Companies that made contributions to animal welfare in 2024
The Animal Welfare Awards (AWA) is an initiative to express gratitude towards companies in Japan that have taken steps towards animal welfare, recognizing that Japan has been lagging behind the rest of the world in addressing animal welfare issues in livestock and aquaculture. It aims to acknowledge and appreciate companies annually from April 2023 to March 2024.
Evaluated from the perspective of the Animal Rights Center, which works to protect Japan’s livestock animals, efforts that were deemed to have the greatest impact were considered.
Chickens
Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Shortly after identifying animal welfare issues in livestock through its Ethical Communication Report in 2016, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. convened a roundtable of experts to establish procurement policies and ensure the traceability of livestock products. These efforts were publicly disclosed. Furthermore, they continued their efforts, and in 2023, they announced their approach to sourcing chicken eggs, subsequently launching mayonnaise made from free-range eggs the same year. Their steadfast commitment to animal welfare without underestimating its importance is highly appreciated.
Mothers Co., Ltd. (Shiraoi Tamago no Sato)
Mothers Co., Ltd. made the decision to transition all of its chickens to free-range farming following a major outbreak of bird flu. While one out of three chicken houses was already using free-range methods, the company decided to convert the other two buildings as well to free-range systems. Approximately 40,000 chickens are expected to be freed from cages in 2024. Their reconsideration of the relationship between chickens and humans and their prompt decision to transition all chicken houses are commendable.
Fish
Maruha Nichiro Corporation
In the fiscal year 2023, Maruha Nichiro Corporation rapidly initiated efforts towards animal welfare and publicly disclosed their progress. Particularly, their initiative to reduce stocking density by 10% is expected to have a positive impact on future efforts towards animal welfare in aquaculture. They were recognized for disclosing information, including their ongoing initiatives to enhance their value in the society.
Concrete Goals Needed for Animal Welfare
Many major and mid-sized companies now have procurement policies for animal welfare, and meat-producing companies with production departments have developed their own guidelines for animal welfare considerations. There have been significant changes that we would have no idea we could achieve just three years ago. However, challenges remain unresolved. The current situation is that the impact of animal husbandry on animals themselves has yet to be fully addressed. The next step is to set concrete goals to truly benefit animals. In the fiscal year 2024, we hope to see companies taking significant steps recognized by the international community.
We would like to express our gratitude once again to the award-winning companies as well as all the companies that have considered and acted upon raising animal welfare.
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