August 2023

Monthly Impact Report

August 2023

Monthly Impact Report

August
2023

Mercy For Animals supporters continued to be a mighty force for farmed animals around the globe. Our new investigation spurred a powerful opinion piece in the New York Times. We supported several school districts in removing animal products from baked goods or in serving more plant-based meals. And we continued to fight for farmed animals in Congress as dangerous legislation looms and we push for animal protections in the federal Farm Bill.

Headlining the New York Times Opinion Page

United States

A new Mercy For Animals investigation exposes the heartbreaking conditions mother pigs are forced to endure in factory farms. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof featured the investigation in an exclusive story titled “The Truth About Your Bacon.”

The footage taken by our brave investigator shows pigs forced to lie and give birth in their own waste, denied water and dehydrated, confined in tiny crates, and suffering without proper veterinary care.

The animals are so tightly confined that some piglets become trapped under their mothers, who are unable to move and free them. Live baby pigs are piled and stored in trash bins for many hours before being gassed with CO2. The piglets who survive the first round of gas are gassed again.

The investigation was released as lawmakers in Washington reintroduced the dangerous Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold farmed animal protections. The EATS Act threatens to override several state animal protection laws, making it easier for farms to continue keeping pigs and other farmed animals in miserable conditions.

Removing Animal Ingredients from School Lunches

United States

We worked with the executive chef of Cherry Creek School District in Denver to remove cow’s milk and eggs from the district’s baked goods. Before the conversion, the bakery used roughly 870 pounds of dry milk powder and 2,500 pounds of liquid eggs per year. We estimate this change could spare around 85 chickens and three mother cows suffering each year.

The chef shared that by providing research into how to swap out the animal ingredients, Mercy For Animals saved her team time and let them jump straight into recipe testing, which helped get this project across the finish line in time for the new school year.

Additionally, replacing animal-derived ingredients with plant-based ones resulted in a roughly 33% reduction in the cost to produce the baked goods.

Supporting Plant-Based Advocates in Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

In late 2017, Mercy For Animals partnered with the Brazilian city of Niterói to help the city’s 94 public schools reduce meat, dairy, and eggs served to students by 20%. The program launched in early 2018 and has resulted in more than 6.6 million plant-based meals served.

We’ve created some fierce plant-based advocates from the program, and this month a nutritionist and a school chef from Niterói did a food demonstration on a local TV station in Rio de Janeiro. They created plant-based feijoada and a smoothie while touting the plant-based program and the importance of including more vegetables in school meals.

Getting Vegan Options on Menus

Brazil

The largest calzone franchise in Brazil, Mini Kalzone, launched its first vegan option after collaboration with our team in the region. The company runs more than 125 stores across 57 cities. Its new vegan calzone is stuffed with spinach, carrots, tofu, vegan provolone, and onions.

Training University Chefs

Brazil

Our team in Brazil trained 14 school chefs, five nutritionists, 30 school staff, and 50 other people associated with the Instituto Federal Sul de Minas, a university with 18 campuses and 18,500 enrolled students. We have been working with the school for several years to help it serve more plant-based meals.

Eliminating Cages for Hens Around the Globe

Global

Kerry Group, a multinational company that supplies food products around the world, announced a goal to have all the eggs used in its products come from cage-free or free-range facilities by 2030. The company’s statement indicates a desire to be fully cage-free in its European and Australian markets by 2025. Mercy For Animals has been urging the company to make this commitment.

Collaborating with Stars for Farmed Animals

United States

Ryan Eggold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, and Moby collaborated with us to gather support on social media for the Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act (IAA). The IAA is a bill that would improve the federal Farm Bill and hold the meat industry responsible for the problems it has created in efforts to maximize its profits.

Mercy For Animals posted videos with these celebrities across our social media channels. Their videos racked up around 280,000 views, and each video highlights a particularly horrific practice addressed by the IAA, such as treatment of downed animals, farmed animal transport, and high-speed slaughter.

Holding Companies Accountable to Their Animal Welfare Commitments

United States, Brazil

We published our second annual Count Your Chickens Report, which ranks 77 leading food companies throughout the United States that have promised to address some of the cruelest practices affecting chickens in their supply chains.

Companies including Blue Apron, HelloFresh, IKEA, Sprouts Farmers Market, sweetgreen, and Whole Foods Market are demonstrating progress toward meeting their public commitments to reducing suffering for chickens in their supply chains.

The report also calls out companies—such as Starbucks, TGI Fridays, and White Castle—that have failed to be transparent about progress (or lack of progress) toward their chicken welfare goals. After coverage of the report in Bloomberg News, Starbucks finally responded, stating it planned to set baseline targets for implementing its commitment to reducing the suffering of chickens raised for meat.

Additionally, in August three companies started reporting progress toward their animal welfare commitments, and three companies released new progress updates.

Two Brazilian companies—Special Dog and St. Marche—shared that they’d met their commitments to using only eggs from cage-free hens. Special Dog was able to convert its entire supply of eggs to cage-free in just 10 months, which we estimate will spare more than 100,000 hens life in cruel cages. St. Marche operates around 20 grocery stores in the country. In 2018 the company pledged to sell only cage-free eggs.

Handing Companies “Least Trusted” Awards

Mexico, United States

Across North America, our supporters held six protests against companies that have not provided progress on their animal welfare commitments. Protests were held against Dunkin’ Donuts, Best Western, and Grupo Herdez in both Mexico and the United States.

At all locations our supporters “awarded” each company for being one of the least trusted companies on animal protection promises.

Building a Movement

Brazil, United States, Mexico

We believe that the world’s mightiest institutions will heed the call to reform when it comes from powerful and interconnected communities. That’s why our supporters are so important.

242
Volunteer Hours Logged

Brazil: No data reported

Mexico: 80

United States: 162

32
Volunteer Actions Completed

Brazil: 15

Mexico: 3

United States: 14

38
Active Volunteer Communities

Brazil: 29

Mexico: 2

United States: 7

New Videos Produced This Month

What Plant-Based Meals Would Military Members Like to See?

Four Disturbing Things That Can Be Found in Dairy Milk 🤢

What Do You Wish You Had Known Before Going Vegan? 🤔 Ask a Vegan…

VIEW OUR YEAR-TO-DATE PROGRESS AT MERCYFORANIMALS.ORG/IMPACT

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“What keeps me focused is to remember that we are their only hope.”

—Camilla, an undercover investigator in Brazil