For billions of farm animals, the horrors of factory farming are not confined to Halloween. From caged hens and confined pigs to fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’, their suffering continues every day. It’s time to end factory farming.
This World Farm Animals Day, we’re calling for an end to farrowing crates, a move away from fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’, stronger protections for farmed fish and mandatory animal welfare labelling
CAWF co-founders Lorraine and Chris Platt visited campaigner Michelle Farnham as she spent 21 days inside a farrowing crate in Trafalgar Square, highlighting the severe confinement endured by 60% of mother pigs on UK indoor farms. CAWF is calling for a ban on farrowing crates and a transition to zero-confinement systems.
Animal welfare campaigns have traditionally focused on consumers, politicians and companies. But there is another audience we need to reach: the people who price corporate risk.
Factory farming depends on capital. Companies borrow, issue bonds and refinance debt, while investors continually reassess risk. If poor animal welfare leads to regulation, litigation, changing customer requirements, restricted market access or stranded assets, those are not simply welfare concerns — they can become financial risks.
The arrival of a new Prime Minister provides an opportunity to reset the Government’s approach to animal welfare. It must also be a moment for honesty. During the last wo years in office, Labour failed to introduce a single Government Bill to advance animal welfare, leaving manifesto commitments undelivered and animals waiting for the action they were promised.
Cultivated meat, known variously as lab-grown, cell-based, or cultured meat, involves growing animal cells in bioreactors rather than conventional farming. This groundbreaking technology offers profound opportunities to sustainably meet escalating global meat demands, effectively addressing ethical, environmental, and economic challenges inherent in traditional livestock agriculture.
Foreign ownership of British farmland is increasing, raising important questions about food security, rural resilience and national sovereignty. While overseas investment is not inherently problematic, the growing transfer of agricultural land into foreign hands risks weakening local control over food production and distancing ownership from the communities that depend on it.
On International Live Exports Awareness Day, CAWF celebrates Britain’s landmark ban on live exports for slaughter and fattening, while urging other countries to strengthen protections for farm animals.
The proposed “Save Our Bacon” provision would override state laws restricting gestation crates for pigs. Conservatives should oppose federal intervention that weakens states’ rights, consumer choice and animal welfare standards.
The United Kingdom often prides itself on being a nation of animal lovers. This identity is politically powerful and culturally embedded. Yet when measured against the reality of how millions of animals are treated within our food system, it is increasingly difficult to sustain.
Intensive farming was once essential for Britain’s food security. Today, dependence on imported feed, environmental damage and poor animal welfare show why a new approach is needed.
Intensive factory farms are transforming rural Britain. From pollution and fly infestations to threats to family farms, local councillors should scrutinise these developments carefully.