Safeway Leading the Way on Animal Welfare

Humane Society of the United States Applauds New Company Policies and Withdraws Its Shareholder Resolution

Safeway, the third largest North American grocery retailer, has taken a series of significant steps to improve animal welfare in its food purchasing decisions. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) applauded Safeway's announcement as a major marker for common-sense improvements in the treatment of farm animals.

The HSUS has been in dialogue with Safeway about improving its farm animal welfare standards. Last November, The HSUS filed a shareholder resolution on the subject. In light of Safeway's positive announcement, that resolution has been withdrawn.

"Safeway's new policies represent important progress on basic animal welfare issues and will positively affect many thousands of animals," said Paul Shapiro, senior director of The HSUS' factory farming campaign. "Safeway's move also sends a strong message to the agribusiness industry that it must rapidly move away from the worst factory farming abuses, such as intensive confinement systems and the conventional poultry slaughter method."

Safeway has adopted the following new policies:

• It will establish a purchasing preference for cage-free eggs, which is "intended to favor producers who are converting away from battery-cage confinement systems." Safeway further adds, "We hope this new policy will encourage the egg industry to move away from confining laying hens in battery cages."
• It will more than double the percentage of cage-free eggs it offers to over six percent of its total egg sales within two years.
• It will establish a purchasing preference for pork from producers that do not confine breeding sows in gestation crates, which are cages so small the animals can't even turn around.
• It will increase the proportion of gestation crate-free pork it offers by five percent over each of the next three years, to a total of fifteen percent in 2010.
• It will give purchasing preference to poultry slaughterers that use Controlled Atmosphere Stunning, which causes significantly less suffering than the conventional poultry slaughter method.
• Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway has 1,743 stores in the U.S. and Canada. The company's new policies reflect discussions not only with The HSUS but independent dialogue with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Facts

• U.S. factory farms cram about 280 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread their wings or walk. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live.
• Gestation crates are two-foot-wide metal cages that confine millions of breeding pigs for nearly their entire lives. The crates are so restrictive that the animals can't even turn around for months on end. The animals suffer both leg and joint problems along with psychosis from this extreme treatment.
• Controlled Atmosphere Killing, a method of slaughter in which birds are deprived of oxygen, causes significantly less suffering than the barbaric but commonplace practice of shacking birds upside down while fully conscious, paralyzing them in electrified vats of water, and dragging them over mechanical blades that cut their throats.

Timeline

• December 2007—The world's largest food service provider, Compass Group, begins switching to cage-free eggs for its 7,500 U.S, clients, following discussions with The HSUS.
• October 2007—Californians begin collecting signatures to put the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act on the November 2008 ballot.
• August 2007—Carl's Jr. and Hardees begin phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.
• March 2007—Burger King and Wolfgang Puck announce new animal welfare policies, following discussions with The HSUS.
• June 2007—Oregon bans the confinement of breeding pigs in gestation crates.
• January 2007—Major pig producers Smithfield Foods and Maple Leaf Foods announce that they are phasing out their use of gestation crates to confine breeding pigs.
• November 2006—Arizona voters pass a ballot measure banning the confinement of sows in gestation crates and calves in veal crates.
• September 2006—In response to an HSUS-led campaign, Ben & Jerry's announces that it is phasing out the use of eggs from caged hens in its ice creams.
• November 2005—In response to an HSUS-led campaign, Trader Joe's announces that its brand eggs will be exclusively cage-free.
• May 2005—Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.
• November 2002—Florida voters ban the confinement of sows in gestation crates.
• 2000-2002—McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's require that their meat and egg suppliers abide by very modest animal welfare standards.

-30-