On Martinique 2030, we reported on the efforts led by CIWF (Compassion in World Farming) to improve the living conditions of farm animals. As the year draws to a close, numerous significant advances are bringing joy to activists and animal welfare advocates.
But let’s take a look back at the history of this collective, which has now become an international NGO… CIWF was founded in 1967 by a dairy farmer, Peter Roberts, and his wife Anna, who were concerned about the growing disconnect between modern livestock farming, animal welfare, and the environment. “At a time when cages, pens, and, more generally, intensive farming systems were becoming standard practice, Peter shared his concerns with established animal welfare organizations. Seeing that they were not prepared to address the issue in their campaigns, he organized a meeting at his home, around his kitchen table. At that meeting, and with the help of a few friends, he founded CIWF.”
From humble beginnings to an international following (present in France only since 2009), CIWF’s mission is to promote livestock farming practices that respect the well-being of farm animals, humans, and the planet, and to end intensive livestock farming. Through a cross-cutting approach to the issue of intensive livestock farming, the NGO “highlights the close links between animal welfare, public health, food safety, and environmental issues.”
And as the year draws to a close, following numerous coordinated campaigns and petitions—primarily in Europe—it has achieved significant progress, such as the “animal welfare” labeling initiative. In late 2018, CIWF launched the first animal welfare labeling initiative in France in collaboration with the Casino Group, the OABA, and the LFDA. Since then, other organizations have joined the effort, including Les fermiers de Loué. It is now possible to find labeled chicken in any store in France! Learn more >>
It was also a major victory before the European Commission, as the NGO succeeded in collecting 1.6 million signatures against cage farming! “Our greatest source of pride this year was successfully collecting 1.6 million signatures against cages. This exceptional figure makes this European Citizens” Initiative the fifth in history to reach the one million signatures required by European authorities. This victory belongs to every person who signed the ECI and mobilized their friends and family, as well as to the 170 European organizations that joined forces for this campaign. This is a victory for all of us—those who want alternative farming methods, who care about animal welfare, respect for the environment, and the living conditions of farmers and consumers.” Learn more >>
If we were to measure the level of our civilization by the way it produces its food… it would certainly be considered the worst human civilization that has ever existed on Earth!
The dawn of 2020 may mark the beginning of a new awareness.
Nathalie Laulé
