Nestlé and six other food companies (Aramark, Compass Group, Elior Group, IKEA Food Services, Nestlé, Sodexo and Unilever), have joined forces through the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare (GCAW) to advance animal welfare standards throughout the global food supply chain.

GCAW is claimed to be the world’s first global food industry-led collaboration uniting significant companies and animal welfare experts working towards improving the standard for animals at scale to meet consumer demand for food products from animals reared in systems that promote good welfare.

According to the GCAW website, the collaboration is a global platform uniting significant companies and animal welfare experts in advancing animal welfare standards throughout the global food supply chain.

Founded by seven member companies, GCAW represents some of the most significant names in global food production and food service. With combined revenues of €139 billion (US$165 billion), and serving 3.7 billion customers per day, these companies have launched the Coalition to address systemic barriers to improving animal welfare collectively, accelerate the development of standards and drive progress on key welfare issues.

GCAW has identified five priority work streams including cage-free policies, improved broiler chicken welfare, farmed fish welfare, antimicrobial resistance, and global standards for transportation and slaughter.

Over 70 billion animals are farmed for food annually
The GCAW is the world’s first food industry-led initiative aimed at advancing animal welfare globally. Launched this month, the global platform unites major companies and animal welfare experts in improving animal welfare standards at scale and in meeting consumer demand for food products from animals reared in systems that promote good welfare.

Over 70 percent of the world’s 70 billion farm animals live in intensive systems, often in conditions wher they are unable to move freely or behave naturally. The treatment of farm animals and the nature of the production systems in which they are reared is not only an ethical issue but one that connects to other topics such as food safety, human health and antimicrobial resistance, as well as environmental issues such as carbon emissions, water supply and land use.

By building relationships with like-minded stakeholders, Nestlé says it is joining efforts to collectively address current systemic barriers to change, share best practices as well as accelerate the development of standards and progress on key welfare issues.

GCAW aims to publish a collective action agenda in 2019, focusing on five priority work streams, including cage-free policies and improved broiler chicken welfare.

Nestlé’s involvement within GCAW builds on its existing commitment on farm animal welfare.

GCAW will advance animal welfare through:

• Providing a platform for food companies to work more closely with farm animal welfare experts to identify common objectives and drive improvements;
• Prioritizing welfare issues and developing roadmaps for industry change while supporting producers in implementing strong animal welfare practices.
• Advancing animal welfare knowledge globally through industry insights, bespoke research and partnerships for action.

Last year Nestlé announced that it would source cage-free eggs only as ingredients for all its food products globally by 2025.