Philip reflects on how from global summits to grassroots campaigns, together we turned vision into reality – creating a world where animals are respected, farming is regenerative, and food systems work for everyone.

2025 was a year when ideas turned into action, reshaping our food system toward a future where animals are respected, farming is regenerative, and nourishing food is accessible for all. From the UN Food Systems Summit in Ethiopia to COP30 in Brazil, food system transformation finally featured in global policy discussions. And thanks to your unwavering support, Compassion was there, speaking up for animals, influencing decisions, and driving change.

At the UN Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa, I was honoured to serve on the UN’s Food Systems Advisory Group. Seeing heads of state report progress and learning that 168 countries now integrate food and agriculture into climate plans filled me with hope for what’s possible when we work together.

Your Support Made This Possible

Throughout the year, Compassion worked on two vital fronts: improving animal welfare today through practical changes and driving systemic transformation to end factory farming, the world’s biggest cause of animal cruelty. Because of you, we achieved both. 

Through our Food Business programme, we partnered with companies around the world to raise welfare standards. And through our campaigns and advocacy, we showed the world that people everywhere want fairer food and farming. A highlight was the presentation of our End It petition to the UN in New York. This was signed by over one million people across 240 countries and regions. That’s your support in action.

Impact for Animals in 2025

Together, we achieved improvements for millions of animals. Across Asia, the US, and Europe, we accelerated the move to cage-free systems, hosted forums, launched action plans, and secured public commitments. 

Leading brands, including Domino’s Pizza UK & Ireland, signed up to our Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). Over 41.89 million broilers now live under full BCC compliance, with another 42.24 million benefitting from improved on-farm conditions. 

In China, our Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards honoured 14 winners, improving life for 15 million animals. Our Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare assessed 150 companies on their animal welfare policies and implementation with a growing number acknowledging the need to reduce reliance on animal-sourced foods.

Our food business work earned global recognition with a Certificate of Appreciation for Innovation from the UN’s Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization during its first Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation.

Campaigning for Change

Your support enabled us to keep up the pressure on policymakers. Across Europe, we pushed the EU Commission to deliver on its promise to phase out cages. In the UK, Parliament debated caged systems following our petition launched by Patron Dame Joanna Lumley. In September, 18 major European food companies, including Lidl, Ferrero, and Sodexo, also called on the EU Commission to act, showing that good animal welfare makes for good business. 

In the US, we fought the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, which if enacted, would override hundreds of state animal welfare laws and the voices of all the voters, who supported those laws because of their wish to see cages banned. 

At COP30 and other UN fora, we made the case that factory farming fuels the multiple crises facing humanity on climate, nature, pollution, and health. Our reports Climate Doom Loop and Food not Feed made the connections between factory farming and these crises. The latter revealed that ending grain-fed factory farming could feed two billion more people every year.

We also investigated and exposed the hidden horrors of octopus farming and carnivorous aquaculture, and we led the 10th Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day, with events from England and Ireland to Australia and Ecuador. In the UK and France, our live exports campaigns focussed on the disgraceful resumption of this cruel trade by Brittany Ferries’ that sparked public outrage and peaceful protests. 

Honouring Patrons and Embracing Hope

I am saddened to share that this year we lost two extraordinary Patrons and dear friends, Dr Jane Goodall and Dame Jilly Cooper. Their legacies will inspire us in the years ahead. Often, I reflect on Jane’s message on the importance of hope, and one moment at home brought that hope to life this year: giving Bruce, our rescue dog, his first taste of ‘Chick Bites’, the UK’s first cultivated meat approved for pet food. Watching him enjoy it symbolised a future where protein innovation could spare billions of farmed animals from suffering. 

Working Together in 2026

As 2025 ends, it is good to celebrate our progress, but our mission is far from over. Factory farming threatens animals, people, and the planet and the need for Compassion is more urgent than ever. Next year, we are aiming to push harder than ever to end cages and transform food systems for future generations.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone, who supported Compassion this year. Here’s to continuing to work together in 2026. As Jane Goodall once said: “If we all get together, we can truly make a difference, but we must act now. The window of time is closing.”