Humane Treatment of Farmed Animals

Hello,

Thank you for your continued support of farmed animal welfare, we are pleased to share updates with you since our last report.

With the dissolution of the Federal Parliament in advance of the April 28 election, Parliament’s agenda undergoes a reset. Humane Canada will continue to advocate for the important animal welfare issues addressed by previous proposed legislation, including ending the live export of horses by air for slaughter and increasing transparency in animal agriculture. 

Putting Farmed Animals on the Federal Agenda 

During the 2025 Federal Election, Humane Canada advocated for farmed animal welfare by presenting nine key recommendations to political parties. These recommendations reflected public expectations and were organized under three pillars: public accountability, regulatory improvements, and ethical practices.  

To restore public trust and improve transparency, we called for stronger inspection systems, on-farm CCTV, and clear enforcement mechanisms. We urged the government to enact federal legislation to make NFACC Codes mandatory, which includes enforcement, oversight, and regular multi-stakeholder reviews, to require standardized method of production labelling for animal products, and to create a federal grant program to support higher-welfare farming systems. We also advocated for more humane and ethical practices, including ending intensive farming of wild and exotic species, banning the live export of horses for slaughter, and ensuring humane depopulation protocols. 

Your continued support helps us keep farmed animals on the political radar. Thank you for being part of this movement for change. 

Progress in Practice: Advocating for Farmed Animals in Canada 

Since January 2025, Humane Canada has been actively involved in the work of the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), collaborating with stakeholders to improve the welfare of farmed animals across the country. 

We are pleased to share that work on the Chickens, Turkeys, and Breeders Code has started.The Code Committee met in March, and the Scientific Committee is now reviewing the latest research on key welfare issues that matter deeply to us and our supporters, including enrichment, on-farm hatching, adequate lighting, reduced stocking density, and the use of slower-growing lines of birds who are less prone to severe health issues. 

Meanwhile, the Equine Code Committee continues its comprehensive review and update of the existing Code. Once the Code draft is ready and approved by the Code Committee, it will be open for public comment. As always, we will invite animal welfare supporters to provide opinions on the updated material when the time comes. 

In April, NFACC also launched the public comment period for the Pullets and Laying Hens Code Amendment. Amendments are made following NFACC’s five-year review process to ensure the Codes reflect current knowledge and Canadian context. Humane Canada is preparing thoughtful, evidence-based feedback to help ensure these updates lead to real improvements in the lives of laying hens.  

With your support, we will continue advocating for positive, progressive change that improves the lives of over 800 million farmed animals in Canada each year. Thank you for standing with us to move farmed animal welfare forward.  

Links:

• Humane Canada