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BBFAW
Eighteen institutional investors, representing £1.5 trillion in assets under management, have become the founding signatories to the first investor statement on farm animal welfare. The Dutch signatories are from ACTIAM, ASR, Robeco and Triodos Bank.
The signatories state that they believe that farm animal welfare is potentially material to long-term investment value creation in the food sector. They commit to taking account of farm animal welfare when analysing food companies and to encouraging high standards across the food industry.They also point to the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare as a framework that can be used by companies and by investors to guide their work on farm animal welfare.
Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare Programme Director, Nicky Amos, commented: “This is the first time that institutional investors have supported a formal public statement on farm animal welfare. It is a clear sign that we farm animal welfare is transitioning from being seen as a niche ethical issue to one that is recognised as an important source of business risk and of opportunity”.
Dr Rory Sullivan, Expert Advisor to the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare added: “The Business Benchmark has played a catalytic role in changing investors’ views on farm animal welfare. It provides investors with a robust, independent and credible assessment of corporate practice and performance on farm animal welfare, and is presented in a way that enables these to be incorporated into investment models and to underpin engagement programmes.”
