The RSPCA has shared three simple hacks which make a big difference for farmed animals – and one is a “real surprise” to many consumers!
Shoppers across the West Midlands are being urged to try a few clever tricks this World Farmed Animal Day (2nd October) – and it turns out simply changing where you look on the supermarket shelves can be one of the easiest ways to make a difference!
Animal welfare experts at the RSPCA have revealed it can be quick, and simple to make a huge difference to the lives of the billion farmed animals reared in the UK every year – sadly most of which are factory farmed*.
Emily Harris, a campaigner for farmed animals at the RSPCA, said: “For every pet in the UK, there are nine times as many farmed animals.
“Every single farm animal deserves a good life – but sadly, right now, most are kept in ways which mean they do not.
“That’s why this World Farmed Animal Day we are sharing three simple hacks we can all do, which can improve the lives of millions of animals at a stroke – and the best news is they are all quick and easy.
“So next time you are at the supermarket, take action and together let’s raise the standard for farmed animals.”
- Play label detective🔍Don’t be fooled by just pretty pictures of rolling green fields or phrases like ‘farm fresh’, ‘happier and healthier’, or ‘room to thrive’. Make sure you look for clues – labels like RSPCA Assured prove that the animals have been reared to the highest welfare conditions. Labels like free-range, organic, outdoor bred/reared can help too. To get more involved, you can even add your voice to the RSPCA’s call to the UK Government to introduce better labelling so shopping is less confusing.
- Look up when you are shopping
If you want to find products from animals which have lived better lives – look up! All the major supermarkets stock higher-welfare choices – but they are often tucked away on higher shelves and racks. Simply scanning the whole shelf helps you spot the higher-welfare options you might otherwise miss. And if you are worried it might cost more, visit the RSPCA website for tips on how to make your higher welfare products go further by adding in tasty alternatives like beans, lentils and tofu. Half and half anyone? - Do mini maths with small swaps 🖩
Small swaps in your shopping basket can help make a big difference for farmed animals. According to new University of Lincoln research, trimming our animal product intake by only three per cent a year – the equivalent of eating just three fewer burgers or seven fewer sausages annually for most people – could spare a staggering one billion land animals from lower-welfare farming by 2050. Ready for the 3% challenge? Don’t worry you don’t need to be Einstein to figure out what to swap. Simply try the RSPCA’s new free online food impact calculator for a personalised plan of how tiny daily choices add up to huge results.
Emily added: “Small, easy, everyday changes can make a real difference for farmed animals. This doesn’t require big restrictions or giving up favorite foods – it starts with small, achievable shifts.
“It’s a real surprise to many consumers that simply thinking about where they look on the shelves, cluing up on labels and making small swaps can open up lots of higher welfare options.
“Together, savvy choices add up to real impact and results for animals.”
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