The latest Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW), released recently, shows strong levels of commitment to higher farm animal welfare standards are in place across the world’s largest food companies, but the pace of implementation remains slow across global supply chains.
BBFAW is the world’s leading annual assessment of the food industry’s farm animal welfare policies, practices and performance, assessing 149 global food companies. The programme is supported by partners Compassion in World Farming and FOUR PAWS.
The food companies with the highest overall ranking this year (achieving ‘Tier 2’) are Marks & Spencer, Premier Foods, Waitrose and Greggs PLC, with eight companies moving up one tier. A full table of results is included in notes to editor.
This year’s benchmark results demonstrate significant levels of commitment to farm animal welfare and some encouraging progress including:
- 69% of companies with eggs in their supply chains (96 of 139 companies) have targets to eliminate cages for laying hens.
- 71% of companies with eggs in their supply chains (98 of 139 companies) are reporting progress toward achieving cage-free eggs, up from 67% in 2024
- 15% of companies with eggs in their supply chains (21 of 139 companies) now source at least some eggs from supply chains where male chicks are not culled at one day-old, up from 9% last year.
- 13% of companies with pigs in their supply chains (17 of 136 companies) have targets to phase out farrowing crates (metal enclosures that prevent sows from turning around), up from 9% last year.
In total, 8 companies moved up one tier this year: Amazon/Whole Foods Market, Asda (Bellis Topco Ltd), Groupe Casino, Hilton Food Group, Maple leaf Foods, MBRF, New Hope Liuhe, WH Group.
While 11 companies fell by one tier: Arla Foods, Campbell Soup Company, Danish Crown, Darden Restaurants, General Mills Inc, JD Wetherspoon, Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, Premium Food Group, Sysco Corporation, Unilever NV, Woolworths Limited
Slow pace of implementation
This year’s results mark the third since BBFAW introduced its more stringent Impact Rating (from ‘A’ to ‘F’) which assesses whether the company is delivering meaningful welfare improvements on the ground – such as using cage-free or lower stocking density systems. The results highlight some improving companies, but also that much more needs to be done to increase standards globally:
- The three companies with the highest Impact Rating (‘B’) this year were Fonterra, Marks & Spencer and Premier Foods.
- Five companies – Asda (Bellis Topco Ltd), ALDI (ALDI South Group), Cranswick PLC, Hilton Food Group and LDC Groupe – improved their Impact Rating this year.
- For a second consecutive year, almost 90% of companies (135 companies) received the lowest Impact Ratings of ‘E’ or ‘F’ – indicating limited or no evidence of putting higher welfare commitments in place for farm animals on the ground in their operations and/or supply chains.
The benchmark also shows where companies are slow to implement animal welfare commitments. For example:
- Of the 96 companies that have set a cage-free target for laying hens, only 33 of these targets are universal in scope, covering all products and geographies; and only 17 of these 96 companies have succeeded in eliminating cages from 100% of their supply chain.
- Of the 39 companies committed to the Better Chicken Commitment – an NGO-developed set of welfare requirements for broiler chickens – only 4 report that a substantial portion of their supply chain meets its three core requirements of lower stocking densities, slower-growing breeds and humane slaughter.
Nicky Amos, Executive Director of the BBFAW said:
“This year’s benchmark results show that while many companies have set a course for a food system that is more compassionate, resilient and fit for the future, progress remains slow. That puts not just farm animals at risk, but also consumers and investors.
“Public ambition on animal welfare issues like cage free eggs is strong, but the BBFAW research shows few companies translate that into comprehensive action across global food supply chains. Leading companies’ efforts need to be backed by effective policy and market incentives that reward those businesses delivering higher standards of farm animal welfare.”
Philip Lymbery, Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming International, said:
“Phasing out cages is a vital first step toward transforming our food system, and companies with cage-free commitments now have a real opportunity to turn those promises into meaningful progress — progress that will deliver better lives for millions of animals.
“Industrial agriculture has pushed natural systems to their limits, but by moving away from factory farming, companies can help restore soils, protect water, reduce antibiotic use, cut emissions, and support biodiversity.
“The wellbeing of animals, people, and the planet is deeply interconnected, and a One Health approach recognises that improving animal welfare strengthens the foundations of our shared future. It’s a strategic investment in long-term sustainability and when companies act for animals, they help safeguard the future for us all.”
Luciana D’Abramo, Chief Programme Officer at FOUR PAWS, said:
“Animals are sentient beings, and we owe them not only a better life, but recognition that their wellbeing is inseparable from human health, food security, and the future of our planet. Yet millions of animals are still trapped in cages, unable to move freely or express even their most basic natural behaviours. While many companies have pledged to go cage-free, progress remains slow – only 18% have fully delivered. For these animals, every delay means another day of needless suffering.
“Consumers and investors increasingly expect food systems that treat animals with respect while protecting people and the planet. The leaders in the benchmark demonstrate that this balance is achievable. There is no such thing as a sustainable food system without animal welfare – this means fewer farmed animals in better systems and a real shift to alternative proteins.”
Other findings in this year’s BBFAW include:
- French and Brazilian companies demonstrated the strongest improvement in 2025. French companies in particular advanced broiler welfare commitments. UK companies are the best overall country performers.
- Latin America companies outperformed Asian, European and North American companies on farm animal welfare performance for the first time. The region includes some of the world’s largest meat producers like MBRF, Minerva and JBS.
- Asia Pacific is the poorest performing region, with nearly all companies in the bottom two tiers. 43% (9 companies) of Asia Pacific companies have not published an overarching animal welfare policy (15% globally).
- North America companies are the second poorest performers overall and have the lowest scores of all the regions on Farm Animal Welfare Performance Impact.
- Protein transition: UK companies achieved an average score of 29% for their efforts to reduce reliance on animal-sourced foods, compared to a global average of 11%. Three UK firms (Hilton Food Group, Waitrose and Greggs PLC) rank highest for producing protein transition products and policies as a pathway to mitigate welfare, environmental and climate risk.
- Antibiotics: Only 40% of companies (60 companies) have commitments in place to end prophylactic and routine metaphylactic antibiotic use – despite the risk of surging antibiotic resistance.
- Other species and issue specific results:
- Dairy cows: 21% of companies with dairy cows in their supply chains (29 of 141 companies), have set time-bound targets to eliminate tethering (where cows are bound to a single spot and cannot roam).
- Pigs: 11% of companies with pigs in their supply chains (15 of 136 companies) have set time-bound targets to end the use of gestation crates/sow stalls, up from 9% in 2024. 13% of companies have public targets to phase out farrowing crates, up from 9% last year.
- Salmon: 25% of farmed salmon companies report that at least some salmon are stun-killed, up from 23% in 2024
- Close confinement: 74% of companies have a commitment to ending close confinement, down from 77% last year
- Humane slaughter: 53% of companies have a commitment to ensure humane stunning and slaughter, down from 56% last year.
- Long-term improvements: Overall average scores in 2025 have remained at 18% for a second year, rising from 16% in 2022. The number of companies with the lowest (F) Impact Rating continued to fall for the third consecutive year, declining from 129 companies in 2022, to 122 in 2024, and 120 this year
The full report is available here
