PRESS RELEASE
23 July 2020
BMO GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT JOIN THE BBFAW GLOBAL INVESTOR STATEMENT ON FARM ANIMAL WELFARE
BMO Global Asset Management has signed the BBFAW Global Investor Statement on Farm Animal Welfare.
Signatories of the Investor Statement agree on the significance of farm animal welfare as a material investment risk and opportunity and have expectations of food companies to implement effective practices and processes to manage farm animal welfare.
The Investor Statement is now supported by 33 institutional investors[1] representing £2.5 trillion in assets under management
Catherine McCabe, Senior Associate, Responsible Investment commented: “At BMO Global Asset Management, we recognise that consumers have growing concerns about animal welfare, and we believe that food companies demonstrating leadership on farm animal welfare are more likely to attract and retain consumers. We welcome clear and transparent reporting about the steps companies are taking to improve farm animal welfare practices, and we can use the findings of the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare to hone in on issues which we think companies should address. We seek to drive positive change via in-depth engagement with companies.”
Dr Rory Sullivan, Expert Advisor to BBFAW commented: “Investors have a key role to play in supporting food businesses to ensure food safety and product quality, and to ensure the resilience of their supply chains. Improving standards of farm animal welfare is central to these efforts. We are delighted that BMO Global Asset Management is lending its support to the Global Investor Statement on Farm Animal Welfare."
[1] The participants are: Aberdeen Standard Investments, ACTIAM, AMP Capital Ethical Leaders Fund, ASR Netherlands, Australian Ethical Investments, Aviva Investors, Bâtirente, BMO Global Asset Management, BNP Paribas Investment Partners, Boston Trust Walden, Brunel Pension Partnership, Castlefield Investment Partners LLP, the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church, Coller Capital, EdenTree Investment Management, Epworth Investment Management, Ethical Partners Funds Management, Henderson Global Investors, Hermes EOS, Hexavest, Karner Blue Capital, KBI Global Investors, NEI Investments, Rathbone Greenbank Investments, Robeco, Le Regroupement pour la responsabilité sociale des entreprises, Schroders, Simplicity AB, Sonen Capital, The Sustainability Group of Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Trust, Trillium Asset Management, Triodos Investment Management and USS.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Amanda Williams, Director of Communications, Chronos Sustainability (BBFAW Secretariat)
T: 020 8050 5103
amanda@chronossustainability.com
More information on the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare programme can be found at www.bbfaw.com
Notes to Editors
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We are delighted to announce we are holding an in-person launch event for the release of the 2023 Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW).
8th April 2024NN Group, a Dutch financial services company, with a strong presence in several European countries and Japan, has become a member of the BBFAW Global Investor Collaboration on Farm Animal Welfare. As a signatory to the Collaboration, NN Group will participate in an annual engagement to improve animal welfare management practices amongst BBFAW’s 150 global companies.
26th February 2024In March and April 2023, the BBFAW conducted a pilot assessment of 150 companies against the new 2022 benchmark criteria. Instead of the usual public BBFAW report, this briefing paper summarises methodological findings from the BBFAW 2022 pilot benchmark and includes case study examples of company reporting. The briefing also confirms the assessment approach for the BBFAW 2023 assessments, which are scheduled to take place in October to December 2023.
31st July 2023