FAQs
All Consumer FAQs
How long has the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme been operating?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme began in 1996 with the release of the first RSPCA Standard for Layer Hen Welfare.
The program has grown to include Standards for meat chickens, pigs, turkeys, farmed Atlantic salmon and non-replacement dairy calves. You can see our impact here.
Is free range better than RSPCA Approved?
Good animal welfare isn’t just about outdoor access or stocking density – as these factors alone don’t necessarily improve animal welfare, nor do they tell you much about the system overall.
The RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards have hundreds of requirements and a focus on a combination of factors to provide for the behavioural and physical needs of the animal – ultimately leading to a better quality of life.
What is the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme’s vision and mission?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme’s vision is a future of higher welfare farming. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for farmed animals.
Since the program began in 1996, more than 5 billion farm animals have lived a better quality of life. Find out more about our impact here.
To achieve this, the RSPCA has developed detailed animal welfare standards that go beyond what’s legally required in Australia. The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme assesses farms and abattoirs against these standards and if conforming give Producers a certification status. Brands that source from Producers with RSPCA Approved certification can market this to their customers through use of the RSPCA Approved logo.
What is the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is Australia’s leading independent certification program focused on farm animal welfare. We work closely with producers and brands to make a positive impact on the lives of farm animals by certifying Producers against the RSPCA’s detailed standards and encouraging brands to transition to sourcing certified higher welfare products.
Billions of layer hens, pigs, meat chickens, turkeys and farmed Atlantic salmon have benefitted from better conditions since the Scheme began in 1996. Read about our impact here.
What does the RSPCA Approved logo mean?
When you see the RSPCA Approved logo on a product in the supermarket or on a menu, you can be sure that the product or ingredient came from a Producer certified to the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards.
How do you make sure Producers are adhering to the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard?
Producers who have RSPCA Approved certification have farms and abattoirs that are regularly assessed by an RSPCA Assessor to check that they are meeting the applicable Standard.
Producers are also required to submit information detailing both production data and any on-farm issues between assessments. You can read more about our certification and assessment process here.
What brands source from Producers who have the RSPCA Approved certification?
Australians are driving change for some of our country’s most intensively farmed animals, simply through their purchasing decisions. Companies that recognise this and adopt the RSPCA’s detailed standards or source from producers with RSPCA Approved certification, are leading the way in improving welfare for millions of farm animals every year.
You can see which brands have RSPCA Approved products here.
How do you make sure brands marketing their products as RSPCA Approved are sourcing from the producers you work with?
Brands marketing products with the RSPCA Approved logo must have traceability systems in place to ensure these products are clearly identified, kept separate from other products, and can be traced from point of sale back through to the farm. These brands must adhere to the RSPCA Approved Chain of Custody Standard and undergo an assessment of their business. You can learn more about the RSPCA Approved traceability system, here.
Where can I see videos of farms with RSPCA Approved certification?
You can see what happens on the farms we certify, here.
Are the RSPCA’s standards the highest possible?
Our standards set a higher level for animal welfare by aiming to provide some of Australia’s most intensively farmed animals with a better quality of life, well beyond what is legally required.
The standards don’t allow animals to be reared in cages, crates or stalls which have inherent animal welfare issues, or subjected to practices that are painful and could be avoided with better management. The standards still can apply to intensive farming systems; however, they are a key driver in improving these systems for better welfare outcomes. The RSPCA recognises that there are always improvements to be made in raising the bar for farm animals.
See how the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards compare to the legal requirements here.
How do RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme standards compare with the law?
The RSPCA’s Approved Farming Scheme standards go beyond legal requirements. See what the RSPCA’s animal welfare standards mean for each animal, and how that compares to the legal requirements, here.
How and when are the RSPCA Approved Standards reviewed?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme standards are developed and reviewed by RSPCA Australia’s science team. The standards are informed by animal welfare science, RSPCA policy and leading farming practices in Australia and overseas. Each standard includes an average of 340 unique requirements, exceeds legal requirements and is created with the aim of meeting the needs of animals while remaining achievable, considering the commercial realities of farming.
With continuous improvement in mind, a formal review of each standard is conducted approximately every five years to ensure they are progressively evolving and continuing to incorporate relevant animal welfare science and farming innovations. The process includes a review of current relevant scientific literature and leading industry practices both in Australia and abroad and feedback is sought from a range of stakeholders, including current producers, food companies, industry bodies, other animal welfare organisations and state and territory RSPCAs. Regularly reviewing the standards is a key part of how RSPCA Approved helps to continuously raise the bar for farm animal welfare in Australia.
In 2023, the revised Layer Hen Standard was released and the Standard for chickens farmed for meat is currently undergoing a scheduled review, following the regular standard review process.
How is the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme funded?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is a not-for-profit program. Donations to the RSPCA are not used to fund the program.
For producers that choose to become certified, they must meet the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard and go through a rigorous assessment process as part of RSPCA Approved certification.
The operational costs of certification, including the ongoing assessments of farms and abattoirs, are covered by licensing fees.
Licensing fees are paid by brands that use the RSPCA Approved logo in the marketing of their RSPCA Approved product. The fee covers the associated certification costs and use of brand.
All income from licensing fees is quarantined and used only within the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme.
Is revenue raised from licensing fees by brands used for RSPCA campaigns?
No. Licensing fees received from brands marketing RSPCA Approved product are quarantined and used only to fund the program – they do not fund campaigns.
Who operates the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is owned and operated by RSPCA Australia.
See our Who We Are page for more information on how the Scheme works.
What is higher-welfare food?
Higher-welfare food refers to animal-based products such as meat, fish, dairy or eggs, that have been reared and/or slaughtered to standards that prioritise the physical and behavioural needs of the animals, in particular low stress interactions with humans, and promotion of positive experiences for a better quality of life. You can read more about this on the RSPCA Knowledgebase
Why are consumers wanting to know about the welfare of farm animals?
Consumers are increasingly wanting to know that the products they are buying meet their expectations for animal welfare.
In fact now 56% of Australians look for information on packaging about how an animal-based product has been farmed, compared with 46% in 2018 (McCrindle, 2022).
Having a trusted certification (such as RSPCA Approved) from a reputable animal welfare organisation on their products is a way that brands can provide their customers with confidence that the product has been farmed to a higher welfare standard.
Why is the RSPCA involved in the farming of animals?
In the absence of better legal requirements for Australia’s most intensively farmed animals, the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme was developed as a solution to drive better welfare standards on farm.
As an organisation committed to science-based animal welfare policies, one of the most meaningful ways we can improve the lives of farmed animals is to ensure they are reared in an environment that meets their individual needs and encourages them to express their natural behaviours – as long as animals are farmed for food and fiber, the RSPCA is committed to advocating for their welfare to be treated as a priority.
Find out more about the RSPCA’s role in Australian agriculture here.
Why isn’t the RSPCA a vegetarian organisation?
The RSPCA acknowledges that excluding animal-based products from your diet is one way to demonstrate that you care about farm animal welfare. But the reality is that the majority of Australians include meat and animal-based products in their diet, and the RSPCA wants these consumers to support farmers who prioritise animal welfare. You can learn more about this, here.
Why can’t the RSPCA prosecute farmers for keeping animals in battery cages, sow stalls and farrowing crates?
Unfortunately, there are common practices in livestock farming that don’t meet farm animals’ behavioural, social, or physiological needs but are not illegal in Australia.
The RSPCA opposes farming practices that cause suffering or distress to animals, or that prevent the animal from moving freely and satisfying its behavioural, social or physiological needs. These practices include battery hen farming, the use of farrowing crates in pig farming and individual penning of housed sheep.
However, the RSPCA Inspectorate acts within the framework of animal welfare legislation set by the states and territories. Provided that producers are operating within these laws, the RSPCA cannot prosecute them for using intensive farming practices, even when these practices are opposed by the RSPCA because they are inhumane and cruel. Intensive systems will need to be made illegal before the RSPCA can prosecute. Find out more here.
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is a voluntary program for producers that are assessed against the program’s animal specific standards that go well beyond minimum legal requirements. This is separate to the RSPCA Inspectorate.
What else is the RSPCA doing to improve farm animal welfare?
In addition to animal welfare improvements made through the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme, the RSPCA also engages directly with industry, retailers, food service, and the general public to push for change. You can read more about our role in farm animal welfare here.
I’m confused by the terms on packaging, such as ‘free range’, ‘outdoor bred’, and ‘cage free’?
‘Free range’, ‘outdoor bred’ and ‘cage free’ are all used to describe various methods of production for farm animals.
Consumers should read labels carefully and choose products checked or certified by reputable organisations that have standards available to compare, such as the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme.
Without nationally agreed definitions or standards for product labelling, terms like ‘free range’ can be used without informing consumers how much access the animals really have to the outdoors or whether these environments meet the behavioural and physical needs of the animal.
Read our blogs to help make sense of the common labels found on chicken, egg, and pork products.
Does RSPCA Approved certification mean free range?
The RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards allow farming systems that can house animals in enriched indoor environments; or in a large shed with outdoor access (free range); or that have animals living in paddocks with sheds providing protection from the weather (free range).
Farm animals with access to the outdoors (free range) will still spend a majority of their time inside a shed. This means that the conditions and space inside the shed are very important.
For example, meat chickens on free range farms spend the first three weeks of their lives, or until they are fully feathered, inside and are locked in the shed during the night to protect them from predators and the elements.
If a product is labelled ‘free range’ and displays the RSPCA Approved certification then the producer must meet the outdoor requirements within the RSPCA’s Standard.
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Why should I choose RSPCA Approved?
There are no legal requirements for regular monitoring of farms, and the law does not go far enough to ensure good animal welfare. Many labelling terms can be used to market products, but some are misleading. By looking for a reputable certification with publicly available standards and processes, consumers can have confidence in the products they purchase.
When picking up a product with the RSPCA Approved logo, you know that the animal has been farmed to the RSPCA’s Standard, and the producer has been regularly assessed as part of our certification process.
Brands sourcing from Producers with the RSPCA Approved certification must have traceability systems in place to trace product from point of sale right back through to the farm to make sure that the product is exactly what it says it is.
What happens on an egg farm with the RSPCA Approved certification?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standard for Layer Hens has 138 requirements for when hens are on farm, including giving hens more space to move, stretch and flap their wings, having secluded nest boxes to lay their eggs, litter for dustbathing, and perches for rest and maintaining leg health.
All farms with RSPCA Approved certification are assessed two to four times per year by specially trained RSPCA Assessors, and as a humane death is also important, abattoirs are assessed annually to ensure producers are consistently adhering to the standards.
What’s the problem with cage eggs?
Cage eggs come from layer hens confined in battery cages. Each hen has less space than an A4 sheet of paper and spends her life standing on bare wire with no enrichments.
More than 5 million layer hens live in battery cages in Australia. While all production systems can have welfare challenges there are welfare issues that simply can’t be addressed in a barren battery cage – they are inherent to the system itself. This is why the RSPCA has long campaigned for an end to battery cages.
Cages are not permitted under the RSPCA Approved Standard for Layer Hens.
What are cage-free eggs? How are they different to cage eggs?
Cage-free labelling on eggs can include barn-laid or free-range farming systems. Barn-laid eggs come from hens that are able to move about in large sheds. These are cage-free systems and are an improvement for hen welfare in comparison to cage systems, but standards can vary farm to farm. Free-range eggs mean the hens are able to roam outdoors on a range. Simply providing access to the outdoors is not a guarantee of good welfare as birds spend most of their time inside the shed regardless of access to a range area. Conditions within the shed are just as, if not more, important in terms of hen welfare.
Eggs from RSPCA Approved layer hens can be either barn-laid or free-range. No matter the system they must be assessed against and meet the RSPCA’s Standard for Layer Hens. Whether raised indoors or with access to the outdoors, there’s a focus on providing for layer hens’ behavioural and physical needs.
Does ‘organic’ mean good welfare?
A product that’s organic is not necessarily higher welfare. Organic agriculture has a focus on avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals, such as synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, hormones, and antibiotics. Organic meat production usually includes access to the outdoors, but the exact standards vary.
Why are male chicks killed in the egg industry and how can this be changed?
In the egg industry, the sex of day-old chicks is determined at the hatchery to determine if they are a rooster or a hen. As the primary role is egg production, the male chicks are culled as they cannot lay eggs and are not suitable for chicken meat production – unfortunately due to this, they are considered a waste product of the industry.
Listen to Mark Tizzard from CSIRO explain how a new technology could change this.
How are RSPCA Approved meat chickens reared?
Meat chickens reared on farms by Producers with RSPCA Approved certification are provided with enriched environments that mean they can perch, scratch, and dustbathe – all behaviours that come naturally to them. Whether they are raised in an enriched barn or with outdoor access when fully feathered, there’s a focus on better animal welfare.
These farms must meet over 300 requirements under the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard which are regularly assessed by specially trained RSPCA Assessors.
How has the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme worked with the meat chicken industry to improve animal welfare?
The RSPCA‘s detailed animal welfare Standard for Meat Chickens goes beyond legal requirements in Australia. The Standard provides producers with a tangible way to improve meat chicken welfare today, and through our regular, formal reviews the Standard provides a pathway of continuous improvement.
Producers who are certified by RSPCA Approved have their farms and abattoirs regularly assessed by the RSPCA Australia Certification Body. These regular assessments ensure the Standard is met, but also provides on-the-ground discussions on animal welfare directly with farmers, transporters and abattoir workers.
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme provides guidance for brands to assist them in recognising animal welfare as a core business issue, and then works with their suppliers to transition them to using higher-welfare products. This work has helped create a market for RSPCA Approved chicken for consumers who are looking for certified higher-welfare options.
The uptake of RSPCA Approved chicken in Australia is arguably the program’s greatest success to date in improving animal welfare for a large number of farm animals.
In 2014, in a landmark move, Coles became the first supermarket to source RSPCA Approved chicken for all their own-brand fresh chicken. This move was closely followed by Woolworths and launched a transformation within the industry which has resulted in continual improvements to meat chicken welfare since 2014.
From sheds that were often highly stocked, with low light, very poor litter quality and no perches, the adoption of the RSPCA’s Standard has seen space per bird increased, better lighting provided, good litter quality and provision of perches and enrichment, resulting in better quality of life for these meat chickens.
Are RSPCA Approved animals given antibiotics or hormones?
The RSPCA Approved standards allow the use of antibiotics to treat disease. As suffering from disease is a poor welfare outcome, it is important to treat this when necessary.
The routine use of antibiotics for growth promotion is strongly discouraged and is not permitted under any of the RSPCA’s standards.
It should be noted that the Australian meat chicken industry has not used growth hormones for many decades.
How are antibiotics used in animal agriculture and should we be concerned?
Antibiotics are a medication that are used to treat and control infections caused by bacteria.
Antibiotics have been routinely used, particularly in intensive farm animal production systems, as a form of growth promotion or to prevent disease; however, this can increase the chance of antibiotic resistance, meaning the antibiotic is no longer effective in killing the bacteria. Routinely using antibiotics in farm animals, including those antibiotics that are important for conserving human health, increases the chance of antibiotic resistance in humans.
The RSPCA believes that antibiotics should be used responsibly. The routine use of antibiotics for growth promotion or prevention of disease is strongly discouraged by the RSPCA. Instead, the focus should be on meeting animals’ needs for space, appropriate food and water, comfort, behavioural expression and ensuring appropriate handling and management practices. It is important to note that animals treated for disease with antibiotics are subjected to a withholding period, which is the time that must elapse between the administration of an antibiotic and the use of that animal for food, to make sure that the drug is cleared from the animal’s system.
Are hormones used in meat chicken farming?
Growth hormones are not fed to meat chickens in Australia. Meat chickens have been selectively bred over many years, to have an increased growth rate and bigger muscles. This may not be the case elsewhere in the world where feeding of growth hormones may occur.
Are meat chickens kept in cages?
In Australia, meat chickens are not kept in cages. Most are raised in large, environmentally-controlled sheds and some also have daytime access to the outdoors once they are fully feathered (after around three weeks).
However, over 5 million egg-laying hens in Australia are kept in barren battery cages. The RSPCA has long advocated for an end to the use of battery cages. The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standard for Layer Hens does not permit the use of cages.
Layer hens and meat chickens are two breeds of chickens that are farmed for different purposes. Layer hens are egg-laying specialists, while meat chickens are bred for their muscle.
Does RSPCA Approved allow debeaking?
Beak trimming – the partial removal of the tip of the beak – is sometimes referred to as ‘debeaking’, however at no time is the entire beak removed. Beak trimming is one of the most common methods used by the poultry industry to control the impacts of severe feather pecking, a welfare problem where birds vigorously peck at and pull out the feathers of other birds. The RSPCA’s Standard for layer hens and turkeys allow for a once-off beak trim at the hatchery, by a competent operator using specialised equipment, such as an infrared beam, as this is currently the most appropriate management system to prevent feather pecking.
The RSPCA continues to urge the industry to employ alternative management strategies to reduce the risk of feather pecking, including the provision of appropriate environmental enrichment, good litter management and early interventions as soon as signs of feather pecking are observed. More information on beak trimming can be found here.
Is RSPCA Approved chicken Halal?
When you see the RSPCA Approved logo on a chicken product this means the producer has been certified against our standards, the RSPCA doesn’t produce the chicken itself. The RSPCA’s Standard for meat chickens has a focus on animal welfare which includes a requirement for stunning prior to slaughter. Pre-slaughter stunning is a standard practice in many Australian abattoirs producing Halal-certified chicken meat.
Therefore, chicken products that have the RSPCA Approved certification may also be Halal, but as Halal certification is separate to RSPCA Approved certification, we encourage you to check product labelling or contact the brand directly.
Is RSPCA Approved chicken slower-growing?
The RSPCA Approved standards focus on ensuring meat chickens have a good quality of life and an environment that meets their needs, which includes requirements relating to litter, light and dark periods, enrichment, stocking density, and humane slaughter. The RSPCA Approved Standard for Meat Chickens includes requirements for farms with both conventional and slower-growing breeds of meat chicken. It is important to recognise these slower growing chicken breeds may also have different behavioural and housing requirements to ensure good animal welfare outcomes compared to traditional faster growing meat chickens.
Until recent years, slower-growing breeds were not commercially available in Australia (partly due to the complexity and cost associated with importing new genetics into Australia due to biosecurity regulations). Despite the slower-growing breed of meat chicken taking several years to be granted entry into the country, the product itself launched but has since been discontinued.
We know that there are a number of animal welfare issues associated with selecting meat chickens for fast growth, such as leg injuries, fractures and joint problems, as well as frustration and stress when birds cannot perform motivated and natural behaviours. The RSPCA document Meat Chickens: Challenges and Priorities for Good Animal Welfare highlights key areas where welfare can be improved, how this might be achieved, and a clear indication of our expectations for the future of meat chicken farming for the industry and retailers.
What is the stocking density on poultry farms meeting the RSPCA’s standards?
Stocking density, or the amount of space that can be utilised by birds, depends on the housing system and is influenced by factors such as bird age and size and ventilation. It is one aspect of a well-managed, higher-welfare farming system, but not the only factor that affects whether birds have good welfare. The RSPCA standards focus on ensuring a stocking density that is lower than what is legally required, allowing more room for the birds to move, while still being commercially viable and taking into account the birds’ physical and behavioural needs.
For meat chickens, the RSPCA standard requires a maximum stocking density inside the shed of 28-34kg/m2 depending on the shed ventilation type. When placed, chicks are quite small and have more space and then grow into the space around them, with the maximum stocking density often only being reached in their last few days of life.
For layer hens, the RSPCA standard requires a stocking density inside the shed of a maximum of 7 birds per m2 for floor-based sheds, and a maximum of 9 birds per m2 for multi-level sheds. Cages are not allowed. For free-range producers that meet the RSPCA standard, the standard requires a maximum outdoor stocking density of 2500 birds per hectare.
For turkeys, the RSPCA standard requires a maximum stocking density inside the shed of 28-35kg/m2 depending on the shed ventilation type. When placed, chicks are quite small and have more space and then grow into the space around them, with the maximum stocking density often only being reached in their last few days of life.
What is the RSPCA’s position on the Better Chicken Commitment?
The RSPCA welcomes any measures to tangibly improve the welfare of chickens raised for meat, including the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
All of the areas outlined in the Better Chicken Commitment – including stocking density, welfare issues from genetic selection for rapid growth, environmental standards including light, perch provision and air quality, stunning methods – are very serious welfare concerns for meat chickens.
In particular, the RSPCA continues to advocate for:
- Improvements to meat chicken genetics in Australia and encourage genetic companies to continue selecting for pro-welfare traits, as well as the uptake of higher-welfare strains of meat chickens.
- Provide meat chickens with their optimal space requirements for each type of housing system by working with industry and advocate for a reduction of the current legal maximum stocking density for meat chickens in Australia.
- Legal minimum requirements to ensure that meat chickens are provided with adequate ventilation to maintain air quality, shed temperatures to ensure health and comfort, a lighting regime that provides adequate dark time for rest and appropriate lighting intensities and spectrum.
- Legal minimum requirement to provide meat chickens with a litter substrate of an appropriate material and depth, as well as perches of appropriate design and amount to encourage natural behaviours.
- Where meat chickens have outdoor access, that the range is designed with adequate overhead cover and palatable vegetation, as well as being managed in a way that keeps meat chickens safe and mitigates possible biosecurity risks.
- The phase out of cervical dislocation as a routine method of euthanasia for meat chickens, to be replaced by more humane methods.
- The phase out of stunning methods that require the conscious shackling of birds, such as electrical waterbath stunning, to be replaced by more humane methods.
In addition to our advocacy work, we have the RSPCA Approved Standard for meat chickens, which also helps address some of the welfare issues in meat chicken production, such as space allowance, lighting, litter quality, and provision of perches and enrichment, through our certification program RSPCA Approved. For meat chicken producers to have RSPCA Approved certification their farms and abattoirs must undergo regular assessments against the Standard, and go through a robust certification process.
For more information on the welfare issues for chickens raised for meat, and what the RSPCA is doing about it, visit here.
What are the welfare issues relating to farming meat chickens and turkeys?
Meat chickens and turkeys raised to the minimum legislative requirements spend their lives in barren, cramped, and dimly lit environments. This causes severe health problems such as poor leg health and respiratory issues, plus many more, for meat chickens and turkeys alike.
Under the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards, meat chickens and turkeys are provided with space to move, quality, dry litter to scratch and dustbathe in, and perches to increase leg health. These standards focus on providing farmed animals with a better quality of life, allowing them to exhibit more natural behaviours.
You can read more about what’s important for meat chickens here and turkeys on the RSPCA Knowledgebase.
How are RSPCA Approved turkeys reared?
Turkeys reared by Producers on farms with the RSPCA Approved certification are provided with more space and good lighting encouraging them to be active, quality, dry litter for scratching and dustbathing, and are not subjected to painful procedures like toe clipping.
Whether they are raised entirely indoors or with outdoor access when fully feathered, there’s a focus on better animal welfare.
These farms must meet 242 requirements under the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard for Turkeys and are regularly assessed by specially trained RSPCA Assessors.
What are the welfare issues relating to farming pigs?
Pigs raised in intensive indoor systems (including some sow stall-free) don’t have the ability to express natural behaviours, and the close confinement of pigs in these systems raises welfare concerns. More information on these animal welfare issues can be found here.
Pigs reared on farms by Producers with the RSPCA Approved certification are never confined to sow stalls or farrowing crates. Painful husbandry practices are also not permitted.
How are RSPCA Approved pigs reared?
Pigs reared on farms by Producers with the RSPCA Approved certification are housed in groups with a comfortable, dry area to rest with bedding. Pigs are provided with plenty of space to move and can forage and socialise with other pigs.
RSPCA Approved pigs are never confined to sow stalls, farrowing crates or boar stalls. Nor are they subjected to painful husbandry practices such as tail docking, teeth clipping or surgical castration.
Whether they are raised entirely indoors, outdoor bred, or free range, there’s a focus on good animal welfare.
Producers with RSPCA Approved certification must meet 410 requirements under the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard for Pigs, and are regularly assessed by specially trained RSPCA Assessors.
What does ‘sow stall free’ mean on pork labels?
‘Sow stall free’, while a very positive improvement from the minimum legal requirements for pork production, isn’t a guarantee of welfare.
In sow-stall-free systems, pigs can still be kept in barren environments and sows (mother pigs) can still be confined to farrowing crates (similar to sow stalls) for weeks at a time to give birth to their piglets.
Sow-stall free is also not a certification label, but rather a marketing term. This means that aspects of the pigs lives will only need to adhere to the legal minimum, which the RSPCA does not believe goes far enough for animal welfare.
An independent certification scheme that is focused on animal welfare, such as the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme, goes above and beyond the legal minimums and is key in ensuring and verifying better welfare for pigs on farm against a higher welfare standard.
You can find out more about how to navigate pork labelling by reading our blog, Pork Labelling: How to Choose Higher-Welfare Pork
What is ‘outdoor bred’ pork?
‘Outdoor bred’ is a marketing label used on products from pigs (pork, bacon, ham) that were born in a free-range environment before being raised indoors.
RSPCA Approved pigs that are bred outdoors requires piglets to be raised in eco-shelters once they’ve been weaned. There must be plenty of straw bedding from them to play with and forage in.
You can find out more about the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standard for Pigs here.
Where can I find RSPCA Approved bacon and ham?
Unfortunately, finding higher-welfare ham is really hard right now and finding RSPCA Approved bacon is nearly impossible.
This is because bacon is made from the side and belly (known as the middle) of heavier weight pigs. In Australia, pigs are not grown to this larger weight and farmers get a better price exporting their middles to overseas markets. The availability of Australian grown pork in bacon and ham is slim, and higher-welfare options are even more limited.
As consumers, there are things we can do to help support Australian pork farmers and higher welfare practices for pigs. Read more and what you can do to help here.
Why does the RSPCA have a Standard for farmed Atlantic salmon?
Aquaculture remains one of the fastest-growing animal protein production sectors in the world, so as an animal welfare organisation, the RSPCA considers it essential that farm animal welfare is seen as a crucial component of this.
Like other sentient animals, fish can experience pain and suffering. So, it’s critical that when fish are farmed, their welfare is considered as a priority.
What happens on a salmon farm with RSPCA Approved certification?
Salmon reared on farms by Producers that have RSPCA Approved certification swim in oxygen-rich water with plenty of space to swim effortlessly, with a focus on low-stress handling and ensuring stunning at slaughter. Salmon producers certified by RSPCA Approved are regularly assessed by specially trained RSPCA Assessors to make sure the Standard is met.
Does the RSPCA’s Standard for farmed Atlantic salmon address the potential environmental impact of aquaculture?
In addition to meeting government regulations, aquaculture companies producing certified RSPCA Approved salmon must demonstrate ongoing conformance with a recognised, third-party certification scheme that promotes best environmental practice.
How do Producers rearing RSPCA Approved salmon protect fish from predators, such as seals?
Maintaining better fish welfare by protecting farmed Atlantic salmon from predators, such as seals and sea birds is critical to the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standard. Fish are vulnerable to stress, injuries, and mortalities as a result of interactions with predators.
The RSPCA believes that exclusion measures must be the primary method of preventing seals and sea birds from attacking salmon. The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standard does not allow the use of bean bags, scare caps, electronic seal scarers and pingers. In instances where seals don’t swim out of pens on their own and as a last resort, in order to protect fish welfare, the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standard permits the limited use of crackers in accordance with Tasmanian Government requirements. You can read more about protecting farmed Atlantic salmon as well as seal welfare here.
Can salmon from Macquarie Harbour be labelled as RSPCA Approved?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standard does not permit farming of Atlantic salmon in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, due to water quality and other environmental conditions posing a risk to fish welfare. Salmon that is labelled ‘RSPCA Approved’ must be reared to the over 500 requirements in the RSPCA Approved Standard for Farmed Atlantic Salmon, including participation in and demonstrated compliance with a third-party, audited certification scheme that promotes best environmental practice.
Will the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme introduce standards for beef cattle and sheep?
The nature of beef and lamb farming in Australia means that animals generally aren’t affected by the same welfare concerns related to behavioural restriction faced by animals in intense confinement. However, these animals can still have poor welfare during painful husbandry procedures, feed lotting, transport, and slaughter.
The RSPCA continues to assess the feasibility of introducing higher welfare standards for cattle and sheep. In the meantime, as a consumer you can contact the makers of your favourite beef and lamb products and ask them about standards of care for their animals.
Is lamb and beef free range?
Australian lamb and beef products that come from sheep and cattle born and raised outdoors for their entire life, can be labelled as ‘free-range’ or even ‘grass-fed’.
Certified ‘pasture-fed beef’ must meet the standards set by the Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System (PCAS).
Some sheep and cattle may have been held in feedlots in the last stage of their life to increase their growth rate prior to slaughter and to help ensure consistency in meat quality. This product is sometimes called ‘grain-fed’. Click here to find out more about cattle feedlots and here to find out more about sheep feedlots.
Are there animal welfare issues with dairy production?
While the majority of Australian dairy cows spend most of the day on pasture, the RSPCA is concerned about welfare issues in the dairy industry, including the treatment of bobby calves, mastitis and lameness in cows, calf induction, and calf dehorning. You can read more about dairy production here.
If you are a dairy purchaser, you can contact the makers of your favourite dairy products and ask them about their standards of care for cows and calves. Find out more here.
How is the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme trying to improve bobby calf welfare?
Raising non-replacement dairy calves for veal or beef, that would otherwise be considered a by-product of the dairy industry and destined for slaughter at five days old, is one way to increase the value of the animal.
By increasing dairy calves value and providing an alternative market, there is real potential to improve the welfare of some of the many tens of thousands of calves slaughtered each year.
This requires systems change in the dairy and beef industries. Our team regularly engage with producers and brands to encourage non-replacement dairy calves to be reared to higher welfare standards.
Read more about how dairy calf welfare can be improved in our blog, or listen to our podcast episode on how we can improve bobby calf welfare.
What is veal?
Veal is the meat from young dairy, beef, or dairy-cross-beef calves.
Male dairy or dairy-cross calves don’t produce milk, so they aren’t required in the dairy herd. Dairy or dairy-cross calves that are selected to be raised for veal are usually picked up from the dairy farm where they were born and raised on specialist calf-rearing properties. Like lamb, veal calves are slaughtered around eight months of age with their meat destined for high-value markets.
Is farming veal humane?
Calves raised for veal usually grow up on specialist calf-rearing properties, where they are reared in groups in sheds, with access to the outdoors or pasture, and fed milk or milk replacer and a grain-based ration.
Veal crates, which are used to confine dairy calves, are not used in Australia.
How are farm animals slaughtered in Australia?
The ways in which animals are slaughtered (killed for food) are different depending on the species. Find out more about the slaughter and killing of farm animals on the RSPCA’s Knowledgebase.
The RSPCA’s Standards for layer hens, meat chickens, turkeys, pigs, farmed Atlantic salmon, and dairy calves have specific requirements related to the end of life of these animals to make sure it is done in a way that minimises pain, suffering, and distress.
How often are abattoirs assessed as part of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme?
The RSPCA Approved standards set specific requirements for the transportation, handling, stunning and slaughter of animals reared for food. In fact, there are on average 85 slaughter requirements within each standard.
RSPCA Assessors conduct annual assessments at abattoirs, where animals from Producers with RSPCA Approved certification are sent for slaughter, to make sure they are meeting these requirements.
Included in the standards is the requirement for CCTV in any areas where live animals are handled or processed at abattoirs. CCTV must also be routinely monitored by authorised staff to ensure all requirements are being adhered to.
How can slaughter be considered humane?
The RSPCA believes that humane slaughter is ‘When an animal is either killed instantly or rendered insensible until death ensues, without pain, suffering or distress’.
It is a legal requirement in Australia that animals slaughtered for food must be stunned prior to slaughter. The purpose of stunning is to ensure an animal is unconscious and unable to experience pain, suffering or distress before slaughter. Read more about humane slaughter here.
Is Halal and Kosher meat humane?
Pre-slaughter stunning is standard practice in the of Australian abattoirs producing halal-certified meat, but some halal and all kosher slaughter is carried out without prior stunning.
The RSPCA is concerned there are much greater risks of an animal suffering during slaughter without stunning. Slaughtering an animal while fully conscious requires additional handling and restraint, meaning the animal will experience pain associated with the throat cut and subsequent bleeding out.
For these reasons, the RSPCA is strongly opposed to all forms of slaughter that do not involve prior stunning of the animal and has asked governments – state and federal – to remove arrangements that allow slaughter without prior stunning.
How are pigs stunned before slaughter at abattoirs assessed as part of a producer’s RSPCA Approved certification?
Stunning prior to slaughter is legally required in many countries including Australia. It is intended to cause unconsciousness so that slaughter may be carried out without fear, anxiety, pain, suffering, or distress. The most common methods to stun pigs are electrical stunning and exposure to high concentrations of carbon dioxide gas (CO2). Stunning with CO2 gas offers benefits over electrical stunning including the ability to stun animals in groups, with minimal restraint, less handling, and therefore potentially less stress before stunning. However, there are welfare issues with CO2 gas stunning, including: inhaling CO2 is unpleasant, painful; variability between pigs’ responses to CO2; pigs are not rendered immediately unconscious; and inhaling high concentrations of CO2 causes pain and difficulty breathing.
CO2 stunning is one of only two methods available to stun pigs in Australia, so the RSPCA Approved Standard for Pigs allows it under strict conditions. That’s because the RSPCA Approved standards go as far as possible to raise the bar for animal welfare while still being commercially viable. This is crucial to the Scheme as the standards must be challenging but achievable, otherwise no change occurs at all. RSPCA Approved allows us to work directly with pig producers to raise the bar for pigs and show that higher welfare is a commercially viable option.
The RSPCA Approved standards have a number of requirements for how animals are handled, stunned, and slaughtered at the abattoir, including the use of CCTV and principles of low-stress animal handling. RSPCA Approved standards for pigs have 88 separate requirements at slaughter (on top of 322 requirements on farm).
What needs to change to improve chicken welfare in Australia?
The RSPCA is concerned about the serious welfare issues faced by chickens farmed for meat in Australia. We continue to advocate for:
- Improvements to meat chicken genetics in Australia and the uptake of slower-growing breeds.
- The legal maximum stocking density allowance for meat chickens to be reduced.
- Legal minimum requirements to ensure that meat chickens are provided with adequate ventilation and shed temperatures, a lighting regime that provides adequate dark time for rest and a litter substrate of an appropriate material and depth to encourage natural behaviours.
- Where meat chickens have outdoor access, that the range is designed with adequate overhead cover and palatable vegetation.
- The phase out of stunning methods that require the conscious shackling of birds, such as electrical waterbath stunning, to be replaced by more humane methods.
While the current RSPCA Approved Standard helps address some of the welfare issues in meat chicken production, there are things it doesn’t cover. Sometimes this is because an alternative is not yet commercially viable, sometimes it is not within the scope of the activities covered by the Standard, and sometimes it is something we are actively looking at for future reviews of the Standard.
There is more work to be done and we will continue to work with industry, government and the public to advocate for more improvements.
All Producer FAQs
How long has the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme been operating?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme began in 1996 with the release of the first RSPCA Standard for Layer Hen Welfare.
The program has grown to include Standards for meat chickens, pigs, turkeys, farmed Atlantic salmon and non-replacement dairy calves. You can see our impact here.
How regularly are Producers with the RSPCA Approved certification assessed?
Assessment of farms against the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards is a critical aspect of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme. Farms covered in the scope of RSPCA Approved certification for a Producer are visited by an RSPCA Assessor 2–4 times a year, and unscheduled visits may occur.
Abattoirs are also assessed annually as part of a Producer’s scope of certification.
Our Assessors are well versed in farm animal behaviour and check that farms comply with the RSPCA’s standards. You can read more about our certification process here and what to expect on an assessment here.
How are the RSPCA’s standards developed?
The RSPCA’s standards exist solely to improve farm animal welfare. They are detailed and focus on providing good housing conditions for animals (whether indoor, outdoor, or in a combination of both). Crucially, they also provide opportunities for animals to express behaviours that come naturally to them.
Developed and reviewed by RSPCA Australia’s science team, the RSPCA’s standards are informed by animal welfare science, RSPCA policy, leading farming practices in Australia and overseas, and take into account the commercial realities associated with farming. They are created with the aim of meeting the needs of animals while also being achievable.
All RSPCA standards are publicly available.
Is free range better than RSPCA Approved?
Good animal welfare isn’t just about outdoor access or stocking density – as these factors alone don’t necessarily improve animal welfare, nor do they tell you much about the system overall.
The RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards have hundreds of requirements and a focus on a combination of factors to provide for the behavioural and physical needs of the animal – ultimately leading to a better quality of life.
How do I join the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme?
Producers and brand owners that want to improve animal welfare on their farms, or wish to have their efforts recognised, can apply to join the Scheme, and implement the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard for their production. To get started, we recommend reviewing the relevant animals Standard, along with the Scheme’s Operations Manual and get in touch to discuss.
What is the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme’s vision and mission?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme’s vision is a future of higher welfare farming. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for farmed animals.
Since the program began in 1996, more than 5 billion farm animals have lived a better quality of life. Find out more about our impact here.
To achieve this, the RSPCA has developed detailed animal welfare standards that go beyond what’s legally required in Australia. The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme assesses farms and abattoirs against these standards and if conforming give Producers a certification status. Brands that source from Producers with RSPCA Approved certification can market this to their customers through use of the RSPCA Approved logo.
What is the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is Australia’s leading independent certification program focused on farm animal welfare. We work closely with producers and brands to make a positive impact on the lives of farm animals by certifying Producers against the RSPCA’s detailed standards and encouraging brands to transition to sourcing certified higher welfare products.
Billions of layer hens, pigs, meat chickens, turkeys and farmed Atlantic salmon have benefitted from better conditions since the Scheme began in 1996. Read about our impact here.
What does the RSPCA Approved logo mean?
When you see the RSPCA Approved logo on a product in the supermarket or on a menu, you can be sure that the product or ingredient came from a Producer certified to the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards.
How do you make sure Producers are adhering to the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard?
Producers who have RSPCA Approved certification have farms and abattoirs that are regularly assessed by an RSPCA Assessor to check that they are meeting the applicable Standard.
Producers are also required to submit information detailing both production data and any on-farm issues between assessments. You can read more about our certification and assessment process here.
How is the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme funded?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is a not-for-profit program. Donations to the RSPCA are not used to fund the program.
For producers that choose to become certified, they must meet the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard and go through a rigorous assessment process as part of RSPCA Approved certification.
The operational costs of certification, including the ongoing assessments of farms and abattoirs, are covered by licensing fees.
Licensing fees are paid by brands that use the RSPCA Approved logo in the marketing of their RSPCA Approved product. The fee covers the associated certification costs and use of brand.
All income from licensing fees is quarantined and used only within the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme.
Is revenue raised from licensing fees by brands used for RSPCA campaigns?
No. Licensing fees received from brands marketing RSPCA Approved product are quarantined and used only to fund the program – they do not fund campaigns.
Who operates the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme?
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is owned and operated by RSPCA Australia.
See our Who We Are page for more information on how the Scheme works.
How are RSPCA Approved meat chickens reared?
Meat chickens reared on farms by Producers with RSPCA Approved certification are provided with enriched environments that mean they can perch, scratch, and dustbathe – all behaviours that come naturally to them. Whether they are raised in an enriched barn or with outdoor access when fully feathered, there’s a focus on better animal welfare.
These farms must meet over 300 requirements under the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard which are regularly assessed by specially trained RSPCA Assessors.
How has the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme worked with the meat chicken industry to improve animal welfare?
The RSPCA‘s detailed animal welfare Standard for Meat Chickens goes beyond legal requirements in Australia. The Standard provides producers with a tangible way to improve meat chicken welfare today, and through our regular, formal reviews the Standard provides a pathway of continuous improvement.
Producers who are certified by RSPCA Approved have their farms and abattoirs regularly assessed by the RSPCA Australia Certification Body. These regular assessments ensure the Standard is met, but also provides on-the-ground discussions on animal welfare directly with farmers, transporters and abattoir workers.
The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme provides guidance for brands to assist them in recognising animal welfare as a core business issue, and then works with their suppliers to transition them to using higher-welfare products. This work has helped create a market for RSPCA Approved chicken for consumers who are looking for certified higher-welfare options.
The uptake of RSPCA Approved chicken in Australia is arguably the program’s greatest success to date in improving animal welfare for a large number of farm animals.
In 2014, in a landmark move, Coles became the first supermarket to source RSPCA Approved chicken for all their own-brand fresh chicken. This move was closely followed by Woolworths and launched a transformation within the industry which has resulted in continual improvements to meat chicken welfare since 2014.
From sheds that were often highly stocked, with low light, very poor litter quality and no perches, the adoption of the RSPCA’s Standard has seen space per bird increased, better lighting provided, good litter quality and provision of perches and enrichment, resulting in better quality of life for these meat chickens.
What is the stocking density on poultry farms meeting the RSPCA’s standards?
Stocking density, or the amount of space that can be utilised by birds, depends on the housing system and is influenced by factors such as bird age and size and ventilation. It is one aspect of a well-managed, higher-welfare farming system, but not the only factor that affects whether birds have good welfare. The RSPCA standards focus on ensuring a stocking density that is lower than what is legally required, allowing more room for the birds to move, while still being commercially viable and taking into account the birds’ physical and behavioural needs.
For meat chickens, the RSPCA standard requires a maximum stocking density inside the shed of 28-34kg/m2 depending on the shed ventilation type. When placed, chicks are quite small and have more space and then grow into the space around them, with the maximum stocking density often only being reached in their last few days of life.
For layer hens, the RSPCA standard requires a stocking density inside the shed of a maximum of 7 birds per m2 for floor-based sheds, and a maximum of 9 birds per m2 for multi-level sheds. Cages are not allowed. For free-range producers that meet the RSPCA standard, the standard requires a maximum outdoor stocking density of 2500 birds per hectare.
For turkeys, the RSPCA standard requires a maximum stocking density inside the shed of 28-35kg/m2 depending on the shed ventilation type. When placed, chicks are quite small and have more space and then grow into the space around them, with the maximum stocking density often only being reached in their last few days of life.
What is the RSPCA’s position on the Better Chicken Commitment?
The RSPCA welcomes any measures to tangibly improve the welfare of chickens raised for meat, including the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
All of the areas outlined in the Better Chicken Commitment – including stocking density, welfare issues from genetic selection for rapid growth, environmental standards including light, perch provision and air quality, stunning methods – are very serious welfare concerns for meat chickens.
In particular, the RSPCA continues to advocate for:
- Improvements to meat chicken genetics in Australia and encourage genetic companies to continue selecting for pro-welfare traits, as well as the uptake of higher-welfare strains of meat chickens.
- Provide meat chickens with their optimal space requirements for each type of housing system by working with industry and advocate for a reduction of the current legal maximum stocking density for meat chickens in Australia.
- Legal minimum requirements to ensure that meat chickens are provided with adequate ventilation to maintain air quality, shed temperatures to ensure health and comfort, a lighting regime that provides adequate dark time for rest and appropriate lighting intensities and spectrum.
- Legal minimum requirement to provide meat chickens with a litter substrate of an appropriate material and depth, as well as perches of appropriate design and amount to encourage natural behaviours.
- Where meat chickens have outdoor access, that the range is designed with adequate overhead cover and palatable vegetation, as well as being managed in a way that keeps meat chickens safe and mitigates possible biosecurity risks.
- The phase out of cervical dislocation as a routine method of euthanasia for meat chickens, to be replaced by more humane methods.
- The phase out of stunning methods that require the conscious shackling of birds, such as electrical waterbath stunning, to be replaced by more humane methods.
In addition to our advocacy work, we have the RSPCA Approved Standard for meat chickens, which also helps address some of the welfare issues in meat chicken production, such as space allowance, lighting, litter quality, and provision of perches and enrichment, through our certification program RSPCA Approved. For meat chicken producers to have RSPCA Approved certification their farms and abattoirs must undergo regular assessments against the Standard, and go through a robust certification process.
For more information on the welfare issues for chickens raised for meat, and what the RSPCA is doing about it, visit here.
How are RSPCA Approved turkeys reared?
Turkeys reared by Producers on farms with the RSPCA Approved certification are provided with more space and good lighting encouraging them to be active, quality, dry litter for scratching and dustbathing, and are not subjected to painful procedures like toe clipping.
Whether they are raised entirely indoors or with outdoor access when fully feathered, there’s a focus on better animal welfare.
These farms must meet 242 requirements under the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare Standard for Turkeys and are regularly assessed by specially trained RSPCA Assessors.
What needs to change to improve chicken welfare in Australia?
The RSPCA is concerned about the serious welfare issues faced by chickens farmed for meat in Australia. We continue to advocate for:
- Improvements to meat chicken genetics in Australia and the uptake of slower-growing breeds.
- The legal maximum stocking density allowance for meat chickens to be reduced.
- Legal minimum requirements to ensure that meat chickens are provided with adequate ventilation and shed temperatures, a lighting regime that provides adequate dark time for rest and a litter substrate of an appropriate material and depth to encourage natural behaviours.
- Where meat chickens have outdoor access, that the range is designed with adequate overhead cover and palatable vegetation.
- The phase out of stunning methods that require the conscious shackling of birds, such as electrical waterbath stunning, to be replaced by more humane methods.
While the current RSPCA Approved Standard helps address some of the welfare issues in meat chicken production, there are things it doesn’t cover. Sometimes this is because an alternative is not yet commercially viable, sometimes it is not within the scope of the activities covered by the Standard, and sometimes it is something we are actively looking at for future reviews of the Standard.
There is more work to be done and we will continue to work with industry, government and the public to advocate for more improvements.
