Mr Doherty, a pig farmer from Suffolk, was awarded the Elsie MJ Evans bronze award at the RSPCA Honours ceremony.

He has significantly raised the profile of the plight of farm animals through his campaigning and educational television programmes, says the RSPCA.

He fronted a major campaign to get shoppers to accept higher welfare rose veal on to their plates and was the driving force in getting one of the country’s leading supermarkets, Tesco, to stock it. Through his programme Jimmy and the Giant Supermarket he also persuaded Tesco to produce higher welfare versions of their most popular meat products such as chicken kievs and sausages.

Dr James Yeates, the RSPCA’s Chief Veterinary Officer, said: “Jimmy has been on our screens for over ten years, highlighting the realities of pig farming through his own business Jimmy’s Farm and reminding the British public of how meat gets to our plates in Jimmy Doherty’s farming Heroes.

He is an experienced farmer, knows the industry very well and last year he supported a campaign to tell shoppers about higher welfare rose veal and got Tesco to stock it.

“The process of farming and meat production is still a challenging and complex issue and one that the RSPCA continues to be involved in and finds solutions for but there is much more that can and should be done.”

The Elsie MJ Evans bronze award is given in recognition of an important contribution to animal welfare or an act of outstanding kindness or bravery.

Jimmy Doherty said: “It’s a great honour to be given an award by the RSPCA. I am passionate about welfare and believe that farm animals deserve good lives from farm to fork.”

Channel 5 newsreader and former GMTV presenter, Emma Crosby, who presented the award, said: “By hugely increasing the profile of issues surrounding the welfare of farm animals and working with the big supermarkets Jimmy has helped give shoppers the opportunity to show they don’t just feel strongly about welfare when it comes to their pets at home but also with cows, sheep, pigs and poultry too. This is a huge and important step in improving the wellbeing of farm animals across the country.”

The RSPCA has been presenting awards for about 150 years. This year, The Honours includes awards for special merit and ability amongst the charity’s inspectors; humanitarian awards for those who have made an outstanding contribution in the field of animal welfare; and awards for special investigations.