Guide To Animal Welfare For Ethical Investors
Investing In Animals
On this page you will find some information about the issues surrounding animal welfare and ethical investments; as well as a guide to some key alternatives for the ethical investor who is looking for investment opportunities which are sensitive to animal rights issues.
Responsible Attitudes To Animals
Many investors are concerned that the companies and organisations they invest money in will not treat animals fairly and ethically. The two main areas of concern for animal lovers are animal testing and how livestock are treated. Intensive meat production in particular causes suffering to animals and there are also issues surrounding the poultry, dairy and fish industries.
Animal Testing
Many products are tested on animals before they are tested on humans. These include drugs and food additives. Obviously, a major debate rages around animal testing: there are clearly valid reasons why animals should be tested on; however many animal welfare supporters would argue that much more should be done to treat animals better, even in cases where animal experiments are necessary.
Visit www.rspca.org.uk for more information regarding animal rights issues.
Intensive Farming
The increasing use of intensive farming methods has had a terrible impact on the plight of animals. Unfortunately, such methods, based on maximising profit, ensure many livestock animals live sad lives, often in cruel, cramped conditions, barely seeing the light of day before transportation to the slaughter house.
Plenty of people are angry about the plight of livestock during intensive farming methods and although some progress has been done to reduce the numbers of battery farms and cramped conditions; much more progress is required.
Many investors not just at the ordinary consumer end but in restaurants and larger companies want to know that animals in their supply chain are ethically treated.
Ethical Standards
In the UK there are three main ethical standard logos which help consumers assess the welfare of animals in the food chain.
British Farm Standard
The NFU’s Little Red Tractor scheme labels food that comes from farms confirming to British standards, related to the environment, food safety and animal welfare. The scheme sets out some basic minimum welfare standards such as ensuring outdoor animals have access to shelter.
More info can be found at www.littleredtractor.org.uk
RSPCA Freedom Food
The Freedom Food scheme labels foods that have been treated ethically from farm to abattoir, based on five basic freedoms:
- Freedom from fear and distress
- Freedom from hunger and thirst
- Freedom from discomfort
- Freedom from pain, injury and disease
- Freedom to express normal behaviour
More info can be found at www.rspca.org.co.uk
Soil Association Trademark
The most stringent of the three standards for animal welfare and food production in the UK is probably the Soil Association. Every organic product sold carries the Soil Association mark, either a logo or the trademark Organic Association UK3 label which means the product has been produced or reared under near normal conditions.
More information can be found at: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic
Vegetarianism
Many vegetarians say they have a solution to the problem of poor animal welfare in the agriculture and meat production industries: become a vegetarian. By cutting out meat from your diet completely that is one area of ethical investing you no longer have to worry about. If vegetarianism is not for you; it is clear enough though that if you want to make an impact as an ethical consumer you should try cutting down on eating meat, and especially meat reared in factory farming conditions.
Animal Welfare Investment Specialists
It is clear that a combination of consumer and investment pressure can have a positive impact for animals and the environment.
There are many investment funds available which include animal welfare as one of their key screening criteria for investing however this area of investment can be somewhat of a minefield.
Specialist animal cruelty free investment advisor services are available though, including this one from Ethical Investors:
Ethical Investors
Offers an advisory service involving balanced financial plans which may or may not involve products. Some of their ethical financial planning solutions involve no insurance, pension or investment products at all.
- The company only deals with those seeking socially responsible investment.
- At least 50 per cent of their annual trading profits are donated to the groups and charities chosen and supported by clients.
- Ethical Investors was founded in 1989.
- Ethical Investors provides information and advice on Banks, Building Societies, and all aspects of the financial markets and how they impact on animals.
More info can be found at: www.ethicalinvestors.com