M&S dairy farms get RSPCA certification
British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has become the first major retailer to source all of its fresh milk from RSPCA Assured dairy farms.
All 37 farms that supply fresh milk to the M&S milk pool have achieved RSPCA Assured certification. As a result, all M&S fresh milk packaging will now carry the RSPCA Assured logo.
The move means that the 150 million pints of milk sold in M&S stores every year will come from farms with the highest animal welfare standards. RSPCA Assured standards cover all aspects of cow welfare associated with milk production, including: calf rearing, accommodation, health planning, transport, feed and grazing.
Steve McLean, head of agriculture and fisheries at M&S, says, “No other retailer has this level of transparency or standards in its dairy supply chain.
“We know how much animal welfare matters to our customers and that they expect the highest standards from us. RSPCA Assured standards are the highest in the dairy industry and we are proud of our farmers who work hard day-in-day-out to enable us to achieve this for our milk pool.”
Clive Brazier, chief executive officer of RSPCA Assured, adds, “Thanks to M&S thousands more dairy cows will now have a better life reared to RSPCA welfare standards. And not only that but, for the first time ever, consumers will be able to buy RSPCA Assured labelled milk in a high street retailer.
“This is a major step forward for improving dairy cow welfare and we hope other retailers will follow suit.”
