RSPCA Approved, 2020 Impact Report

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RSPCA Approved

For 25 years

The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme has been improving the lives of Australia’s farmed animals.

Established by the RSPCA in 1996, during its time we’ve seen more than 3.7 billion animals benefit from higher welfare farming conditions under the Scheme.

2020 Impact Video

Our Scheme is like no other in Australia.

Our certification process is tough and stringent.

Experienced RSPCA Assessors visit farms 2-4 Times a year

The RSPCA Certification Body review every assessment report from RSPCA Assessors as part of our robust process.

Our Assessors

The RSPCA Standards are solely focused on improving animal welfare, are detailed and informed by evidence.

We’ve released standards for 6 of Australia’s most intensively farmed animals.

We regularly review our Standards so we're continually raising the bar for animal welfare.

Our timeline

  1. 1996
  2. 2001
  3. 2003
  4. 2005
  5. 2009
  6. 2010
  7. 2013
  8. 2014
  9. 2015
  10. 2016
  11. 2018
  12. 2019
  13. 2020
  14. 2021
1996
The RSPCA established the RSPCA Accreditation Scheme and released its first animal welfare standard.
Its focus was to improve the lives of Australia’s egg-laying hens and provide guidance
and a trustworthy choice to consumers wanting to purchase eggs from cage-free farms with a focus on animal welfare.
The first egg farm joins the Scheme.
2001
The RSPCA releases an animal welfare Standard for pigs.
2003
The first pig farm joins the Scheme.
2005
Rohde’s Free Range Eggs joins the Scheme
and is still proudly RSPCA Approved and is the only participating egg farm in South Australia.
2009
After the Scheme’s first external review, it’s renamed the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme.
2010
For the first time, a major Australian supermarket sources RSPCA Approved pork for a product line under their own brand.
To this day, Coles is the only supermarket to offer customers RSPCA Approved pork nation-wide.
The RSPCA releases animal welfare Standards for meat chickens and turkeys.
Mt Barker Free Range Chicken is the first chicken brand to join the Scheme, followed closely by Freedom Farms in 2011.
2013
95.2 million hens, pigs, meat chickens and turkeys have benefitted from higher welfare farming conditions since the Scheme began.
2014
In a landmark move forward for farm animal welfare in Australia, Coles became the first supermarket to source RSPCA Approved chicken for all of its own brand of fresh chicken.
This move was closely followed by Woolworths and launched a transformation within the industry.
2015
805 million hens, pigs, meat chickens and turkeys have benefitted from higher welfare farming conditions since the Scheme began.
2016
The RSPCA releases an animal welfare Standard for farmed Atlantic salmon.
2018
A second external review is undertaken to better understand how the Scheme can operate to best practice standards.
After undergoing the RSPCA’s certification process for two years, Huon Aquaculture became the first RSPCA Approved farmed Atlantic salmon producer.
The RSPCA releases an animal welfare Standard for dairy veal calves (which is now the Standard for dairy calves).
2 billion hens, pigs, meat chickens, turkeys and salmon have benefitted from higher welfare farming conditions since the Scheme began.
2019
After the Scheme’s second external review, the RSPCA Certification Body and a management system is implemented for the Scheme’s meat chicken program.
In an Australian first, Coles launches RSPCA Approved Slow Hills chicken – the first slow-growing chicken available to the Australian consumer.
2020
In addition to fresh chicken, Coles and Woolworths source RSPCA Approved for the Australian chicken used as an ingredient in their own brand products.
Three billion hens, pigs, meat chickens, turkeys and salmon have benefitted from higher welfare farming conditions since the Scheme began.
2021
We continued to assess farms and abattoirs with a remote model during lock downs.

In 2021 we certified

  • 92,348 Layer hens
  • 86,843 Pigs
  • 602,239,342 Meat Chickens
  • 235,632 Turkeys
  • 6,225,887 Farmed Atlantic salmon
  • 539 Farms

RSPCA Assessors conducted

  • 1,205 Assessments of farms and abattoirs

We are proud of our work

Encouraging food companies and brands to source certified higher welfare, and support a future of better animal welfare for Australia’s farm animals.

Today, we’re working with 38 Forward thinking brands sourcing RSPCA Approved.

  • ALDI Logo
  • Campbells Real Stock Logo
  • Coles Logo
  • Compass Group Logo
  • David Jones Logo
  • Farmer Rods Logo
  • Freedom Farms Logo
  • Gami Chicken Logo
  • Grilld Logo
  • Herbert Adams Logo
  • Huon Logo
  • Mt Barker Logo
  • Nandos Logo
  • ALDI Logo
  • Campbells Real Stock Logo
  • Coles Logo
  • Compass Group Logo
  • David Jones Logo
  • Farmer Rods Logo
  • Freedom Farms Logo
  • Gami Chicken Logo
  • Grilld Logo
  • Herbert Adams Logo
  • Huon Logo
  • Mt Barker Logo
  • Nandos Logo
  • Nichols Poultry Logo
  • Rohdes Logo
  • Woolworths Logo
  • Zeus Logo
  • McDonalds Logo
  • Moira Macs Logo
  • Mr Lees Logo
  • Oporto Logo
  • PialligoEstate Logo
  • SlowHills Logo
  • Starbucks Logo
  • The Bare Bird Logo
  • The Coffee Club Logo
  • The Free Ranger Logo
  • Nichols Poultry Logo
  • Rohdes Logo
  • Woolworths Logo
  • Zeus Logo
  • McDonalds Logo
  • Moira Macs Logo
  • Mr Lees Logo
  • Oporto Logo
  • PialligoEstate Logo
  • SlowHills Logo
  • Starbucks Logo
  • The Bare Bird Logo
  • The Coffee Club Logo
  • The Free Ranger Logo

By choosing RSPCA Approved in the supermarket and when dining out, you are supporting farming that cares about animal welfare and is leading to a future of higher welfare farming in Australia.

Choosing RSPCA Approved improves the lives of farm animals.

  1. The RSPCA develops animal welfare standards that go beyond legal requirements and are informed by science and evidence.
  2. Farmers, brands and retailers that want to improve animal welfare on their farms and be recognised for their efforts, apply to join and undergo a rigorous, independent certification process.
  3. Brands that source from certified farms must be able to trace the ingredient that is RSPCA Approved from point of sale right back to the farm.
  4. Customers who care about animal welfare choose products with the RSPCA Approved certification.
  5. Market demand drives more brands to look at gaining RSPCA Approved certification.
  6. More farms join the Scheme, which means more farm animals have a better quality of life.

A future of higher welfare farming starts today, when you choose RSPCA Approved.

Improving the welfare of Australia’s farm animals is a collaborative effort.

While we’ve certainly come a long way, we have much more work to do.

The success of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is only possible because caring consumers are driving demand for ethically produced food, and there’s commitment by dedicated farmers, brand owners and retailers.

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Choose RSPCA Approved

Read our 2020 Impact Report

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