Celebrating Animal Welfare Leadership and Food System Transformation at our Farm Animal Welfare Awards 2026
Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming, reflects on the 2026 Farm Animal Welfare Awards in Brussels.
Since 2013, she has led Compassion’s work with food businesses globally, driving improvements in farm animal welfare and supporting the transition towards a healthier, more sustainable food system.
Earlier this week, we brought together food industry leaders, policymakers and animal welfare advocates in Brussels to celebrate the businesses driving positive change for animals at our 2026 Farm Animal Welfare Awards.
Hosted by TV journalist and presenter Naomi Lloyd, the event recognised 44 award winners from around the world for raising the bar on animal welfare, driving innovation, engaging consumers and helping to build more nature-friendly food systems. Since its launch in 2007, Compassion’s awards programme has helped drive changes that are set to benefit over 1.6 billion animals each year.
We were delighted to welcome European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, who delivered a keynote address, as well as a Niels Fuglsang MEP (Denmark) who joined us for a discussion on the future direction of EU animal welfare policy.
Commissioner Várhelyi said: “By the end of this year, I intend to propose a targeted revision of animal welfare rules for laying hens and broilers, which will focus on phasing out cages, practical on-farm welfare indicators, and equivalent requirements for imports. And by the second quarter of next year, 2027, we’re planning a similar proposal to address pig welfare, including the transition from crates to pen systems for sows.”
He also praised this year’s award winners saying “The progress we are recognising today shows what can be achieved when producers, retailers, and animal welfare organisations work together. This kind of cooperation is essential because improving animal welfare requires everyone to play their part.”
LEADING THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM CAGES
With the European Commission finally planning to bring forward proposals to phase out cages for laying hens and sows, the Awards put a spotlight on businesses already demonstrating how the transition can be achieved in practice.
Two panel discussions brought together companies with first-hand experience of moving away from cages. The first featured partners from Waitrose’s European pig supply chain, including The Compleat Food Group (UK), Los Alecos (Spain) and Fumagalli (Italy), exploring how a joined-up supply chain approach can help drive the transition while delivering benefits for animals, businesses and consumers.
A second, cross-sector panel brought together representatives from Netto (Poland), Rujamar (Spain) and Buitelaar (Ireland), alongside Compassion’s Lucille Bellegarde. Drawing on experience across laying hens, calves and rabbits, they explored the opportunities, challenges and commercial drivers behind cage-free systems and highlighted how collaboration across farming, retail and supply chains is helping accelerate progress.
Next year marks Compassion’s 60th anniversary, and throughout our history, one issue above all has united our work, partnerships and our Awards programme: ENDING CAGES. The 2026 Awards celebrated cage-free pioneers and other animal welfare leaders not only in Europe, but in China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and Australia.
The Awards had a fresh new look this year, with updated names and branding in response to the EU Empowering Consumers Directive, bringing greater clarity to the achievements recognised and a more contemporary feel.
The Cage Free Award (Laying Hens) highlighted progress across the globe, recognising Netto (Poland) and Rujamar (Spain) in Europe, Korin and Sunny Eggs in Brazil, and Daily Farm and Zao Farm in Japan, all committed to 100% cage-free egg production.
Picard, one of France’s best-known food retailers and its leading specialist frozen food chain, received a Higher Welfare Award (Rabbits) for improving the welfare of meat rabbits in its supply chain.
Waitrose received a Higher Welfare Award (Sows & Pigs) and Higher Welfare Award (Turkeys), recognising its leadership in extending higher welfare standards across its European continental pork and charcuterie supply and applying the standards achieved for broiler chickens to its turkey supply.
Spanish producer Los Alecos received a Higher Welfare Award (Sows & Pigs) for its Goikoa Bienestar brand, recognising its transition from conventional farrowing crates to alternative pens and wider welfare improvements for meat pigs. With free farrowing still uncommon in Spain, the company is helping lead the move towards higher welfare pig production.
RAISING THE BAR FOR DAIRY COWS AND CALVES
The UK’s Ethical Dairy received a Higher Welfare Award (Dairy Cows and Calves) for its pioneering approach, where calves stay with their mothers for up to six months and cows are milked once a day, allowing milk to be shared with their calves. The farm operates a 100% pasture-fed, organic system.
In the Netherlands, De Fryske Cheese received an award for providing dairy cows with pasture access and a comfortable living environment, and for working to ensure all calves are reared in social groups in higher welfare systems.
In Poland, Agrocoop’s soon-to-launch premium dairy sub-brand received a Higher Welfare Award (Dairy Cows) for placing higher welfare and increased pasture access at the heart of its production, alongside responsible land management and full product traceability.
BUILDING MOMENTUM FOR BETTER CHICKEN WELFARE
More than 650 companies worldwide have now committed to the Better Chicken Commitment, helping to improve the lives of millions of broiler chickens. We celebrated three more businesses joining their ranks, each receiving a Higher Welfare Awards (Chickens), recognising significant progress in their transition.
Swedish producer Bjärefågel, one of the country’s first to introduce slower-growing breeds, was also recognised for giving chickens more space, natural light and enrichment, alongside its commitment to humane slaughter and environmental responsibility.
COMO Hotels and Resorts, with 19 properties worldwide, received an award for committing to implement Better Chicken Commitment criteria across its operations in Australia, the UK and Europe by 2031.
Thailand’s Tan Khun Organic Farm was recognised for its indigenous slow-growing Tapaotong chickens, reared for at least 120 days at low stocking densities, with natural daylight, outdoor access, deep litter and perches.
And one of the UK’s leading poultry producers, 2 Sisters Food Group received a Special Recognition Award for helping enable the shift to slower-growing chicken breeds by tackling the environmental impact of feed. By increasing the use of British-grown protein and lower land-use change soya, the company is demonstrating how higher-welfare chicken production can also deliver a lower carbon footprint.
TRANSFORMING THE WIDER FOOD SYSTEM
Cages are one of the most visible symbols of factory farming, but the challenge goes much further. Our food system must transform to address its wider impacts on animals, people and the planet.
The good news is that change is already underway and our Farming Transition Award, Plant-Based Leadership Award and Special Recognition Award celebrated businesses showing what a more resilient and sustainable food system can look like.
Tan Khun Organic Farm received a Farming Transition Award for transforming a conventional rice farm into a diverse, regenerative organic farming operation integrating livestock, crops and feed production while supporting around 100 farming families.
England’s Gowbarrow Hall Farm received a Farming Transition Award for demonstrating how higher welfare, regenerative farming and rewilding can work together in the UK uplands, producing nutritious food while benefiting nature and local communities.
Scotland’s The Woolly Pig Company also received a Farming Transition Award for its innovative agroforestry model, where Mangalitsa pigs are rotationally grazed in woodland, allowing them to forage, root and express their natural behaviours, while supporting the environment and making more efficient use of land.
Our very first Plant-Based Leadership Award went to Dutch family business De Nieuwe Melkboer, recognising its pioneering move from dairy farming to producing only plant-based alternatives using soy grown on its own farm and sourced from local farmers.
Blueyou’s Selva Shrimp® project received a Special Recognition Award for its innovative approach to aquaculture, using Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture to produce shrimp in their natural habitat while restoring mangrove ecosystems and supporting biodiversity.
BRINGING ANIMAL WELFARE TO CONSUMERS
Progress has greater impact when consumers understand it. Our Marketing Award recognises businesses creatively communicating their animal welfare achievements and helping shoppers make more informed choices.
Waitrose received a Marketing Award for its Check Out Our Better Chicken campaign, celebrating its achievement as the first UK retailer to meet the Better Chicken Commitment across its entire own-brand chicken range. Spanning advertising, social media and a comedy music video with Alex Horne, the campaign brought chicken welfare to new audiences, while its new Animal Welfare Label gave customers greater transparency about welfare standards.
Fumagalli Industria Alimentari was recognised for its bold and transparent communications around its higher welfare pork. The Italian producer used its award logo on pack, alongside imagery from its very own farms and a QR code linking to a video about its welfare standards, giving consumers greater insight into how its pigs are reared.
Fileni, Italy’s third-largest poultry producer, received a Marketing Award for its Scelta Giusta (“The Right Choice”) campaign, celebrating its achievement as the first Italian company to implement the European Chicken Commitment across its entire own-brand chicken range. Through TV, radio, in-store activity and redesigned packaging, the campaign raised awareness of higher welfare chicken and the company’s move to slower-growing breeds.
GROWING MOMENTUM IN CHINA
Compassion’s Chief China Representative, Jeff Zhou, joined us to celebrate growing momentum for higher welfare farming in China, with 18 businesses receiving 19 awards.
Among them was Mas Masana (Qingdao Food Co., Ltd.), the first Chinese company to receive a Sow Stall Free Award, recognising its commitment to replacing sow stalls with group housing.
Seven companies earned Good Pig Production Awards, including four achieving the highest 5-star rating. A further four Good Chicken Production Awards were presented, with three companies achieving the top 5-star rating, alongside a Good Egg Production Award, also awarded a 5-star rating.
TURNING LEADERSHIP INTO LASTING CHANGE
The 2026 Farm Animal Welfare Awards were a powerful reminder that food system transformation is already happening, with businesses demonstrating what can be achieved through higher welfare, cage-free systems, nature-friendly farming and consumer engagement.
Ending cages is a vital first step. With around 300 million animals still confined in cages across Europe, we now need ambitious legislation to accelerate the progress already being demonstrated by leading businesses.
As we await proposals from the European Commission, there is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to consign cages to the history books and build a food system that delivers better outcomes for animals, people and the planet.
Through our Awards and welfare commitments we have secured, we are helping to improve the lives of more than 3.47 billion animals every year, showing the extraordinary impact businesses can have in driving positive change.
Read about all our 2026 award winners: https://www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com/latest-news/our-news/compassion-celebrates-its-2026-award-winners/
Main Image: Credit Gowbarrow Hall Farm (UK)
