Animal Equality Wins #Campaign4Animals Award for Campaign to Ban Live Animal Markets

THE AWARD: Animal Equality just won the #Campaign4Animals 2020 Award for our campaign to ban live animal markets. The award was created and promoted by Eurogroup for Animals – a pan-European animal advocacy organization, comprising 77 member organizations, whose key focus is to improve the wellbeing of as many animals as possible through effective legal advocacy and public awareness work. 

At  the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM), members were invited to present and vote for the campaign they believe should win the illustrious #Campaign4Animals Award 2020. Nominees were urged to evidence the ways in which their campaign responded to the COVID-19 crisis, mobilized supporters, and impacted animals.

Animal Equality was one of eight to pitch to 130 attendees across 77 member organizations. Presenting on our international campaign to ban live animal markets, we highlighted our carefully-curated strategy, resourcefulness and ability to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people around the world to take action. In response, member representatives voted for Animal Equality’s wet markets campaign to win the #Campaign4Animals Award 2020. 

THE WET MARKETS CAMPAIGN: In 2020 Animal Equality released two investigations containing footage our investigators obtained with the help of brave local activists in China, Vietnam and India. The investigations revealed animals crammed in tiny cages, slaughtered in full view of other animals, and a complete lack of compliance with health and hygiene rules. In live animal markets — which still continue to function today, despite warnings from health officials — both wild and domesticated animals are confined in filthy conditions together, creating the perfect breeding ground for dangerous diseases to arise. 

Animal Equality’s wet markets campaign mobilized a community of people around the world, encouraging them to use their voice for all animals and to demand an end to this cruelty. And within months, the campaign collected over 500,000 signatures.

MEDIA REACH: The campaign generated over 440 media stories, with news pieces in major publications in the UK, Italy, Mexico,Spain, and India. Animal Equality representatives were also invited to speak on several major TV and radio channels, including talkRADIO and Heraldo Televisión.

#BANWETMARKETS TRENDING: The campaign achieved over 2 million video views of our investigative footage online. And, through a coordinated large-scale tweetstorm, we saw over 220,000 tweets posted on the issue, with the campaign trending on Twitter in Mexico, Italy, the US and Spain.

THE CURRENT STATE OF LIVE ANIMAL MARKETS: In April 2021 the World Health Organization called for a ban on slaughtering and selling wild mammals. While this is a hugely positive first step to be celebrated, Animal Equality believes that it does not go far enough. As long as live animal markets are in operation, we will continue to urge relevant officials to extend the ban to all animals, wild or domesticated, mammals or otherwise. 

Thanks to the work of the brave team of investigators, courageous local activists, and our dedicated supporters, we have brought to light the cruelty of live animal markets. And with 75% of new and emerging infectious diseases coming from animals, our campaign helped to ensure that the world is now far more aware of the dangers of animal consumption.