Financial Institutions and Animal Welfare (April 2023)

Financial institutions have a critical role to play to bring change in food and agriculture, including how animals are treated. They can adopt policies, engage with their clients to increase animal welfare standards, provide special finance lines to support the transition to higher animal welfare farming methods, and invest in plant-based initiatives and more sustainable production systems.

This report, by Stop Financing Factory Farming founding member Sinergia Animal, assessed the policies of 69 financial institutions worldwide, with a special focus on those that finance operations and companies in the Global South. This includes the World Bank Group, British International Investments (formerly CDC Group), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and European Investment Bank.

It highlights the urgent need for financial institutions to adopt strong animal welfare policies and pave the way for a more sustainable future for animals, people, and the environment.