January
2024
We welcomed a new year with an important launch event for schools serving plant-based meals in Brazil, an explosion of new oat milk items on menus across the United States, legislative efforts, and more. Your support enables us to help animals around the world as we build on the incredible momentum of 2023.
Kicking Off Conscious Eating in Caruaru Schools
Brazil
Hundreds of school directors, staff, and cooks from public schools in the Brazilian city of Caruaru joined us for a lecture to kick off the launch of their plant-based meal program. We have been working with the school district since early last year when it first committed to serving only plant-based meals one day a week in 145 schools. The event served as a refresher about the health and environmental benefits of plant-based eating and to bring the school community together on the pillars of our program.
396
Chefs Trained
17
Nutritionists Trained
95
School Staff Trained
Celebrating New Oat Milk Drinks
United States
Last year, we had conversations with Starbucks about introducing more drinks made with plant-based milk as the default. In November, the company released its holiday drink lineup featuring oat milk in three of the six drinks.
In early 2024, Starbucks followed that lineup with its New Year’s drink menu, and four of the six signature drinks are served with oat milk as the default! The four beverages are the Oleato Golden Foam™ Iced Shaken Espresso with Oatmilk and Toffeenut, Oleato™ Caffé Latte with Oatmilk, Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, and Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso.
These new drinks come after the November release of our Best of Plant-Based: Coffee Shops report.
In the report, we also call out California-based chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for its lack of drinks made with plant milk as the default. The company announced its seasonal beverage menu recently, and three of the six drinks use oat milk: The Vanilla Spiced Oat Latte, Iced Vanilla Spiced Oat Latte, and Vanilla Spiced Oat Cold Brew.
16,389
Coffee Shop Locations That Added Drinks with Plant-Based Milk as the Default
Holding Companies to Their Animal Welfare Pledges
Global, United States, Brazil, Canada
After outreach from Mercy For Animals, Grupo Bimbo—the world’s largest baking company, which operates in 34 countries—reported 17% progress toward fulfilling its commitment to sourcing only cage-free eggs globally by the end of 2025. The company made the commitment in 2015 and still expects to meet next year’s deadline.
Fast-casual salad chain sweetgreen, which has more than 200 stores across the United States, reported that it was almost halfway toward fulfilling its chicken welfare pledge.
Brazilian pizza chain Didio Pizza published a report on its cage-free egg progress after years of pressure from Mercy For Animals. The company said it was 80% of the way toward its cage-free goal. With locations across the country, Didio Pizza boasts serving nearly a million pizzas each year.
Canadian grocery store Metro reported that all whole eggs sold under the company’s Life Smart private brand were now organic and cage-free. This is a step toward fulfilling the company’s 2016 commitment to sourcing only cage-free eggs by the end of 2025.
5
Companies Reporting Progress on Commitments
Supporting Legislation to Ban the Worst Forms of Farmed Animal Abuse
United States
Mercy For Animals submitted testimony in support of a Maryland bill that would ban the use of cruel cages for hens and require eggs sold in the state to come from cage-free hens. If the bill is passed, Maryland will join Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Colorado, Nevada, and Massachusetts in banning not only the production but the sale of eggs from caged hens.
We also submitted testimony supporting legislation that would ban the production and sale of foie gras from force-fed birds in Rhode Island. Foie gras is made from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese. Production involves shoving pipes down the birds’ throats to force the animals to ingest far more food than they would naturally eat. Their livers become diseased and swell up to 10 times their normal size, causing terrible emotional and physical suffering. Our recent testimony is part of an ongoing campaign in favor of the ban.
Getting More Eyes on Investigation Footage
Mexico
Mexican television miniseries El Colapso features Mercy For Animals investigation footage in the opening scene of the first episode, showing cows suffering at factory farms. One animal is confined in a metal contraption. He jerks his head in fear. Dead cows hang by their feet. A calf is dragged away from her mother shortly after birth. The episode has tens of thousands of views on YouTube.
Hosting a Compassion Collective Conversation
Global
Emmy-winning producer and passionate animal rescuer Maddie Johnson hosted a webinar for Mercy For Animals’ Compassion Collective, a community of our supporters who create powerful impact for animals through gifts of $1,000 to $25,000 each year.
In the webinar, Maddie talks about her inspiring journey to founding the rescue and sanctuary Living with Pickles. Learn more about our Compassion Collective.
Growing Our Global Capacity
Through investigations and public engagement, Mercy For Animals opens eyes and hearts to the suffering farmed animals endure. Our videos, websites, and print resources empower people to join our mighty movement.
4.4 Million
Social Media Impressions
Brazil: 695,926
Mexico: 433,420
United States: 2.9 Million
India: 390,521
1.2 Million
Online Video Views
Brazil: 143,717
Mexico: 313,592
United States: 732,729
India: 18,342
43
Media Mentions
Brazil: 11
Mexico: 5
United States: 27
10
Media Hits in Top 50 Outlets
Brazil: 2
Mexico: None this month
United States: 8
New Videos Produced This Month
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Veggie Mijas
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