevant national, regional and global Animal Welfare policies, statutes, codes, regulations, guidelines and standards.

3. Our Guiding Principles

We support the principles of good animal welfare based on the definitions of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE): “Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives and dies. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and appropriate veterinary treatment, shelter, management and nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter or killing. Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment”

We believe in the following guiding principles for good animal welfare:

• Animal Handling and Husbandry: Personnel should be adequately trained in practices that promote good animal welfare and carry out routine husbandry practices in a way that minimizes pain and distress.
• Feed and Water: Animals should receive water and quality feed on a regular schedule that meets their nutritional requirements for good health.
• Genetics and Breed Selection: Breeds should be selected for both the environment/climate and the system in which they are bred.
• Health: Animal health needs (including euthanasia) should be attended to in a prudent and responsible manner by knowledgeable personnel.
• Housing Systems: Animal housing should be designed, constructed, maintained and operated in a manner that minimizes and prevents animal distress or injury.
• Transport and Slaughter: The processes and facilities for loading, transporting, unloading and slaughter should be designed, constructed and maintained so as to permit proper handling of animals and prevent increased risk of injuries and minimize animal distress.

4. Policy Requirements

All animal protein supplied to Farmers Choice must meet national, regional and global legislation and adhere to the principles of the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) Five Freedoms for animal welfare[1]. These state that, at all times, producers/farmers have a duty of care to ensure that animals are:

• Free from hunger and thirst: animals must have access to fresh water and a diet to maintain their full health and vigor
• Free from discomfort: providing an appropriate environment, including shelter and a comfortable resting area
• Free from pain, injury or disease: ensuring the prevention of illnesses, rapid diagnosis and treatment
• Free to express normal behavior: providing sufficient space, proper facilities, and company of the animal’s own kind
• Free from fear and distress: ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering

We strongly encourage our suppliers to adhere to national and global Animal Welfare standards, regulations and guidelines while focusing on animal welfare and good husbandry techniques.

5. Commitments

We are also committed to ensuring that we:

• Review the animal welfare policy on an annual basis and whenever necessary and appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with suppliers to improve animal welfare standards where our support is needed and appropriate.
• Cease trading with suppliers demonstrating persistent disregard for the animal welfare policy.
• No illegal animal welfare or husbandry systems are in use throughout our supply chain.
• There is no genetic engineering or cloning of animals used in Farmers Choice products.
• Use animal feed, particularly soya, obtained from responsible sources while pursuing a zero-deforestation strategy.
• Animals are always provided with the appropriate veterinary care when needed, medicines will only be used where it is absolutely necessary to ensure good health and welfare, and substances such as growth promoter hormones will never be used.
• Our suppliers constantly monitor the use of antibiotics in their husbandry systems to reduce the amount of medicines used in the future.
• The veterinary controls and use of farm level medication are in line with all relevant legislation and regulations in Kenya.
• All meat used in our products is humanely slaughtered, specifically requiring pre-slaughter stunning.
• No farrowing crates and stalls and tethers are used for breeding sows.
• Routine mutilation is avoided wherever possible and only to be carried out in exceptional circumstances for therapeutic purposes by a qualified veterinarian. These include, but are not limited to:
  • Tooth clipping – to protect injuries to protect sows’ udders and other pigs.
  • Tail docking – to prevent injuries to pigs through tail biting
  • Castration
• From 2030, we will require our poultry suppliers to meet the following European Broiler Ask requirements for 100% of the fresh, frozen, and processed chicken in our supply chain:
  • Comply with all EU animal welfare laws and regulations, regardless of the country of production.
  • Implement a maximum stocking density of 30kg/m2 or less. Thinning is discouraged and if practiced must be limited to one thin per flock.
  • Adopt breeds that demonstrate higher welfare outcomes: either the following breeds, Hubbard JA757, 787, 957, or 987, Rambler Ranger, Ranger Classic, and Ranger Gold, or others that meet the criteria of the RSPCA Broiler Breed Welfare Assessment Protocol.
    • At least 50 lux of light, including natural light.
    • At least two metres of usable perch space, and two pecking substrates, per 1,000 birds.
    • On air quality, at least the requirements of Annex 2.3 of the EU broiler directive, regardless of stocking density.
  • Adopt controlled atmospheric stunning using inert gas or multi-phase systems, or effective electrical stunning without live inversion.
  • Demonstrate compliance with the above standards via third-party auditing and annual public reporting on progress towards this commitment.

6. Implementation

As a form of good practice, we shall keep records of all meat suppliers and systematically monitor the performance of relevant suppliers through direct communication, site audits, desk-based certification review and, where relevant, third-party verification.

As part of the implementation and review of this Policy our suppliers are required to:

• Demonstrate traceability and legality of all meat and fish/seafood sources.
• Provide documentary evidence confirming certification to a farm assurance system where possible.
• Ensure our representatives, including third party auditors are given uninhibited access to sites used to produce goods supplied to us and that all documentation is accurate and complete.
• Accurately and transparently communicate when these standards are not being met or are unlikely to be met and when support is required to meet these standards.
• In collaboration with farmers, ensure that legal compliance on animal welfare standards is maintained at all times.

7. Accountability

• Accountable Officer; General Manager
• Responsible Officer; Veterinary Officer in Charge