RSPCA Assured survey names the UK’s best and worst cities for animal conscious consumers and urges people to put ‘welfare’ on their shopping lists this Christmas
RSPCA Assured, the RSPCA’s ethical food label and assurance scheme, has released the results of a new survey today, which show that people from Manchester are some of the most likely to consider animal welfare when food shopping.
As Christmas approaches and millions prepare their festive shopping lists, RSPCA Assured is urging those who eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy to consider the impact their choices have on animal welfare when they fill up their trolleys.
The RSPCA Assured survey* ranked Manchester and Bristol in joint fourth place amongst the most animal welfare conscious cities in the UK, with one in three people (33%) regularly checking food for higher welfare labels when shopping.
Norwich narrowly took first place with 37% of people regularly checking for higher welfare labels, closely followed by joint second Plymouth and Leeds (36%), Liverpool and Sheffield (35%) landing in joint third place, and fifth place was nabbed by London (32%), making these cities home to some of the most animal welfare conscious shoppers in the UK.
Whilst the cities that ranked the worst for animal conscious consumerism, with only one in five people saying they routinely check for higher welfare food labels, were Southampton (21%) and Nottingham (20%).
“Take, for example, turkeys – approximately ten million turkeys are reared every year in the UK for Christmas, but the majority of those will endure inadequate welfare conditions, with a lack of space and natural daylight, and little in the way of enrichment. But turkeys are very intelligent birds and are naturally inquisitive and playful. It’s really important for their wellbeing that they are given lots of space to roam about, have access to natural daylight and are given plenty of enrichment – for example perches, straw bales and rope.
“If we choose to buy produce with higher welfare labels we are supporting animals, like turkeys, having better lives. If you don’t look for higher welfare labels, you could be supporting and encouraging low welfare farming practices without realising.
Emilie Fisher, Head of Engagement at RSPCA Assured, said: “The choices we make in our food shops can have a huge impact on how millions of farm animals are reared and the quality of life they have. It’s simple – the more we demand higher welfare produce, the more retailers will stock it, which means more farmers will rear their animals to higher welfare standards.
“One of the most important things you can do for farmed animal welfare this Christmas is to choose food with a higher welfare label, such as RSPCA Assured.”
Further survey results showed that, whilst nationally more than half (53%) of people said they were more likely to buy a turkey if they knew it had led a happy and healthy life, just 30 percent said they regularly check food labels to see if produce is higher welfare.
“Our research shows that our values and our actions are at odds with each other,” Emilie continued. “Over half of us would be more likely to buy a turkey that had led a happy life, but less than one in three of us are actively checking food labels.
“This Christmas we’re trying to spur the public into action and get them to make more welfare conscious choices when shopping. We tend to eat more during our festive celebrations, so now is the perfect time to consider what food you are buying, where it has come from and how the animals have been treated.”
The RSPCA has developed thousands of standards for farmed animals that go beyond legal requirements in many key welfare areas and ensure that animals are well cared for throughout their entire lives. All farms that are certified by RSPCA Assured follow strict standards on important welfare issues such as providing adequate cage-free space, access to environmental enrichment and limits on transportation times.
RSPCA Assured turkeys and other produce can be found in most supermarkets including Aldi, Co-op, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tesco. Find out more about supporting RSPCA Assured and higher welfare farming this Christmas here.
Consumers who want to do more to support higher welfare produce can also sign up to the RSPCA’s Better Chicken Commitment campaign here.
Click here to watch RSPCA Assured’s Christmas advert.
