XIII WPC Report: "McDonald's leading on Farm Animal Welfare" - Professor John Webster
AUSTRALIA - Professor John Webster a keynote speaker at the World's Poultry Congress and often outspoken critic of the animal welfare standard's of the world's livestock industries identified McDonald's as leading the way with their support for the development of higher welfare standards for farm animals.
3 July 2008
2 minute read
Prof Webster highlighted McDonald's work with free range poultry in the EU and their willingness to support sustainable farming and research initiatives to help bring about improvements.
Prof Webster who led the 50 strong animal welfare research group at Bristol University in England believes that the pace of change is starting quicken as consumers around the world press harder for change and for a more visible process of continuous improvement.
Prof Webster states that farm animal welfare has improved over the last 30 years, and identified the willingness of major international retailers such as Tesco, Waitrose and others to pay a premium for milk produced to higher standard as tangible evidence of the best approach to progress, using properly audited quality schemes and codes or practise to quantify higher standards and to demonstrate to consumers that these are being delivered.
Prof Webster is a founder member of the Farm Animal Welfare Council and first propounded the 'Five Freedoms' which have since gained widespread international recognition as the core components of good animal welfare in domesticated animals.
