December Progress
Goodbye, 2020. Mercy For Animals ended the year on a high note. We launched three investigations, snagged a mention in a New York Times story, and worked with Whole Foods Market on a new animal welfare commitment.
A Mercy For Animals investigator exposed a pig slaughterhouse in Brazil operated by JBS, the world’s largest meat company. Hidden-camera footage uncovered pigs painfully electrocuted and bled to death.
This investigation also exposes several hog farms in south and southeast Brazil—including one JBS supplier—and some of the worst standard practices in the pork industry. The investigator documented animals living in extremely dirty concrete pens and suffering from injuries and illnesses, such as damaged limbs, tremors, dizziness, and trouble breathing.
A Mercy For Animals whistleblower revealed animals sold like objects at an auction yard. Footage shows cows crowded closely together in trucks, shocked with electric prods, and forced to endure transport and auction yards in extreme temperatures. Some suffered severe frostbite. Others froze to death aboard trucks.
Narrated by actor and environmental activist Calum Worthy, a new Mercy For Animals video reveals the destructive impact of cattle ranching on the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
We also released a comprehensive report, with compelling data and high-resolution satellite images, that shows the connection between demand for beef and destruction of the Amazon.
Vegetarianism is soaring in Brazil, according to a recent New York Times article. One reason for this is “an increasingly visible animal rights movement.” Sandra Lopes, our former managing director for Brazil, discusses the impact of undercover investigations and partnerships between Mercy For Animals and public schools that agree to serve less meat.
For the first time, Alimentação Consciente Brasil published content in a renowned magazine—Veja Saúde. This is the third-largest monthly magazine in Brazil. Our article, published in the December edition, promoted the public health benefits of meat reduction and plant-based eating.
Mi Mercadito, a retailer in Yucatán, Mexico, committed to ending its use of eggs from caged hens.
Whole Foods Market became the first major U.S. retailer to fully align with the Better Chicken Commitment. The company expanded its existing commitment, agreeing to transition to controlled-atmosphere stunning for fresh, prepared, and private-label chicken by 2026. Mercy For Animals supported partner organizations in securing this progress.
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.
Brazil: none this month
Mexico: none this month
United States: 114
Brazil: none this month
Mexico: none this month
United States: 2
Brazil: 22
Mexico: 0
United States: 6
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: 1.2 million
Brazil: 7.8 million
United States: 17 million
Mexico: 87,452
Brazil: 368,158
United States: 886,355
Mexico: 10,300
Brazil: 1,675
United States: 10,246
Mexico: none this month
Brazil: 12
United States: 25
Mexico: none this month
Brazil: none this month
United States: 3
—Camilla, an undercover investigator in Brazil