Swansea University has been presented with a Good Farm Animal Welfare Award for its efforts to help improve the welfare of millions of farm animals.
Swansea University was among some 40 hospitals, education centres and local councils from across the UK to be presented with a Compassion in World Farming, Public Procurement Good Farm Animal Welfare Award.
The awards, in three categories – Good Egg, Good Chicken and Good Dairy – recognise commitment to improving the lives of animals by sourcing only higher welfare eggs, chicken or dairy produce for their catering. Swansea University won a Good Egg Award.
Catering Manager Les Carmichael said: “The Good Egg Award underpins Swansea University’s intent on supporting the improvement of animal welfare and ethical procurement.
“We support improvement of animal welfare by ensuring that our meat suppliers, when commercially viable, is red tractor certified, this now applies to all our fresh chicken purchased. We also have freedom food certification for our purchase of pork, and we are also progressing with an application for the soil association food mark.
“Our ethical procurement culminates in being the first Welsh Fairtrade University, we are also accredited by the Vegetarian Society, we locally purchase as much food and beverages as possible, and we showcase this every March with our Welsh food festival.”
Katy Read, Head of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming said: “It is so great to see the public sector’s catering departments taking animal welfare into consideration when sourcing their meat and egg produce. Higher welfare produce isn’t just the responsibility of the large corporations, but something that can be achieved at all levels. Well done to all our award winners – keep up the good work!”
