A $1.2m (£921,000) grant to improve the welfare of chickens and pigs on farms in China up to February 2021 has been given to global animal welfare charity World Animal Protection.
The NGO will use the funding to work with retailers in China to improve their farm animal welfare policies benefiting tens of millions of farm animals. The grant is being provided by the Open Philanthropy Project, which identifies outstanding giving opportunities, makes grants, follows the results and publishes its findings.
Open Philanthropy makes farm animal welfare a priority and has previously funded World Animal Protection’s farm animal work in 2016 ($545k) and 2017 ($517k). This funding helped World Animal Protection make high welfare pork from indoor pigs available for the first time in China with partner company Qinglian and enabled the charity to give over 59 million farm animals better lives last year.
Jonty Whittleton, global head of farming at World Animal Protection, said:
China is a livestock superpower. Billions of chickens, pigs and other animals are farmed here every year, and the numbers are set to increase. We need to look beyond the scale and recognise that each of these animals is a living, breathing being, capable of feeling pain and suffering, as well as joy.
This vital grant from Open Philanthropy boosts our advocacy work in China at a time when the world is slowly waking up to the perils of factory farming. Positive changes made for farm animals here will be felt around the world, so the investment will have profound and far-reaching benefits.
Lewis Bollard, Farm Animal Welfare program officer for the Open Philanthropy Project, said:
We are excited about World Animal Protection’s work to improve the lives of farm animals in China through model farms to demonstrate higher welfare, corporate crate-free pledges, and outreach to producers, supermarkets, and retailers.
Most animals farmed for food across the world live in conditions that cause suffering and stress. World Animal Protection is committed to working with governments and retailers globally to ensure that animals are given a life worth living.