2020 year in review
Countless thoughtful, sensitive individuals will have better lives because of the progress we made this year. Together, as a bigger and more powerful movement than ever before, we will continue to fight to end the abuse of animals raised for food once and for all.
Our work in 2020 improved the lives of hundreds of millions of animals
The challenges we faced this year made it undeniably clear to millions more people that factory farming must end. Though COVID-19 required us to get creative in our approach, we never took the pressure off of the worst animal abusers. As a result, we convinced dozens of companies to commit to freeing hens from cages and and to end the worst abuses suffered by chickens raised for meat. We saw industry giants like Tyson start to topple under the pressure, as the dark underbellies of their operations—which are inhumane to both animals and humans—were exposed. And we reached more people than ever before through media, advertising, and our Changemaker network.
As a result, we gained life-changing wins for over 623 MILLION animals this year. Even more importantly, these commitments will impact at least this many animals every single year moving forward, increasing the number of individuals who are living free from the very worst abuses animals face in factory farming.
Hens free from cages
Since 2015 we have fought hard for hens, and we’re winning. Nearly every major food company in the US has committed to phasing out intensive confinement by 2026, and a growing number of states have banned cages for egg-laying hens. Every year we see the number of hens living free from cages grow dramatically. There are now over 90 MILLION hens in the US who will never face life in a cage.
Corporate commitments secured
Although 2020 presented some unprecedented challenges to people all around the world, we knew that animal suffering persisted, and we had to keep fighting. We nimbly adjusted our strategies to pressure major companies to commit to ending the worst abuses suffered by chickens in the meat and egg industries, and won more than 79 critical animal welfare commitments—among them a global, 100 percent cage-free commitment from Restaurant Brands International (RBI), whose 25,000 restaurants include Burger King and Popeyes; and a Better Chicken Commitment from Whole Foods Market. Additionally, in partnership with the Albert Schweitzer Foundation (ASF) and Open Wing Alliance (OWA), we secured vital new policies from grocery chain giant Aldi in Germany and Spain. The OWA obtained 225 corporate commitments in 2020!
Chickens spared from live-shackle slaughter
As concerns about health and human safety increased this year, the media shined a spotlight on the food production industry, giving us the momentum we needed to dial up the pressure to end a barbaric practice that causes pain, distress, and boils alive more than half a million chickens each year. In May, Tyson Foods publicly announced plans to end the use of live-shackle slaughter at four of its 35 slaughter facilities, sparing more than 227 MILLION chickens each year from suffering this extreme cruelty. In December, Whole Foods Market became the first major US retailer to adopt all the standards of the Better Chicken Commitment, which includes phasing out live-shackle slaughter from its main suppliers.
Inspiring kindness
It takes an effective and organized movement to dismantle factory farming cruelty and fix our broken food system. Facing the challenge of quarantine, we focused on digital activism, pressuring companies to adopt higher welfare policies, and education—empowering people to leave animals off their plates. The Humane League’s leaders were interviewed for more media stories than ever before about the conditions animals face on factory farms, and our social media and online advertising inspired millions of people to help animals around the world.
Recognized as a top charity for the 7th time
We are honored to have been selected as a Top Charity by Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) again this year. Every year ACE evaluates dozens of organizations around the world who are fighting to reduce the suffering of the greatest number of animals, and we are proud to have been recognized as one of the top-performing charities in the world every single year that ACE has performed their evaluations. It is because of our supporters that we are able to pursue a highly cost-effective strategy that changes the lives of hundreds of millions of animals each year. So the congratulations and gratitude goes to you—thank you!
Together in 2020, we surpassed key milestones in the fight to end the abuse of animals raised for food. With your support, we’ll make 2021 another landmark year for animals.