Aldi: “Different” but not in a “Good” way
News
When it comes to providing information on farm animal welfare to consumers, Aldi lags behind the other major supermarkets. On behalf of the animals, tell Aldi to lift its game.
Aldi is Australia’s third largest supermarket chain and growing. This year, its expansion will continue across the country, as it opens new stores in nearly every state. Last year, the global retail giant opened its 500th store in Australia... But Aldi Australia is the odd one out in terms of its animal welfare policy. Good? No. Different? Yes, unfortunately.
Aldi is the clear straggler among major Australian supermarkets when it comes to providing its customers with information on the welfare standards for farm animals used in their home-brand products, such as Berg, Ironbark Pork and Brannan’s Butchery.
Aldi Australia’s website has a single page on “animal welfare” which says fresh meat must meet “Aldi’s standards”, yet there’s no information on what these standards are. The page goes on to boast Aldi’s membership of a certification scheme that sets standards for humane transport and slaughter, without making it clear this DOES NOT cover animal welfare on farms.
Coles and Woolworths – and even Aldi UK – provide far more information about their animal welfare policies along with specific public commitments to improve animal welfare. This helps to drive the farm industry to improve practices. After all, with most Australians buying their meat from supermarkets, they have the buying power to transform the lives of millions of farm animals in Australia.
You have a right to know
Increasingly, Australian consumers want to know how animals were raised. They want to know that the animals were treated humanely and that they had a life worth living.
Aldi needs to provide comprehensive information with on animal welfare with specific commitments and a timeline for improvement.
ALL of Australia’s major supermarkets need to show leadership on farm animal welfare. It’s time for Aldi to take animal welfare seriously.
Where does Aldi stand on pigs?
In particular, Aldi needs to provide more information about how the producers they source from treat pigs.
Around the world, mother pigs are often forced to live alone in small cages – ‘sow stalls’ - no bigger than a fridge for most of their lives. The cages are so cramped they can’t even turn around. They suffer more infections and intense stress leading to them biting the bars that confine them, causing injury and making them depressed.
Pigs deserve to be kept in groups with materials to nest and play with, allowing them to express natural behaviour.
The Australian pig industry has said they will phase out sow-stalls. Coles have committed to going sow-stall free for all their home-brand products and Woolworths home-brand fresh pork meets the industry standard of sow-stall free. Aldi needs to match these commitments and stop keeping mother pigs in cages as a first step in developing a comprehensive animal welfare policy.
Mother pigs are often forced to live alone in small cages – ‘sow stalls’ - no bigger than a fridge for most of their lives