Woolworths reviewing use of farm animal welfare benchmark

MAJOR Australian grocery store Woolworths is reviewing its use of the Enterprise Benchmark for Farm Animal Welfare to measure its efficiency towards different retailers.

Sheep Central on Thursday reported on a call for Australia’s major supermarkets to dissociate themselves from the benchmark as a consequence of its proposal to rank meals firms on commitments to scale back their reliance on animal protein.

The benchmark’s animal rights centric companions Compassion in World Farming and FourPaws Worldwide have proposed the inclusion of recent questions within the BBFAW evaluation standards that will allow the rating of firms on any commitments to lowering reliance on animal-sourced meals.

Nonetheless, a Woolworths spokesperson informed Sheep Central the corporate was not aligned to targets for lowered livestock manufacturing and remained dedicated to assembly ongoing demand for high quality Australian meat now, and properly into the long run.

“We’re investing in long-term partnerships with producers to make that doable.

“Following a variety of adjustments to its evaluation standards, we’re at present reviewing our use of the Enterprise Benchmark for Farm Animal Welfare to measure our efficiency towards different retailers,” the spokesperson stated.

Woolworths’ evaluation of the just lately launched proposed updates to the BBFAW methodology is at present underway, and its suggestions has not but been submitted to BBFAW. Woolworths doesn’t have a partnership with BBFAW.

The BBFAW selects firms to evaluate primarily based on publicly accessible info. It independently selects retailers throughout the globe for its benchmarking program and retailers reminiscent of Woolworths shouldn’t have the choice to choose out.

Coles and Woolworths have been contacted about their future BBFAW intentions inside a context of the benchmark together with evaluation standards on animal-based protein meals reliance.