As a world leading food service company, we can have a positive impact on the world through sourcing responsibly, enriching lives and collaborating for global change. That’s why we are committed to continuously enhancing animal welfare standards.
Improving animal welfare and shifting towards more sustainable animal agriculture is a key component of our approach to responsible sourcing. This approach is underpinned by efforts to increase the visibility of our complex supply chain, allowing us to make better informed procurement decisions at every level of our business.
Our strategy covers all animal products purchased across our global supply chain, including but not limited to: Eggs, meat, dairy and farmed fish and our policies extend to all markets, countries and sectors.
We work closely with our suppliers, partners and leading animal welfare organisations across the globe, such as: Compassion in World Farming, Humane Society International, Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) and The Humane League, to continually research, develop and enhance our animal welfare standards and approach.
As an absolute minimum, our supply chain must comply with all applicable legislation relating to animal welfare in the country of production and purchasing. We also endorse the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) Five Freedom principles for animal welfare:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst: by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
- Freedom from discomfort: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease: by prevention through rapid diagnosis and treatment.
- Freedom to express normal behaviour: by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
- Freedom from fear and distress: by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
Our journey to date
- In 2016, our industry leading position on animal welfare issues was recognised by our inclusion in Fortune’s Change the World list of 50 companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. This coincided with our commitment to source 100% cage free eggs globally by 2025.
- Also in 2016, our US business picked up a further two awards in the same year with a 2016 CiWF Good Egg Award and a 2016 Henry Spira Award for Humane Corporate Progress to mark their commitment to cage free eggs.
- In 2017 we collected a second Henry Spira Award for our commitment to broiler welfare standards as our US business became the first food service company to commit to 100% healthier, slower growing chicken by 2024 through a landmark Global Animal Partnership (GAP) agreement. This will result in improving the lives of around 60 million broiler chickens per year in the US.
- In 2018, we refreshed our sustainability strategy which comprises three strategic priorities: Health & Wellbeing; Environmental Game Changers; and Better for the World, which includes Sourcing Responsibly.
- In 2018 we became a founding member of the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare (GCAW).
- In 2019 we made the commitment to further improve the lives of millions of broiler chickens across Europe. By 2026, Compass Group has committed to meet the European Chicken Commitment (ECC) for 100% of the chicken meat it sources for Europe. In addition, in France, at least 20% of these chicken meat volumes will come from farms that guarantee that the birds have access to free range or to a winter garden.
- Also in 2019, as GCAW, we commissioned an independent report in 2019 into the challenges of transitioning to cage free egg production in China. Find out more about GCAW and its approach to animal welfare here.
- In 2020, we maintained our Tier 3 ranking from the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW). We have been assessed by the BBFAW since its inception in 2012.
Hungry for more?
© 2025 Compass Group PLC