IMPACT REPORT 2022
Thanks to you, we have impacted over 202 million animals in eight countries.
Learn here about the change that, together, we have made for animals.
Dear friend,
A year ago, I said I was sure that with you by our side, we could expect even more victories for animals in 2022.
I never imagined to what extent.
2022 has been a critical year for animal protection. All the progress you made possible will impact more than 202 million animals in farms and slaughterhouses worldwide.
You got Italy to ban killing male chicks, a brutal but common practice in the egg industry.
Thanks to you, our dairy investigation was seen by millions on the BBC in the United Kingdom, inspiring people to switch to plant-based options to help cows.
You helped us to document animal cruelty at a slaughterhouse in Hidalgo, Mexico. And as a result, Congress passed an initiative to make Hidalgo criminalize animal cruelty in slaughterhouses and to be the first Mexican state to dedicate an entire chapter of the law to protect animals in farms.
Millions of people have been inspired to rethink how they treat animals, and many are taking them off their plates.
If we can dedicate ourselves daily to creating a better future for animals, it is only thanks to people like you who support our work.
We will continue working hard to build a world where animals are finally respected and protected.
Sincerely,
Sharon Núñez
President
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2022
We have made real progress for animals trapped in factory farms. Animal Equality defends animals at all levels, from continually exposing the meat, egg, dairy, and fishing industries with our undercover investigations to introducing legal protections for animals, strengthening existing laws, and denouncing and prosecuting those responsible for animal abuse.
While we have successfully persuaded dozens of food companies to do better, we are also inspiring and helping people to eat plant–based and oppose the cruel treatment of animals.
13
INVESTIGATIONS PRESENTED
2,000+
MEDIA STORIES GENERATED
2+ MILLION
VIEWS OF OUR VIDEOS
118+ MILLION
MEDIA VIEWS
133,000+
VOLUNTEERS AROUND
THE WORLD
876,000+
PEOPLE SUPPORTED OUR CAMPAIGNS
497,000+
PEOPLE RECEIVE
OUR EMAILS
202+ MILLION
ANIMALS IMPACTED
IN 2022
Nothing prepares you for looking into the eyes of a mother pig whose life is to be impregnated and left in a cage until she’s slaughtered. I can’t imagine how awful it must be to be literally trapped and crushing your own babies and not be able to do anything about it.
ROONEY MARA
Activist and actress
HIGHLIGHTED INVESTIGATIONS
Your actions gave voice to mother pigs trapped in cages, spotlighted the plight of chickens, exposed the dairy industry’s mistreatment of cows, and helped other animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses worldwide.
With each petition signature, the increasing public support allows us to convince key decision-makers to introduce legal protections for these animals.
By participating in our campaigns, you’re leading companies to change their practices, change the laws to protect animals, and even close factory farms and convict animal abusers.
INDIA
Denouncing the dairy industry
From 2021 to 2022, Animal Equality conducted an extensive investigation into 27 small and medium farms, six animal markets, and two slaughterhouses in Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, and West Bengal in India. Since documenting the cruel and illegal practices of workers to cows, buffalos, and calves in the dairy industry, Animal Equality has presented a list of recommendations to the government to protect these animals.
We encouraged the public to eliminate or reduce their consumption of dairy products and replace them with delicious plant‑based options.
Animal Equality is working with Indian celebrities to create videos seen by tens of thousands of people encouraging Indians to choose plant-based options.
MEXICO & UNITED STATES
Exposing the slaughter of horses for human consumption
During an undercover investigation, Animal Equality exposed the slaughter of horses in Mexico for human consumption, including how American horses ended up in a slaughterhouse in Zacatecas.
We’ve also presented a formal complaint for all the acts of abuse documented, and we have taken a step further by organizing a protest on Capitol Hill (Washington D.C.) demanding a ban on the transportation of American horses to other countries to be killed.
ITALY
Genetic manipulation of chickens
Animal Equality’s investigators inspected several Italian chicken factory farms and found extreme filth, crowding, signs of serious diseases, and many dead chickens.
Because of their unnatural and accelerated weight gain, some birds cannot walk or stand up, and their bones break easily.
We brought several dead birds to a team of veterinarians to perform an autopsy that revealed the underlying health problems and suffering those animals endured.
With the scientific evidence and expert testimonies, we demanded that the Italian government bans this genetic manipulation of chickens and filed a complaint against all 27 European Union members for violating the legislation protecting animals on farms.
The European Commission has confirmed that they will investigate the issue.
MEDIA COVERAGE OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS
The following news organizations have featured Animal Equality’s undercover investigations and campaigns defending animals.
Animal Equality’s undercover investigation OF DAIRY Farm WATCHED BY MILLIONS
The treatment of cows and calves at Madox Farm, a dairy farm in South Wales, shocked the United Kingdom.
Our investigator documented workers kicking and punching cows in the face and stomach, twisting their tails, and hitting them with sharp metal shovels. In one instance, a pregnant cow was left to suffer and die after her baby died inside her.
At the time of filming, the farm supplied milk to Freshways, the UK’s largest dairy processor, whose products are distributed to major companies. The footage aired on BBC One’s Panorama, one of the country’s biggest television programs, and was seen by millions of viewers.
The response was huge, with hundreds of people pledging publicly to stop drinking dairy. Data gathered from the popular dating app Veggly show that 35% of the UK’s ‘vegetarian’ users have switched to ‘vegan’ since the investigation aired. There has also been a 40% increase in new vegan users.
Alongside the investigation, we launched a petition calling for a licensing system for farms and slaughterhouses. This will only allow farms that successfully pass regular and thorough inspections to operate. The petition has been signed by over 74,000 people so far.
LOVE VEG:
PROMOTING DELICIOUS PLANT‑BASED EATING
Love Veg is Animal Equality’s signature plant‑based program, inspiring people worldwide to leave animals off their plates.
This means encouraging our newsletter subscribers to transition to a plant‑based diet and directing pages and news articles to our Love Veg website, which has easy recipes and helpful tips to inspire people to try plant-based foods.
Save a Lamb campaign in Italy
Animal Equality published the Save a Lamb campaign in Italy surrounding the Easter holiday, comprised of two parts:
A heartwarming video filmed at an animal sanctuary with Bruno Bozzetto, an Italian cartoonist and film director, and Andrea Capodanno, a celebrated vegan influencer with over 200,000 followers, to encourage people to adopt a vegan diet and show them how affectionate and sociable lambs are.
An investigation focused on the transport of lambs conducted by Animal Equality with support from the German Animal Welfare Foundation and the National Animal Protection Agency of Italy.
Encouraging Spaniards to drop dairy and choose delicious alternatives
Animal Equality in Spain launched a series of publications within our program, Love Veg, to promote delicious dairy‑free alternatives.
- 5 Reasons Why Plant‑Based Milks Are the Milk of the Future
- They Are Already Producing Cow’s Milk Without Cows
- What if the Milk Ads Told the Truth?
Indian celebrities endorse the 21‑Day Plant‑Powered Challenge
Several celebrities have joined Animal Equality to promote plant-based foods, including professional tennis player Vishwajeet Sangle and model and actor Elena Fernandes. They also encouraged our audience to join the 21-Day Plant‑Powered Challenge.
Latin America: Promoting plant-based cheeses and milks to save cows
Love Veg launched a campaign for Latin America to save cows and calves by informing consumers of the living conditions of these animals in the dairy industry and inviting them to replace cow milk and cheese with plant-based alternatives.
Our recipe book, My First Vegan Cheeses, has been downloaded more than 220,000 times since its launch in May.
Updating the Healthy Eating Plate in Mexico
Animal Equality and Alianza Alimentaria promoted an initiative to reform Article 73 of the Constitution of Mexico, empowering Congress to provide sustainable food for people. The objective is to encourage a new Healthy Eating Plate in the country, based on the Planetary Health Diet by the EAT-Lancet Commission, which recommends reducing animal products. This means fewer animal products and more fruits, vegetables, grains, tubers, and legumes.
We’re endorsing the General Law for Sustainable Food initiative encouraging the consumption of plant-based foods.
Mexico: Getting Started guide
Since launching Love Veg Mexico in 2015, previously named Discover Your Food from 2015 to 2018, more than one million people have joined us. We welcome everyone with an introductory series of emails and continue to share content to provide our readers with the knowledge and support needed to transition to a plant-based lifestyle.
Bring Peace to Your Table
For the end-of-year holiday season, Love Veg published three free recipe books with plant-based alternatives to typical dishes prepared these days.
Love Veg at universities in Guadalajara, Mexico
Love Veg offered workshops at universities in Guadalajara, Mexico, to train Nutrition and Dietetics students on preparing vegan food.
Our workshops toured the CUCS (University Center for Health Sciences) laboratories of the University of Guadalajara, the ITESO food innovation laboratory, and the Anthropological University of Guadalajara food laboratory.
Our Love Veg work has been featured in important Mexican media outlets such as Mimosa Magazine, Quadratín México, Tijuana Informativo, Hoja de Ruta Digital, and Crónica Jalisco.
76+ MILLION ANIMALS IMPACTED BY OUR LEGAL ADVOCACY WORK
In 2022, Animal Equality worked in several countries to introduce new laws that would improve the lives of animals and secure the strict enforcement of existing ones.
8
COUNTRIES WHERE
WE WORK TO PROTECT ANIMALS
25-40 MILLION
MALE CHICKS SPARED IN ITALY
EACH YEAR
50+ MILLION
ANIMALS PROTECTED IN HIDALGO, MEXICO
ITALY
In 2020 Animal Equality launched the campaign Stop the Slaughter of Male Chicks. Less than two years later, and with massive support, the Italian Senate agreed to end the killing of male chicks by the egg industry.
By 2026, the Italian government will have to introduce measures to ban the egg industry’s systematic killing of chicks. Between 25 and 40 million chickens will be spared annually.
MEXICO
As a result of our undercover investigations into slaughterhouses in Hidalgo, Mexico, and our following campaign, the Congress of the State of Hidalgo has unanimously agreed to modify the Law for the Protection and Dignified Treatment of Animals and the Criminal Code.
This makes Hidalgo the first state in Mexico to dedicate an entire chapter of a law on minimum standards for animals on farms. In addition, it criminalizes animal cruelty in slaughterhouses.
Killing animals while they are conscious and running unregulated slaughterhouses is now considered a crime and will result in sentences of up to four years in prison and fines.
The reform now protects approximately 50 million pigs, cows, chickens, hens, lambs, and other animals raised for food from extreme abuse.
UNITED STATES
Every year, an estimated 20,000 horses are sent across US borders to Mexico and Canada to be killed for their meat.
Animal Equality investigated this trade, showing American horses awaiting slaughter in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Animal Equality’s supporters took action to demand an end to the exportation and slaughter of American horses, contacting congressional leaders and joining a protest in front of the Capitol.
ITALY
Animal Equality in Italy filed two complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Cremona against those responsible for mistreating animals at the Zema slaughterhouse.
The investigation uncovered workers and owners of the company beating pigs with sticks and shovels, slamming a pig against the wall, and ineffectively stunning them before slaughter, leaving them still conscious.
UNITED STATES
Animal Equality filed a lawsuit against a Foster Farms hatchery in California when local law enforcement failed to respond to our 2021 undercover investigation into their facilities.
The hatchery breeds over 3.3 million chicks every week. Our investigation revealed baby chicks being routinely crushed, drowned, and mutilated.
UNITED KINGDOM
The Scottish government has introduced mandatory inspections in salmon slaughterhouses following Animal Equality’s investigation into The Scottish Salmon Company. This will impact an estimated 45 million animals.
The investigation uncovered fish having their gills cut while still conscious and being clubbed by workers and left to suffocate.
UNITED KINGDOM
Animal Equality, with The Animal Law Foundation, published the report The Enforcement Problem in the UK addressing the UK’s failure to enforce animal protection laws.
Animal Equality also launched a campaign demanding that the government prosecute animal abusers and holds the meat industry accountable. To support this, we organized a Parliamentary event gathering support from Members of Parliament and Government officials.
Animal Equality UK’s Executive Director, Abigail Penny, spoke about the findings from years of investigations and presented the conclusions from the report.
Actor and activist Peter Egan were also there supporting the campaign.
BRAZIL
Animal Equality campaigned to stop the ‘Self-Control’ bill that would end mandatory government inspections of slaughterhouses and allow the meat industry to regulate itself.
We conducted an undercover investigation into slaughterhouses operating without any oversight and joined efforts with 38 other organizations opposing this bill.
Despite great pressure from society not to approve this bill, unfortunately the agribusiness sector and large meat processors have significant influence over Brazilian politicians. At the end of the year, the bill was approved. Animal Equality is currently evaluating how to suspend the effects of this new law.
OUR CAMPAIGNS REDUCE THE SUFFERING OF 122+ MILLION CHICKENS, HENS, AND PIGS
The campaigns Animal Equality won in 2022 have led 57 food companies to implement changes in their practices, reducing the suffering of animals. More than 3 million hens used for eggs, 119 million chickens raised for meat, and nearly 80,000 other animals—like mother pigs trapped in cages, will be impacted every year by these changes.
57 COMPANIES
MAKING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
3+ MILLION
HENS FREED FROM CAGES EVERY YEAR
122+ MILLION
ANIMALS HELPED WITH THESE CAMPAIGNS
Hens in egg factory farms spend their entire lives in cramped wire cages where they can’t even spread their wings. We’re pushing companies to eliminate cages and provide nest boxes, perches, and dust-bathing areas that significantly improve the lives of these animals.
The hatcheries responsible for filling the factory egg farms with hens also kill millions of newborn male chicks as they can’t lay eggs.
The meat industry genetically selects chickens to grow as much as possible in only a few weeks. Kept in dim sheds and forced to live in their waste, many suffer painful leg deformities and die of heart attacks. We’re working to change this and end this genetic selection that causes so much suffering to billions of birds yearly.
Animal Equality works to end all forms of exploitation and abuse of animals. While our society progresses and moves away from harming animals, we work with companies to help billions of animals who will be trapped in factory farms.
UNITED STATES
Animal Equality wins its campaign defending pigs against Compass Group
The world’s largest food service company, Compass Group, finally committed to ending their support of the confinement of pregnant pigs in cages in the United States by the summer of 2023.
Animal Equality launched a campaign to inform Compass’ customers of the suffering imposed on mother pigs when confined to a 7-by-2-foot cage. These cages are barely bigger than their bodies, and the animals can’t even turn around for most of their lives.
In addition to eliminating the confinement of pregnant pigs in so‑called ‘gestation’ cages, the updated policy also includes changes in the living conditions of chickens raised for meat and of hens used for eggs who will no longer be confined in cages. More than 16,000 pigs and 36,000,000 chickens and hens will be impacted annually by these changes.
LATIN AMERICA
Preventing the killing of 7 million male chicks
After negotiations with Animal Equality, Mantiqueira, South America’s largest egg producer, became the first Latin American company to commit not to do business with hatcheries that kill male chicks.
Animal Equality also convinced three other companies, Granja Raiar, Korin Alimentos, and Planalto Ovos, to implement the same changes sparing more than 500,000 chicks annually.
INDIA
Advancing toward ending the confinement of hens in cages in Indian egg farms
Animal Equality in India is convincing food companies to reject the confinement of hens in cages, impacting tens of thousands of hens.
INTERNATIONAL
Animal Equality launched an international campaign against the slaughter of horses. Around the world, more than 5,000,000 horses are killed each year for meat.
The clandestine trade linked to horse meat related to animals from other environments of animal exploitation, such as equestrian races and competitions, is also a global problem that has been denounced.
EUROPE
Animal Equality is part of the #EUforAnimals campaign calling for appointing a European Commissioner for Animal Welfare.
A total of 181 Members of the European Parliament from different countries and political groups endorsed this demand after more than 215,000 European citizens supported the campaign.
SPAIN
On International Animal Rights Day, Animal Equality rallied with activists and volunteers to change the current laws and recognize that animals feel and deserve to be protected.
The protest, which has been held since 2008, has gone around the world and has become a reference event for the international animal rights movement.
GERMANY
Germany imports approximately 50 tons of livers of ducks from other countries every year, causing extreme suffering to more than 65,000 ducks.
Animal Equality in Germany launched a campaign to ban the importation of this product and demand that the European Parliament forbids the practice of force-feeding animals in all Europe.
BRAZIL
Animal Equality in Brazil and Eurogroup for Animals organized a conference with key decision makers to discuss the negative impact of the European Union’s Mercosur Free Trade Agreement which doesn’t include any guidelines on the treatment of animals.
Participants also urged members of the European Commission to increase transparency in animal‑based products’ supply chains and transition to a plant-based food system.
SPAIN
Animal Equality organized a conference with professor Peter Singer to present the Spanish edition of his book, translated and published by Animal Equality in collaboration with the book publishing company Plaza y Valdés.
Peter Singer is also the author of Animal Liberation and is considered one of the most influential thinkers of our time.
TAKE ACTION FOR ANIMALS
None of these results are possible without your support and generous donations. Together, we’re building a better world for animals—but there’s still more work to be done.
Join Animal Equality today to help animals and keep pushing progress forward.
