The way our food is labelled matters, and here’s why

Hosted by Alistair Carmichael MP, the event brought together parliamentarians, retailers, farmers, certification schemes, academics and animal welfare experts to discuss the urgent need for mandatory method of production labelling on meat, dairy and egg products. The expert panel featured Jake Pickering from Waitrose & Partners, Martin Lines, CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, Oona Buttafoco from the Soil Association, and our own Emily Wilson, Head of Programmes at FOUR PAWS UK, who shared insights into why greater transparency is essential for consumers, farmers and, most importantly, animals.  

A highlight of the event was an interactive supermarket aisle, where attendees could explore what clear, consistent animal welfare labels could look like in practice. The installation brought the campaign to life, demonstrating how simple and effective mandatory labelling could be in helping consumers understand how animals were raised and make informed purchasing decisions.  

The launch of the report marks an important step in our work in calling for animal welfare food labelling, at a time of great political turmoil and continued slow progress on animal welfare. The report sets out how transparent method-of-production labelling could help drive demand for higher welfare farming systems, creating market incentives that improve the lives of millions of farmed animals and supports British farmers who are doing the right thing. By enabling consumers to make informed choices, better labelling has the potential to encourage farming practices that provide animals with more space, enrichment and opportunities to express their natural behaviours.  

This work is a powerful example of FOUR PAWS' mission in action. Our vision is a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding, and where every animal can live a life free from suffering. Achieving that vision means not only rescuing animals in need but also driving systemic change that improves the lives of millions more. Campaigning for honest, transparent food labelling is one way we can influence policy, support higher welfare farming and empower consumers to be part of that change.  

The success of this event reflects the dedication and collaboration of colleagues across the organisation and positions FOUR PAWS as a leading voice on animal welfare in Parliament. Together, we are ensuring that animal welfare remains firmly on the political agenda and moving one step closer to a future where every shopper knows what's behind the label, and every farmed animal has the chance of a better life.