HISTORY OF THE INITIATIVE
OPERATING PROCESS
Associative initiative
Associative initiative
HISTORY OF THE INITIATIVE
OPERATING PROCESS
Association Étiquette Bien-Être Animal in a few words
In February 2017, four stakeholders, three French animal welfare NGOs (CIWF, LFDA, OABA) and a retailer (Casino), decided to launch a joint initiative to assess animal welfare. They were convinced of the utter importance of consumer information on animal welfare to contribute to improving the rearing conditions of animals, and thus developed the Étiquette Bien-Être Animal scheme. This collective initiative is supervised on a daily basis by Association Étiquette Bien-Être Animal and convenes representatives from the entire food industry and key animal welfare stakeholders. They collaborate to work on its application, deployment and promotion via Association Étiquette Bien-Être Animal. This pioneering initiative, unique in France, provides a thorough assessment of how an animal is treated and kept over the course of its life:
- It is based on species-specific technical standards.
- It combines obligations of means and results partially based on direct observation of the animals.
- Every operator (parent stock farm, rearing farm, transporter, slaughterhouse) is audited at least once a year by qualified third-party auditors.
- The result is displayed as a 5-level scale, ranging from minimum standards to higher levels of animal welfare. It summarizes the relevant farming method.
Technical and labeling guidelines are drawn up by a technical committee dedicated to each labeled sector (broiler, pork, etc.). These committees are made up of members of the Étiquette Bien-Être Animal association and other stakeholders* (scientists, veterinarians, agricultural professionals, etc.).
Each committee regularly gathers to review the auditing framework and check its consistency. It also takes into account comments from various stakeholders (scientists, inspection bodies, etc.).
*The standards dedicated to broiler chicken benefited from work carried out by the within the ‘Ouest Territoire d'Élevage’ laboratory for territorial innovation, supported by INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment.
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THE FOUNDERS
CIWF (Compassion in World Farming) was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer in reaction to the development of intensive factory farming. CIWF's mission is to encourage animal welfare-friendly farming practices and to provide sustainable alternatives to intensive livestock farming. Its multidisciplinary initiative has highlighted the close links between animal welfare, public health, food safety and environmental impacts. CIWF supports food industry stakeholders in their efforts to improve the welfare of farm animals, through its technical expertise and the promotion of commitments through dedicated Farm Animal Welfare Awards.
OABA (Œuvre d'assistance aux bêtes d'abattoirs) was founded in 1961 and recognized as beneficial to the general public in 1965. The NGO was the first to specialize in farm animal protection. In 1964, it obtained the publication of the French decree making stunning at slaughter compulsory. OABA fights against animal abuse and promotes responsible consumption in favour of animal welfare. It audits slaughterhouses to check compliance with animal protection rules and to improve conditions of animal slaughter. These audits are carried out by veterinarians. OABA's missions also include the rescue of abused or abandoned livestock.
Groupe Casino and its Monoprix chain were the first retailers to stop selling eggs from caged hens, first under retailer-brand, then under French brands. This commitment will be extended to all its sites in France by 2020, and to the marketing of products incorporating eggs as ingredients by 2025. The group has also set up a program to monitor slaughter conditions in its French supply chain in terms of animal protection.
LFDA (La Fondation droit animal, éthique et sciences) was founded 40 years ago to advance the status of animals through scientific progress and legal evolution. It is recognized as beneficial to the general public and works with the French and European public authorities. LFDA advocates for the labelling of food products to control farming and slaughtering conditions and to inform consumers. It promotes the replacement of animals in laboratory experiments. It also initiates conferences and publications, and takes part in research project to enhance knowledge and species conservation.
INVOLVED STAKEHOLDERS
