August Progress
Californians voted overwhelmingly last year to pass the strongest farmed animal protection initiative in the world—Proposition 12. Now Mercy For Animals’ government affairs and public policy team has a seat at the table with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the body tasked with drafting the regulations to carry out Prop 12.
In Brazil, our Alimentação Consciente food policy team obtained a significant commitment from the city of Campos dos Goytacazes and hosted trainings to prepare for the meat-reduction program’s implementation.
In August the Brazilian city of Campos dos Goytacazes publicly agreed to work with our Alimentação Consciente Brasil food policy team to replace 20 percent of meat, dairy, and eggs with plant-based food by serving vegan meals one day a week in city schools and social-assistance centers.
Days before the public commitment, Mercy For Animals team members trained 235 chefs and nutritionists in plant-based eating and cooking. Once the program is fully implemented, the institutions will serve around 350,000 vegan meals a year.
Brazil: 6,900
Mexico: 1,200
Brazil: 329,400
Mexico: 77,100
California voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative in 2018 to ban the production and sale in California of meat and eggs from intensively confined animals. Mercy For Animals reached out to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to offer input on the rules and regulations to implement Prop 12. Our government affairs and public policy team has been communicating frequently with the department and has submitted formal comments urging the CDFA to adopt regulations that uphold the plain language of Prop 12 and the will of the state’s people.
In a New York Daily News op-ed published ahead of the G7 summit on climate change, Mercy For Animals president Leah Garcés makes the case that solving climate change doesn’t have to be hard. Research shows that unless we transition to a plant-based food system, we will face a catastrophe. But companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have shown us how easy it is to choose plant-based.
In an Oregon Business article, Mercy For Animals senior policy advisor AJ Albrecht calls the state’s new law banning the production and sale of eggs from hens confined in cages a “positive step forward.”
After months of dialogue with Mercy For Animals, honeygrow, a fast-casual restaurant chain with 27 locations in the U.S., committed to sourcing only Global Animal Partnership-certified chicken and eliminating live-shackle slaughter.
Makro, a major wholesaler in Brazil, committed to banning eggs from caged hens in its 74 locations throughout the country after discussions with Mercy For Animals and other animal protection groups.
Conagra, a leading North American food company with dozens of prominent brands, adopted a chicken welfare policy after extensive conversations with many large animal protection organizations, including Mercy For Animals.
Mexico: none this month
Brazil: 1
United States: 2
Canada: none this month
Two Mercy For Animals staff members in Brazil, Diogo Fernandes and Alice Martins, spoke at an event in Sorocaba, São Paulo, called United for the Animals. Important city politicians attended and expressed interest in learning more about reducing the meat, dairy, and eggs served in public institutions.
We believe that the world’s mightiest institutions will heed the call to reform when it comes from powerful and interconnected communities. That’s why our supporters are so important. And in August, Mercy For Animals activists hosted 40 actions!
Brazil: 161
Mexico: none this month
United States: 85
Brazil: 37
Mexico: none this month
United States: 3
Brazil: 22
Mexico: 2
United States: 10
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.
Mexico: 13.5 million
Brazil: 3.8 million
United States: 24.5 million
Mexico: 814,983
Brazil: 58,563
United States: 1 million
Mexico: 750
Brazil: 11,809
United States: 880
Mexico: 13
Brazil: 5
United States: 26
Mexico: none this month
Brazil: 1
United States: 2
United States: 922,200
Mexico: none this month
Brazil: none this month
—Camilla, an undercover investigator in Brazil