IMPACT REPORT
Mid‑year 2024
Six months, 1.9 million animals.
This is your impact so far…
Dear animal advocate,
We’re past the halfway mark for 2024, and your work for animals continues to make headlines.
You’re promoting plant-based public policies in Mexico, and in India celebrities are engaging with our 21-Day Plant-Powered Challenge. Thanks to you, millions of people receive daily information about the importance of switching to plant-based products.
You’ve helped launch impactful investigations in Mexico, Spain, and Germany. This last one is the most extensive yet. You’ve advanced bills to end cages and ban male chick killing in Brazil and globally you’re making strides to ban foie gras in cities and countries – including the UK – all while campaigning to remove it from the 2024 Olympic Games’ hospitality menu.
Thank you for being a valued Animal Equality supporter and for doing your bit to end animal cruelty. Celebrate these achievements—they’re yours!
Sharon Núñez
President, Animal Equality
MID-YEAR RESULTS
1.9+ MILLION
ANIMALS
IMPACTED
5
INVESTIGATIONS PRESENTED
5.2+ MILLION
VIEWS OF OUR VIDEOS
154,000+
VOLUNTEERS AROUND THE WORLD
447,000+
PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN OUR CAMPAIGNS
587,000+
VISITS TO THE LOVE VEG WEBSITE
338,000+
LOVE VEG SUBSCRIBERS
301,000+
LOVE VEG RECIPE BOOK DOWNLOADS
49,000+
ESTIMATED MEDIA VIEWS OF LOVE VEG
TOP THREE HIGHLIGHTS
1. UK Labour Party pledged to ban foie gras imports if elected
Following an email action led by Animal Equality, the Labour Party confirmed that it will ban the importation of foie gras made by force-feeding ducks and geese. Ruth Jones MP replied to a concerned member of the public and issued the Labour Party’s official statement. Jones criticised the Conservative Party for its ‘inaction’ on the issue, stating the following:
‘The government has still failed to take any action and has refused to announce when the end date for this evidence-gathering process will be. This is deeply concerning. I can confirm that should the Labour Party be fortunate enough to win the election on the 4th July, we will commit to an outright import ban on foie gras as soon as possible in the next Parliament’.
Now that the Labour Party has won the General Election and formed the current Government, we are using this commitment to hold the party accountable until an outright ban on foie gras imports is in place.
2. Animal Equality defended ducks and geese at the 2024 Olympic Games
In late June, Animal Equality publicly launched a global campaign urging the Paris 2024 Olympic Games organisers to remove foie gras made by force-feeding from the hospitality menu.
Our team and supporters worked tirelessly to highlight how serving this so-called ‘delicacy’ contradicted the Olympics’ commitment to providing sustainable food and responsible French cuisine. We wrote two open letters to the Olympic organisers, one of which was signed by dozens of high-profile Olympic medallists, academics, and veterinarians. With the support of our dedicated activists, we sent over 15,000 emails to the organisers, appealed to chefs at the Games, and collected more than 78,700 petition signatures. UK Executive Director, Abigail Penny, was joined by fellow activists from French animal protection organisations, and took to Paris to personally deliver the petition signatures to the Committee and project our important message onto buildings across the city.
The organisers ignored the plea of tens of thousands of concerned global citizens, instead choosing to prioritise this cruel dish for their highest-paying guests. But our campaign made waves across the world. We secured coverage in major media outlets such as The Independent, Forbes, Vanity Fair, and Le Monde – one of France’s leading networks, showing hundreds of thousands of people the truth about the foie gras industry. We demonstrated our determination and strength, and will fight until foie gras is eradicated globally.
3. Animal Equality published longest undercover investigation to-date
Our team in Germany carried out Animal Equality’s longest undercover investigation to-date. A courageous investigator spent 120 days inside one of the country’s largest pig farms, exposing deliberate acts of animal cruelty and clear violations of European Union law. The shocking footage was broadcast live on Das Erste, Germany’s leading national television channel, during the programme Kontraste. The press coverage is ongoing and the findings from the investigation are estimated to have received tens of thousands of views. We have since filed a complaint with the relevant authorities and launched a petition calling on decision-makers to strengthen animal protection measures and promote plant-based diets.
Love Veg, Animal Equality’s plant‑based program
Choosing plant-based meals is the single biggest step that you can take to end animal suffering. Love Veg makes this easy and fun! Our programme shares recipes, nutritional advice, and tips to make delicious plant-based meals available to everyone.
Through our Love Veg programme, we’ve been inspiring people around the world to switch from cruel animal products to tasty plant-based alternatives.
In Mexico, we hosted plant-based cooking workshops at community centres and partnered with the National System for Integral Family Development, a public institution, to train community kitchen cooks, school cooks, and mothers in plant-based eating. Our workshops for Dietetics students continue to be a great success, equipping them with valuable insights they can share with their communities and future patients.
I’ve discovered healthier, cost-effective, and cruelty-free cooking methods for animals and the environment. The chef provides clear instructions so beginners can replicate them at home..
—Deyci, Love Veg Workshop attendee
In Germany, we engaged visitors at the Vegan World trade show, offering over 80 of them an immersive experience through our virtual reality project: iAnimal. We then invited them to explore Love Veg for plant-based living tips.
In India, we continued the 21-Day Plant-Powered Challenge. Recently, entrepreneur Gulnar Virk Krishna, actor Aadarsh Balakrishna, and content creator Namrata Sadhvani took the challenge and invited their hundreds of thousands of followers to join us.
We also gave Olympic swimming champion Federica Pellegrini the opportunity to experience our iAnimal virtual reality project. Her powerful reaction in a video has garnered over 1.5 million media views, inspiring many to discover the reality behind factory farming and reconsider their food choices.
CHANGING THE WORLD FOR ANIMALS
EXPOSING THE MEAT INDUSTRY AND HOLDING ABUSERS ACCOUNTABLE
Investigations are vital because they uncover the hidden cruelties that the meat industry tries to keep out of sight. Animal Equality works tirelessly to expose some of the most shocking abuses inflicted on animals today. The powerful footage that we release publicly informs the public and drives change. Our exposés show the undeniable need for stronger animal protection laws to help those trapped in these cruel industries, and pressures some of the world’s largest companies to rethink their outdated practices and policies. These investigations are the first step toward creating a world where animals are treated with the respect and care they deserve, a world in which they are no longer farmed at all.
Beyond Germany, Animal Equality has released several other investigations highlighting the misery animals endure on farms across the globe.
In Mexico, our team released investigative footage revealing the hidden cruelty in the country’s rabbit meat industry. Among the findings were overcrowding in cages, slaughter without stunning, abuse, rough handling and rabbits crying out in desperation before slaughter. Animal Equality has filed complaints with the relevant authorities and we are using this footage to encourage people to choose plant-based.
For the first time in over a decade, Animal Equality’s investigators in Spain documented horse slaughter. Despite low domestic consumption, Spain is a major producer and exporter of horse meat in the European Union. Our recent footage inspires people to leave animals off their plates and supports the campaign to urge the Spanish Government, the European Union, and other nations – including the UK – to ban horse slaughter.
Our team in Spain continues to hold animal abusers accountable for their actions. Six years after Animal Equality first investigated the Spanish farm ‘Hermanos Carrasco’ with Jordi Évole and Salvados, revealing pigs living in miserable conditions, the two owners finally faced trial and were charged with 14 counts of animal cruelty. Although the judge acknowledged the abuse, the veterinarian was ultimately blamed for the charges and the owners were acquitted. However, both the Prosecutor’s Office and Animal Equality believe the evidence of these crimes is clear, and are now seeking a review of the sentence.
ENDING CAGES FOR HENS, PIGS AND OTHER ANIMALS
Pigs
Millions of mother pigs around the world are confined in tiny cages barely larger than their bodies. Many are kept in gestation crates during pregnancy and then in farrowing crates until their piglets are weaned at around 28 days. While it is illegal in the UK and many other countries to confine sows in gestation crates during pregnancy, it remains legal elsewhere in the world, and farrowing crates are still legal here in the UK. In these cages the animals are unable to stand up or turn around. To help change this, Animal Equality is targeting corporations urging them to change their practices.
Most recently, in the U.S., we published a Restaurant Report exposing 13 restaurants that have failed to remove cages for pregnant pigs from their supply chains. Some of these restaurants have refused to phase out the cages, while others have abandoned their commitments.
In the midst of Animal Equality’s campaign against Denny’s – one of the restaurants featured in the report – Reuters reported that the chain is facing growing pressure to eliminate gestation crates from its supply chain. The article, which has reached over 225,000 estimated views, noted that these gestation crates would be a focal point of Denny’s upcoming shareholder vote.
Simultaneously, our campaign against cages in the Aldi U.S. supply chain has gained momentum in Germany, Aldi’s home country. Animal Equality commissioned a truck with transparent walls, placed a gestation crate inside, and toured through major German cities to raise awareness about this practice. We held several protests at Aldi stores and trade fairs. In the first half of 2024, thousands of people learned about this campaign through media reports.
Hens
Hens face similar confinement in small, wire cages. They are unable to spread their wings, and their beaks are trimmed to prevent pecking.
In India, we’re collaborating with hotels to eliminate eggs from caged hens. Four Seasons Mumbai has achieved 100% compliance, while St. Regis Mumbai, Westin Goregaon, and Ritz Carlton Bangalore have achieved at least 60%.
Other animals
Our Brazilian team has advanced their ‘Brazil Without Cages’ Campaign, which would legally prohibit cages for pigs, hens, and calves. The petition has already reached nearly 50,000 signatures. We recently conducted a leafleting and awareness action with our volunteers.
While cage-free will never mean cruelty-free, these changes are critical in eliminating some of the worst abuses for animals trapped in farms.
ENDING MALE CHICK KILLING
In the egg industry, male chicks are considered worthless because they cannot lay eggs and are a different breed from chickens used for meat. Consequently, they are often killed through suffocation, electrocution, or grinding. Animal Equality advocates for in-ovo sexing technology, which identifies and removes male embryos before they hatch. Your support will help make the killing of male chicks a thing of the past.
In Brazil, our team held a public hearing to bolster two bills we introduced in São Paulo. If approved, these bills will ban the killing of male chicks and calves, impacting over 25 million animals every year. At the event, Animal Equality released an ‘Alternatives to Disposing of Male Chicks’ report, which discusses in-ovo sexing technologies. We’re also advocating for a ban on male chick killing at the federal level in Brazil.
ENDING FORCE-FEEDING
Foie gras production involves force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers swell up to ten times their normal size. This cruel process involves repeatedly inserting metal tubes down the animals’ throats, causing severe pain, injuries, and often death from ruptured organs. While several countries and cities, including India and California, have banned the production and importation of foie gras (although import for private consumption is permitted in California), many others are yet to follow suit. Although the UK has banned the practice of force-feeding for foie gras, we still import hundreds of tonnes annually, despite 85% of UK citizens expressing support for a ban in the latest YouGov poll commissioned by Animal Equality in July 2024 (excluding the ‘don’t know’ responses).
Animal Equality is fighting to change this. In the UK we are engaging with politicians and have already secured a pledge from the Labour Party, just before they formed the current Government, to ban foie gras imports. We will hold them to their promise and do everything in our power to see this ban through.
On the international front, we launched a global campaign urging the Olympic Games’ organisers to remove foie gras from the hospitality menu. Though they ignored the pleas of tens of thousands of people who signed our petition, we successfully drew attention to the industry’s cruel practices, and secured widespread media coverage in major platforms such as Le Monde, Vanity Fair, and Forbes.
In the U.S. our team launched a petition urging the Ann Arbor City Council in Michigan to enact a foie gras sales ban. Given that this state is perceived to be one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the Midwest, it’s about time a total ban was enacted here!
In Brazil, thanks to the leadership of our Latin American team, a bill prohibiting force-feeding has already passed two of the three required committees. With nearly 230,000 signatures backing this effort, we’ve intensified the campaign to push for its final approval.
In Italy, foie gras is currently being debated in Parliament. Following our volunteer efforts, 44 parliamentarians have addressed our concerns, with many openly supporting our campaign to outlaw force-feeding. During a session in May, lawmakers denounced the practice and advocated for a ban across Europe.
Meanwhile, in Spain, our team is taking corporate action. Animal Equality activists protested simultaneously in five cities – Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, and Murcia – demanding that El Corte Inglés, Europe’s largest department store group, remove foie gras from its shelves.
OTHER IMPORTANT UPDATES
At the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., Animal Equality President Sharon Núñez, Vice-President for Latin America Dulce Ramírez, and UK Executive Director Abigail Penny delivered powerful speeches. President Sharon Núñez’s speech was featured on an animal advocacy podcast called How I Learned to Love Shrimp. Watch it here!
In the UK, Abigail has been invited to be a Guest Lecturer at several leading universities, most recently at the London School of Economics. She highlighted Animal Equality’s impactful work in defence of animals and the key challenges facing farmed animals today. At Animal Equality, we recognise that it is crucial to engage with students and inspire them to dedicate their careers to animal advocacy, as they will be the next generation of animal protectors!
BRINGING WORLDWIDE MEDIA ATTENTION TO ANIMALS
765+
MEDIA MENTIONS
16.9+ MILLION
ESTIMATED MEDIA VIEWS
Animal Equality’s work has been highlighted by the following news organisations:
YOU CAN HELP ANIMALS
Your support is crucial in our ongoing fight against animal cruelty, whether it’s advocating for legislative change, exposing animal suffering, or inspiring people to choose compassionate lifestyles. Together, we are shaping a future where animals are respected and protected.
Join us. Donate now. Let’s make history for animals.
I support Animal Equality because you are on the front lines, recording unimaginable cruelty and bringing these cases to the public. The undercover investigators and everyone at Animal Equality are true heroes.
Patricia Packer
Animal Equality’s supporter
