Reflecting on 2024 for the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare, Dr Nathan Rhys Williams, Secretariat, said, “This has been a significant year in the evolution of GCAW, thanks to our members’ active participation and continued commitment to improving animal welfare standards for the 92 billion land animals that are farmed for food annually.
This year, the Coalition has welcomed two new members, Minerva Foods and Nomad Foods and appointed Brian Lindsay as our new independent Chair, to build on the excellent work of his predecessor, Dr Birte Nielsen.
Throughout the year, we have continued to facilitate opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange and knowledge-sharing among GCAW members via our all-member and working group meetings. Continuing our focus on laying hens, broiler chickens and pigs, the working group sessions have seen active participation from members and a wide range of external experts, whose insights have explored supply risks and opportunities for these priority species in global supply chains.
Additionally, GCAW has undertaken research and produced resources to support its members and wider stakeholders. Alongside, member-specific resources on supply options, technical recommendations and guidance on standards, we have published three reports.
The GCAW Cage-Free Eggs Global Landscape Review explores the geography-specific challenges of sourcing cage-free eggs; this was followed by a statement on member progress on this topic.
Implementing Animal Welfare Commitments: GCAW Member Experiences is a case study-led resource that highlights the various approaches that members are trialling and adopting in their supply chains. Based on their experiences, a best-practice framework which could be adopted by others is suggested.
Finally, we published a review of GCAW’s first five years, reflecting on the Coalition’s accomplishments from 2018 to 2023.
We look forward to extending our reach and collaborative work to achieve even more in the coming year.”
GCAW welcomes expressions of interest for membership: contact the Secretariat for details.
