Animal Welfare Audits

Introduction 

Bureau Veritas offers a comprehensive suite of Animal Welfare services to support ethical practices across industries. 

• Our independent third-party audits assess compliance with industry standards, regulations, and client-specific requirements for animal welfare. 

• Our expertise in navigating the complex regulatory landscape and its ability to develop customized audit schemes help clients meet their animal welfare goals and maintain trust with stakeholders. 

• Our experience combined with discussions with NGOs, has made it possible to develop a range of services linked to the evaluation of animal welfare. 

• Our certification and auditing services help food operators demonstrate compliance or even go beyond standards for the humane treatment of animals published by OIE, the World Organization for Animal Health.

Challenges

An Ipsos Global Trends survey indicates that over 75% of consumers are inclined to pay a premium for products from companies that uphold stringent animal welfare standards, highlighting not only a market opportunity but also a strategic business imperative across Agri-food, textiles, and luxury industry with far-reaching implications for public health, environmental sustainability, and economic prosperity.

Driven by evolving consumer demands and ethical imperatives, the need to ensure animal welfare across farming, transport, and slaughter is garnering heightened attention. This has compelled industry stakeholders to adapt their specifications and enhance processes, offering new guarantees of humane treatment throughout the life cycle.

While regulations may still vary across regions, leading retailers and manufacturers are proactively seeking compliance through comprehensive Animal Welfare Audits of the entire production chain. These audits, largely based on the five fundamental freedoms of animals issued by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), help stakeholders verify compliance with humane practices, mitigate risks, and provide assurance to consumers.

Our impact

Actively participating in the sustainable transition of the agri-food industry by supporting stakeholders to change business practices and improve animal wellbeing to serve the food sector and the end consumers.