Safeway Adopts New Industry-Leading Animal Welfare Policies February 11, 2008

This is big news because companies obviously have a lot of power over factory farms and slaughterhouses which exploit animals. While peta2 and the Street Team work to educate individuals on how vegetarianism and veganism are the best ways to help animals, it's important to stay realistic on how we can pressure the corporate world to reduce and eventually eliminate some of the worst cruelties out there. Straight from our press release, check it out.

Following six years of discussions with PETA about the abuse of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses, supermarket giant Safeway has announced groundbreaking plans to improve the living and dying conditions for some of the animals who are killed for its stores. Safeway is North America's second-largest grocery chain, with 1,750 stores located throughout the U.S. and Canada. According to the company's new plan, which places it at the forefront of the grocery industry with regard to animal welfare, Safeway will do the following:

• Increase its purchase of chickens and turkeys killed by controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the least cruel method of bird slaughter—and give purchasing preference to suppliers that use or switch to CAK
• Increase the amount of pig meat it purchases from suppliers that don't use gestation crates—restrictive metal enclosures that confine pregnant pigs—by 5 percent over each of the next three years and give purchasing preference to suppliers that don't use gestation crates
• Double the amount of cage-free eggs it sells to more than 6 percent by 2010 and give purchasing preference to producers of cage-free eggs

Safeway's new plan also follows PETA's submission of a shareholder resolution—which PETA has now withdrawn—and independent discussions with The Humane Society of the United States on the issue of cage-free eggs.

"While we wish that shoppers would stick to the delicious vegetarian options that Safeway has available, the company should be commended for at least improving the lives and deaths of some of the animals who are killed for its stores," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich.

Since 2000, PETA has used high-profile campaigns and negotiations to reduce the suffering of animals who are raised and killed for food. In 2007, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Wendy's, and other companies made improvements similar to those that Safeway is now making.

To all the kind folks out there who help pressure companies to take animal welfare seriously, we thank you.

-Pulin

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