Farm animal cruelty
From painful mutilations to rough handling and slaughter at a young age – animals on factory farms suffer on many levels.
Animals in farming
More than 80 billion land-based farm animals are eaten every year. Most are cruelly confined to industrial, low-welfare food systems.
Factory Farming
Image credit: Misssheep
Factory farming does not just inflict unimaginable suffering on billions of animals, but the intensive and cruel methods also lead to the destruction of habitats and release climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
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How factory farming is funded
Factory farming operations are typically financed by banks and investors, who allocate resources to industries that yield maximum profits.
Live export
Despite years of public opposition and calls for change, Australia remains a significant player in the cruel live export industry.
Environmental impact
Intensive animal agriculture causes billions of animals to suffer annually, and also causes significant harm to the environment.
Public health
Approximately three-quarters of the world’s antibiotics are used in animals, most of which are living in miserable and unsanitary conditions on factory farms.
Your food
Image credit: Edgar Castrejon / Unsplash
Your food choices can have a big impact on your health, the planet and farm animal welfare. Not only are plant-based options healthy and delicious, but they are also sustainable, and kinder to animals.
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Eat plant based
Consuming more plant-based protein and fewer animal products can have a big impact on your health, the planet and farm animal welfare.
Food labels
Reading meat and other animal product labels can be tricky because they may not always be clear. And sometimes, they are deliberately made this way.
Independent Office of Animal Welfare
Millions of Australian animals on factory farms are forced to endure horrific cruelty during their short lives followed by slaughter because of inadequate laws and standards. To end their needless suffering, it is vital to create an Independent Office of Animal Welfare (IOAW) that will ensure the humane treatment of our animals.
Right now, existing laws and standards are still allowing for systemic cruelty to be inflicted on Australian farm animals with some standards and codes not being mandatory, some continuing to allow abhorrent cruelty and some not being enforced.
On top of this, the Government dismantled the national framework for animal welfare in 2013. They also went on to defund the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy and disband the advisory body for consultation on animal welfare policy.
Image credit: JoAnne McArthur / We Animals Media
Without national leadership, progress on animal welfare continues to slip behind other nations like New Zealand and the UK on their national commitment to animal welfare, which is why we need the Government to provide leadership and re-establish national frameworks to drive progress and reform in this area.
The Australian Alliance for Animals has proposed a 6-point #FairGoForAnimals reform framework for creating a more balanced and independent animal welfare governance system in Australia, which we strongly endorse.
By creating a dedicated IOAW that would advise, consult, lead and coordinate our country, states, territories, and communities to better protect and care for our animals, we will be able to create a more balanced and independent animal welfare governance system in Australia.
Together, we have been campaigning for an IOAW since 2013, and with you by our side, we won’t stop until every animal in Australia and around the world has a life free from cruelty and suffering.
Stopping the suffering of farm animals by:
- Moving governments and global bodies to improve regulations to protect animals
- Influencing debates that will shape the future of world farming.
- Building public opposition to factory farming by exposing factory farming's contribution to antimicrobial resistance and pandemic risks
- Influencing financial Institutions adopt our sustainable farming policies
- Reducing demand for food from factory farms by moving people to switch to plant-based products
- Exposing the negative impacts of animal feed production and trade to build opposition to factory farming.
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