Compassion in World Farming marked a new first when, on 16 November at the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, it celebrated its inaugural Asia Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards; a chance to recognise food companies from the region that are making strides towards improved animal welfare across their supply chains through their current policies or commitments. And to inspire others to do the same.
Overall, there was one Good Chicken Award presented to a Thai company, a first for the country. Eight companies (three Japanese and five Chinese) earned Good Egg Awards, while six Good Chicken Production Awards, one Good Egg Production Award, and three Good Pig Production Awards were presented to companies from China. (See full listing below).
The Awards ceremony was preceded by the inaugural meeting of Compassion's recently formed Thai Broiler Producer Working Group which brought together key stakeholders to discuss the importance of meeting the higher welfare requirements of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). Thailand is a major supplier of chicken meat for European food businesses, many of whom have committed to the BCC and are reliant on Thai producers to deliver higher welfare chicken.
One company moving in the right direction to achieve this is Klong Phai Farm, the first Thai-based company to have been presented with a Good Chicken Award. Acknowledging its dedication to animal welfare and product quality, Klong Phai Farm sources free-range chicken and pays its farmers more than the usual market rates. These practices not only support the farming community but also promote ethical and sustainable farming methods.
Laurent Opportune, Managing Director for Klong Phai Farm said: "Receiving this award is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the well-being of animals and the sustainability of our practices. We believe that true success in our industry is measured by the positive impact we make,
and this award reaffirms our mission to provide exceptional quality while upholding the highest standards of animal welfare. This recognition inspires us to continue pushing boundaries and setting new standards for the betterment of our environment and the animals we care for."
To celebrate the Awards, guests at the ceremony were able to enjoy a cooking demonstration by the 2020 Iron Chef Thailand winner, Chef Julien Le Breton featuring products from Klong Phai Farm.
One of this year's Japanese Good Egg Award winners, Second Arrow Co., Ltd. and its Toritama Restaurant brand,primarily manages dining establishments and recognises higher animal welfare as a means to providing tastier ingredients.
Representative Director and President of Second Arrow, Nobuhiro Osuga, said: "We are extremely honoured to receive such a prestigious award. Second Arrow Corporation was founded with the goal of creating value and happiness for everyone involved, changing the norms of Japan's food and beverage industry. The 'Toritama' brand, which has been recognised with this award, specialises in chicken and egg dishes that cannot be replicated at home. We are also developing specialist stores in this cuisine and will continue to expand our outlets working in cooperation with our producers striving to spread the sale of cage-free eggs, as well as promote animal welfare to the best of our abilities."
The other two Japanese companies to receive Good Egg Awards includedNagomi Tamago by Miyamoto Poultry Farm and Fuku-ga-kita by Asagiri Takarayama Farm, a subsidiary of Marufuku Co., Ltd. The awards in Japan were secured in collaboration with The Humane League Japan. Five companies from China also received Good Egg Awards: Beijing Kaicheng Agriculture Co Ltd, Taihe Aoxin Silky Chicken Development Co Ltd, Shanghai Song Dan Xia Network Co Ltd, Anhui Xiansen Green Food Co Ltd,and Shaoguan Tudama Agricultural Development Co Ltd.
Compassion's awards programme in China began in 2014 working with the International Cooperation Committee of Animal Welfare (ICCAW) when they first introduced the Good Pig Production Awards, followed by the Good Egg and Good Chicken Production Awards. These awards reflect the efforts made in the breeding, housing, rearing and health management of the animals and are based on criteria that equate to stars, with five stars being the highest number achievable.
This year there were six Good Chicken Production Awards, one Good Egg Production Award and three Good Pig Production Awards.
Amongst the Good Chicken Production Award winners, three were five-star winners (Hangzhou Yiyuanjia Agricultural Development Co Ltd, Taihe Yifang Pure Land Agriculture and Forestry Co and Sichuan Xinde Agriculture Co Ltd), two achieved four stars (Taihe Aoxin Silky Chicken Development Co Ltd and Hainan (Tan Niu) Wenchang Chicken Co Ltd),and one gained three stars (Fujian Chia Tai Food Co Ltd).
Good Egg Production Award Winner, Sichuan Xinde Agriculture Co Ltd earned a five-star rating, just as it did for its Good Chicken Production Award.
Of the three Good Pig Production Award winners, one earned a five-star rating (Thunder Pig Chessboard Village Base), and two were given a two-star rating (SiFangHong (Pinggu) Welfare Farm of Breeding Pigs and Yongshou Project of Xianyang CP Food Co Ltd, CP Group).
Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director for Food Business at Compassion in World Farming said: "It's been tremendous having the inaugural in-person meeting of our Thai Broiler Producer Working Group and Asia Awards ceremony, celebrating the expansion of our programme in the region.
"It's been vital for us to connect with Thai producers to discuss how they can meet higher welfare requirements of the Better Chicken Commitment, particularly for their export market which will enable European companies to fulfil their own BCC commitments.
"The scope and range of the awards presented, not least our very first Thai Good Chicken Award, shows how enthusiasm for higher welfare is spreading across the region in key countries like Japan and Thailand, and it's wonderful to see continued progress in China. Congratulations to all our award winners."
Notes to editors:
Compassion in World Farming is the leading international farm animal welfare charity, campaigning to improve the lives of millions of farm animals through advocacy, lobbying for legislative change, and positive engagement with the global food industry. Our established international Food Business programme aims to achieve a holistic approach to sustainable food production by driving transformational change for farm animals, reducing our reliance on animal sourced foods, and moving the food industry towards more regenerative, nature friendly farming.
www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com
Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards
Compassion's Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards recognise marketing-leading companies for their innovative work in the field of farm animal welfare and sustainable food production. Find out more here: https://www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com/awards/
FULL LIST OF 2023 ASIA GOOD FARM ANIMAL WELFARE AWARD WINNERS
1 x GOOD CHICKEN AWARD
Klong Phai Farm (Thailand)
The first Thai-based company to have received a Good Chicken Award. A distributor to high-end hospitality companies, it believes that a healthy environment, clean air and fertile soil are crucial for producing high-quality poultry. It consistently chooses free-range products from farms that maintain high standards of animal welfare, giving the poultry the freedom to roam and forage, improving their well-being and resulting in better quality meat. The chickens' diet is carefully chosen to be free from hormones and antibiotics, encouraging a natural growth process.
8 x GOOD EGG AWARDS
Toritama Restaurants by Second Arrow (Japan)
Toritama Restaurants by Second Arrow has put animal welfare firmly on its menu across its dining establishments. With support from its free-range suppliers, Inoue Poultry Farm, it has adopted the concept of animal welfare and the ideas of the Sustainable Development Goals to continuously seek tastier ingredients and materials. It has the capability of using eggs within two days of laying,
offering a variety of menus that make the most of fresh eggs.
Nagomi Tamago by Miyamoto Poultry Farm (Japan)
This business embodies the Japanese principle of 'Nagomi'?harmony?in every egg it produces. Committed to ecological balance, humane practices and consumer well-being, it ensures the eggs it produces nourish more than just the body. Its small-scale farm champions the coexistence of nature and industry, producing eggs that respect the environment, the people who eat them, and the chickens that lay them. Through initiatives like the 'Egg Collection Experience' and educational supermarket interactions, Nagomi Tamago advocates for a deeper understanding of ethical egg consumption, inviting consumers to be part of a movement that values life and freedom.
Fuku-ga-kita by Asagiri Takarayama Farm, a subsidiary of Marufuku Co Ltd (Japan)
This business is involved in the entire process from egg production to distribution, processing and sales. It previously used 100% caged poultry farming, but realised that stress-free, healthy parent birds are essential for good egg production. Learning from the West, it decided to adopt the aviary system, a cage-free system still rare in Japan. Last year, it launched the cage-free egg brand 'Fuku-ga-kita', which it now promotes at exhibitions and to customers within Japan, emphasising the importance of animal welfare.
Masanobu Fukusaki, Representative Director at Marufuku Co Ltd said: "We are truly delighted to have received this award. It is an honour to have our passion and dedication to egg production recognised. In Japan, where eggs are often eaten raw, there is a strong dedication to egg quality. Although cage-free eggs are still a small proportion in Japan, the global trend has gradually increased interest in cage-free eggs domestically. We see this award as an opportunity to help convey the importance of cage-free eggs and animal welfare in Japan. We will continue to work with the happiness of our chickens in mind."
Beijing Kaicheng Agriculture Co Ltd (China)
This winner was established in 2004 and has 102 members. The cooperative mainly breeds Beijing Oil Chicken and Chai Egg Chicken, with its products sold in the Beijing-Tianjin area. The sales channels are largely e-commerce platforms and the middle to high-end consumer market. The company has adopted higher welfare cage-free standards, and the products have obtained pollution-free certification, as well as the geographical indication and organic certification for Beijing
local chicken. Beijing Kaicheng Agriculture is the cooperative's brand, committed to ecological and healthy farming and strives to create high-quality Beijing Oil Chicken products. It has been recognised as a demonstration cooperative and unit by multiple departments at the city and national levels. For all these reasons Beijing Kaicheng Agriculture received a Good Egg Award.
Taihe Aoxin Silky Chicken Development Co Ltd (China)
This company specialises in breeding, reproduction, farming, feed production, organic fertiliser production, poultry slaughtering and processing, product research & development and sales. Since 2019, the company has broken the standard farming model and adopted an agroforestry farming system, utilising the abundant forest resources in the local area. This system employs a free-range farming model for the Taihe black-boned chicken, which is a local dual-purpose chicken breed. It has formed a good ecological cycle system where caterpillar fungus is used for chicken feed, ranging promotes forest growth, and the forest protects the ranging.
Taihe Aoxin Silky Chicken Development Co. Ltd was also awarded a Good Chicken Production 4 Star Award for its higher welfare standards for meat chickens.
Shanghai Song Dan Xia Network Co Ltd (China)
This is an internet platform for the poultry and egg industry which primarily utilises technology to empower the traditional poultry and egg industry. The company's business features various animal products including eggs and chicken meat. Song Dan Xia is committed to building an efficient and safe digital urban poultry and egg supply chain and insists on providing people with high-quality poultry and egg ingredients for a better life. Song Dan Xia values the welfare of chickens and committed to complete its cage-free transition for laying hens within five years. It is also considering improving animal welfare standards for its chicken meat business in the future.
Anhui Xiansen Green Food Co Ltd (China)
This company was established in 2015, specialising in the research and development of poultry and egg products. It is a national high-tech enterprise and has won numerous national and international awards, this year adding a Good Egg Award to its number. The company has obtained five invention patents and is the designated production unit for the Feixi native chicken. It also serves as the production and processing supply base for green agricultural products in the Changjiang Delta region.
Shaoguan Tudama Agricultural Development Co Ltd (China)
This is a free-range chicken farm with over 30 years' experience in free-range poultry and egg production. The company is located in Shaoguan, a key national forest area, and mainly specialises in free-range eggs. The company's product 'Free-Range Eggs' has won a number of prestigious regional awards and can now add a Good Egg Award to the list.
6 x GOOD CHICKEN PRODUCTION AWARDS
Hangzhou Yiyuanjia Agricultural Development Co Ltd (China) - 5 Star winner
Hangzhou Yiyuanjia Agricultural Development Co is a producer that uses higher welfare farming and free-range farming methods, as well as various Chinese medicinal herbs, to feed its high-quality local dual purpose breed chickens. The farm keeps the chicken in the woodland mountains, with the production of 2 million birds a year in the middle part of China. Its production base has been recognized as a 'National Demonstration Base for Standardized Poultry Farming' and holds other accolades.
Taihe Yifang Pure Land Agriculture and Forestry Co (China) - 5 Star winner
Taihe Yifang Pure Land Agriculture and Forestry Co Ltd specialises in the breeding of organic and free-range, black-boned chickens, with an annual production and sales volume of over 2 million. It adheres to the core concept of animal welfare farming, creating a happier living environment for the chickens through vast green free-range spaces, balanced nutrition, and a fair and reliable certification system. Yifang Pure Land advocates for consumption choices that prioritise animal welfare. Its products not only represent support for animal welfare but also a conscious choice for health and high quality.
Sichuan Xinde Agriculture Co Ltd (China) - 5 Star winner
Situated on one of the leading free-range chicken farming bases in China, Sichuan Xinde Agriculture Co Ltd adopts the concept of 'visible free-range' and achieves large-scale higher welfare farming whilst providing consumers with affordable free-range eggs. It is the first livestock enterprise in the Southwest region to obtain the HFAC international animal welfare certification and recently obtained cage-free certification. Compared to the end-of-lay hens from battery cages, the free-range laying hens are highly welcomed by the Chinese consumers at the end of their laying period, due to their recognized nutritional benefits in Chinese tradition. Its innovative farming model and animal
welfare certifications have had a positive impact in the egg industry, leading the way for others to follow.
Hainan (Tan Niu) Wenchang Chicken Co Ltd (China) - 4 Star winner
Established in 2008, Hainan has been deeply involved in the Wenchang chicken market for nearly a decade. The company employs a business model of self-breeding, combined with farmers practicing free-range farming in forest areas, to provide Wenchang chickens with the closest natural living environment as possible which allows them to fully express their natural instincts. The company hatches over 60 million Wenchang chicken chicks annually, produces over 15 million Wenchang broilers, and has a processing capacity of 10 million Wenchang chickens per year. It is the largest Wenchang chicken farming enterprise in the country, a key leading enterprise in Hainan's agricultural industrialisation, one of the top 20 enterprises in China's yellow-feathered broiler industry, one of the first 'Hainan Province Modern Agriculture Demonstration Bases,' and a major supplier of Wenchang chickens in Hainan Province.
Fujian Chia Tai Food Co Ltd (China) - 3 Star Winner
This is a fully integrated poultry company based in Fujian China and invested in by Thailand. It includes the complete industrial chain of feed production, broiler breeding, broiler farming, broiler slaughter and processing, food processing, cold chain logistics and sales. The company also has a national-level enterprise technology centre, post-doctoral research workstation, and other research and development platforms. It has obtained certifications such as HACCP, ISO9001 (quality), ISO14001 (environment), and ISO22000 (food safety). The company advocates for healthy farming and strives to improve the welfare of broiler chickens while ensuring product quality, taking on social responsibilities, and increasing competitiveness of the company.
1 x GOOD EGG PRODUCTION AWARD
Sichuan Xinde Agriculture Co Ltd (China) - 5 Star winner
3 x GOOD PIG PRODUCTION AWARDS 2022
Thunder Pig Chessboard Village Base (Jilin Xinghui Chessboard Ecological Agriculture Technology Co Ltd)(China) - 5 Star winner
This is a village-based collective enterprise in Jilin Province. It is a comprehensive large-scale enterprise that integrates modern agriculture, ecological breeding, bio-fermented feed processing,
new energy development, agricultural product processing and sales, catering services, and real estate development and construction. It adopts the original ecological circulation mode for planting and breeding and has been recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as a national model for 'one village, one product' with the Leizhu Project.
SiFangHong (Pinggu) Welfare Farm of Breeding Pigs (China) - 2 Star winner
SiFangHong (Pinggu) Welfare Farm of Breeding Pigs works within the framework of the 'Beijing Consensus on Farm Animal Welfare' and aims to become the benchmark for welfare pig breeding and promotes it across the industry - starting with group housing and no teeth clipping.
Yongshou Project of Xianyang CP Food Co Ltd CP Group (China) - 2 Star winner
Yongshou Project of Xianyang is a joint venture between the CP Group and the Xianyang Municipal Government. This farm adopts group housing for sows, as well as no teeth clipping during its production to enhance welfare.