Over 350,000 laying hens committed to cage-free housing in Ghana

Daniel Abiliba; Animal Welfare League; Jacob Ayang; EMMANUEL D. PIIRU

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Tom Billington

Great news! Thanks so much for this awesome work 🙂 I’d be interested to hear:

What convinced farmers to sign up?
How long is the expected timeline to full transition to cage free? Will this be supported by The Animal Welfare League?
Is the commitment legally enforceable? or is this more of an MOU (memorandum of understanding) style of agreement?
Do you have plans for monitoring farmer’s progression on the commitment? Do have any expectation on follow-through rates?

Jacob Ayang

Hi @TomBill, these are really great questions. Below are some details that will hopefully give you some clarity on our work

Animal welfare is significantly neglected in our region, with many farmers prioritizing profit over the well-being of their birds. one compelling tool we utilize is the finding of a research study, which indicates that consumers are increasingly ethically conscious about animal welfare and are willing to pay extra for cage-free products. Additionally, farmers included in our cage-free directory serve as a valuable resource for corporate companies adopting cage-free policies, providing them with a readily available market they can source from. These efforts, in conjunction with our direct outreach programs and workshops that emphasise on the importance of improved welfare practices as such practices directly impact both animal and public health are what convinces farmers to sign up.
All farmers listed in our Cage-free Directory are 100% cage-free and adhere to our minimum welfare standards. We achieve this by collaborating closely with them, conducting individual farm visits, and offering technical support as needed. However, there remains a group of farmers who still employ cages and are looking to transition, and we are actively working towards transitioning them by the end of the upcoming year.
Currently, the commitments take the form of of MOU's, as dictated by industry norms in our region. Nevertheless, we are actively pursuing measures to makes these commitments legally binding. With increasing industry support and other influential factors, we intend to scale-up our advocacy for regulations prohibiting the use of battery cages in Ghana.
As part of the MOU, Animal Welfare League conducts two annual farm visits, one announced and one unannounced, to ensure that farmers maintain the minimum welfare standards. Additionally, farmers are required to provide yearly reports on the status of animal welfare and their housing systems on their respective farms to maintain their position on our directory.

Jessica Wen 🔸

This is fantastic news!

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Jacob Ayang

Hi @TomBill, these are really great questions. Below are some details that will hopefully give you some clarity on our work

Animal welfare is significantly neglected in our region, with many farmers prioritizing profit over the well-being of their birds. one compelling tool we utilize is the finding of a research study, which indicates that consumers are increasingly ethically conscious about animal welfare and are willing to pay extra for cage-free products. Additionally, farmers included in our cage-free directory serve as a valuable resource for corporate companies adopting cage-free policies, providing them with a readily available market they can source from. These efforts, in conjunction with our direct outreach programs and workshops that emphasise on the importance of improved welfare practices as such practices directly impact both animal and public health are what convinces farmers to sign up.
All farmers listed in our Cage-free Directory are 100% cage-free and adhere to our minimum welfare standards. We achieve this by collaborating closely with them, conducting individual farm visits, and offering technical support as needed. However, there remains a group of farmers who still employ cages and are looking to transition, and we are actively working towards transitioning them by the end of the upcoming year.
Currently, the commitments take the form of of MOU's, as dictated by industry norms in our region. Nevertheless, we are actively pursuing measures to makes these commitments legally binding. With increasing industry support and other influential factors, we intend to scale-up our advocacy for regulations prohibiting the use of battery cages in Ghana.
As part of the MOU, Animal Welfare League conducts two annual farm visits, one announced and one unannounced, to ensure that farmers maintain the minimum welfare standards. Additionally, farmers are required to provide yearly reports on the status of animal welfare and their housing systems on their respective farms to maintain their position on our directory.