The Company is committed to elevating animal welfare in our operations and to raising employee awareness to support our endeavor. We have clear policies, manuals, and standard operating practices on animal welfare and have integrated an internationally accepted framework, known as the ‘Five Freedoms’, into our management of terrestrial and aquaculture farming in the operations in all countries.
CPF requires top management of each business line in each country to oversee the management of animal welfare, to establish an animal welfare committee for each country that has animal farm business and to provide expert of each business line to strictly perform duties and promote animal welfare, all of which are carried out in accordance with CPF's policies and guidelines covering both CPF’s farms and farms of the farmers in the contract farming project. These ensure that the management is in alignment with laws and regulations of each country, regulations of EU which is a major trading partner, customer requirements, and international standards for animal welfare. CPF has established criteria for location selection, animal farm management, feed management and animal feeding methods, health management and disease prevention, farm hygiene, animal transporting to processing plants, information recording, and employee training.
Genetic Engineering or Cloning
The Company does not utilize genetic engineering or cloning technologies in our breeding program and production lines. All the genetic improvement in our animal products is achieved by traditional selection methods. We also continually ensure that suppliers of breeder grandparent and parent stocks use a breeding program that is based on traditional and natural methods of selection.
Animal Husbandry, Transportation and Slaughtering
The Company emphasizes raising all of our animals on a basis of good animal welfare practices without constraining them in limited small housing in order to provide them with the freedom to fully express natural behaviors. We raise fattening pigs, chicken breeders, broilers, duck breeders and ducks in all operating countries in a group housing system to provide enough space for them to express their natural behaviors. For swine breeder farming, we have transitioned our pregnant breeder sow farming towards a group housing system since 2000. Our target is to transition 100 percent of our own and contracted farms in every operating country to a group housing system by 2028. For layer farming, we are committed to transitioning from a conventional cage system to a cage-free system which we have already piloted on the Wang Somboon farm in Saraburi Province in 2019.
Furthermore, to comply with animal welfare principles, the Company has a clear policy on limited transportation time for all live animal transportation. 100 percent of live animal transportation must be completed within eight hours, and the vehicles must be installed with a proper temperature control and ventilation system so that animals are comfortable throughout the journey. To achieve this, we specified that farming areas must be located close to slaughter houses. However, the Company has contingency plans when the terrain is unfavorable, leading to transporting which takes longer than eight hours, we will apply a stress easing measure by requiring that the vehicles must stop every two hours to provide water for and check on animals. Moreover, unloading animal practices must be in line with animal welfare principles and must be done as gently as possible. The unloading area must be in proper ventilation and with appropriate temperature so that animals are relaxed and calm.
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100% of live animals |
Farm Business 
covers:
in every country where CPF has business operations. |
are transported to CPF's slaughterhouse within 8 hours. |
| Average time to transport live animals* (hours) |
Maximum time to transport live animals* (hours) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|
2.4 | 1.8 | N/A | 6.5 |
|
3.3 | 3.2 | N/A | 7.0 |
|
2.3 | 1.1 | N/A | 6.0 |
|
3.8 | 3.7 | N/A | 7.8 |
|
2.9 | 2.7 | N/A | 5.0 |
 ** |
10.0 | 10.2 | N/A | 17.0 |
Remarks: *Calculated from live animal transportation times of all countries in which the Company operates.
** As for the transportation of live fish, it will be transported by boat, which are specially designed for the bottom of the boat to be a large basin and have channel for river water to flow through. This is to be able to circulate and change water throughout the transport. Therefore, the fish do not feel stressed and live throughout the transportation to the factory.
** As for the transportation of live fish, it will be transported by boat, which are specially designed for the bottom of the boat to be a large basin and have channel for river water to flow through. This is to be able to circulate and change water throughout the transport. Therefore, the fish do not feel stressed and live throughout the transportation to the factory.
In addition, the Company places importance to pre-slaughter stunning by rendering them insensible or unconscious with internationally accepted methods. We set our target that 100 percent of all farmed animals in all operating countries must pass all the pre-slaughter stunning process to ensure that they are not tortured and that the process is painless.
100% of all farmed animals entering our processing processes pass through the pre-slaughter stunning process before being slaughtered.
- Use electrical waterbath stunning
-
Use carbon dioxide or low voltage electric current
- Use ice
- Use electric current
(Partial)
Enhancing Environmental Enrichment
In addition to close care and attention, enhancing the physical environment to allow animals to express their natural behaviours is one of the methods to fulfill basic needs of animals. CPF has applied the principles of environmental enhancements for all animal culture across all lines of business in every country. This is to ensure that physical discomfort and depression in animals are avoided, and that animals can freely their expressions of natural behaviors. All animals are therefore properly raised and are able to express their natural behaviours. CPF has continuously promoted enhancement of the physical environment for livestock farming in the value chain, which can be seen from an increasing trend in performances over the past 3 years as follows:
| Enhancement of Physical Environment (%) | |
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|
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | Nursery Pig | Wean-to-Finish Pig | ||||
| 2021 | 64.87 | 100* | 100 | 40.01 | 37.53 | 71.44 |
| 2022 | 61.13 | 100* | 100 | 44.02 | 97.31 | 71.09 |
| 2023 | 88.00 | 100* | 83.34 | 41.68 | 60.64 | 90.18 |
Remark: * Chicken raised in cage-free housing
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|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
Paddy husk bale for climbing |
Perch for hanging |
Water troughs for placing their heads |
Chewing objects e.g. strings and Napier grass |
Pecking objects |
Flooring materials for scratching and pecking |
Collecting samples from saliva |
|
Places for laying eggs |
Audit
All CPF’s farms and farms of the farmers in the contract farming project both in Thailand and overseas operations are audited at least once every three years and receive certification of Livestock Product Standards from the Department of Livestock Development. The Standards covers animal welfare management and is in line with Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The certification is valid for three years at a time. In addition, our broiler business is Thailand’s first business which has been QS certified by SGS from Germany, as well as Global GAP by Control Union Certifications from the Netherlands, ALO from Switzerland, and Avian Influenza Free Compartment from the Department of Livestock Development. (Additional details are presented in the Sustainability Report; Topic: Auditing)
Examples of International Standards Certification for Animal Welfare Management
Broiler Business
Layer Business
Swine Business
Aquaculture Business
With our adherence to our commitment, we are confident and can guarantee that all of our fresh and processed food products under our brands and customer specific brands as well as products that we supply to both domestic and international markets are of good quality, hygienic and safe for consumers.
Support and Promotion
Training
The Company’s veterinary and researcher team has disseminated knowledge and expertise on animal welfare to farm inspectors, animal husbandmen, related officers and farmers under our Contract Farming Project. The training provides understanding in physical characteristics, behaviors and needs of animals, to provide them with good practices on animals’ health and bodies in line with animal welfare principles. As a result, relevant personnel can control, manage and prevent adverse events before causing serious damages. Specific knowledge in, for example, Poultry Welfare Officer (PWO) and ASF (African Swine Fever) prevention have also been provided in training session.
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Stakeholder |
Dissemination method |
|---|---|
|
CPF |
Seminars, meetings, farm visits, trainings, and on-site coaching |
|
Farmers under the Contract Farming Project |
Seminars, meetings, farm visits, and on-site coaching |
|
External Farmers |
Seminars and farm visits |
VDO Conferences for Animal Welfare Committees
The Company conducts VDO conferences for animal welfare committees from all operating countries twice a year in order to exchange information and knowledge on animal welfare.
Training Poultry Welfare Officer (PWO)
The Company has continuously trained PWOs aiming to have PWOs stationed in all operating countries. We started the training in overseas operations in 2017 and achieved the 100 percent training target in 2019. The most recent training was held on 12-13 November 2019 in Thailand by animal welfare experts from the AW Training, United Kingdom.
Swine Health and Welfare Training
The Company’s swine business in Thailand aims to train 100 percent of our farms and farms under the Contract Farming Project on swine health and welfare by 2020.
ASF (African Swine Fever) Prevention Training
To protect farmed animals from illness following animal welfare principles, prevention from the ASF (African Swine Fever), which is a global critical issue, is an emphasis the Company puts on. We are one of the companies from the private sector that collaboratively prevent the ASF with the Department of Livestock Development, the National Pig Breeders Association, and three levels of network associations, including:
National level:
We supported construction of a cleaning and disinfection of livestock transportation vehicle center on the border of Chiang Rai and Mukdahan provinces worth 4 million Baht.
We supported construction of a cleaning and disinfection of livestock transportation vehicle center on the border of Chiang Rai and Mukdahan provinces worth 4 million Baht.
Provincial level:
We organized a seminar to disseminate knowledge on the topic of “Be Aware to Prevent the ASF” to 7,262 farmers under the Contract Farming Project in 38 provinces worth 2.2 million Baht.
We organized a seminar to disseminate knowledge on the topic of “Be Aware to Prevent the ASF” to 7,262 farmers under the Contract Farming Project in 38 provinces worth 2.2 million Baht.
Local level:
We provided on-site knowledge sharing and promotion of preventative measures against the ASF for 2,156 small holder farmers within five kilometers of farm radius across 58 provinces, and supplied appropriate prevention equipment against the ASF worth 2.5 million Baht.
We provided on-site knowledge sharing and promotion of preventative measures against the ASF for 2,156 small holder farmers within five kilometers of farm radius across 58 provinces, and supplied appropriate prevention equipment against the ASF worth 2.5 million Baht.
Furthermore, the Company supports the prevention of the ASF among other countries, including the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia, ranging from implementing preventative measures, communication and supplying prevention equipment.
Preventive measures against the ASF, Cambodia
Utilizing GPS as alert notification through SMS, Laos
Arranging farm-visits to supply prevention equipment against the ASF, the Philippines
Advancing Farm Animal Welfare Projects
Knowledge Sharing of Animal Welfare for Broiler Farming
The Company’s operations in India held a training session on poultry welfare for broiler farming with relevant farming personnel from southern, eastern and western regions of India. There was a total of 30 attendees in the training session on 3 July 2019 which was organized by PWO from Thailand.
The Company’s operations in India held a training session on poultry welfare for broiler farming with relevant farming personnel from southern, eastern and western regions of India. There was a total of 30 attendees in the training session on 3 July 2019 which was organized by PWO from Thailand.
Piloting the Installation of Pekino for Ducks
The Company’s operations in Thailand have piloted installing Pekino for ducks designed to have a funnel shape similar to duck necks which mimics their natural behavior when drinking water by submerging their heads in the water. This enables ducks to be in good health and be strong, facilitates them in fully submerging their heads in the water, and allows them to keep water in their mouth and flap water to groom naturally, simulating the expression of their natural behaviors.
The Company’s operations in Thailand have piloted installing Pekino for ducks designed to have a funnel shape similar to duck necks which mimics their natural behavior when drinking water by submerging their heads in the water. This enables ducks to be in good health and be strong, facilitates them in fully submerging their heads in the water, and allows them to keep water in their mouth and flap water to groom naturally, simulating the expression of their natural behaviors.
Raising Layers in a Closed Cage-Free Housing System
The Company’s operations in Malaysia have piloted the first closed cage-free housing system for layers, allowing them to move freely within the area, and enabling them to feel relaxed and improve their health.
The Company’s operations in Malaysia have piloted the first closed cage-free housing system for layers, allowing them to move freely within the area, and enabling them to feel relaxed and improve their health.
Installation of Removable Pen Barriers in Swine Housing
The Company’s operations in Vietnam have developed removable pen barriers in fattening pig housing, replacing the previous separate enclosed system. This enables them to express their natural behaviors, and move freely, from the first to the last pens, resulting in reduction of the stress level.
The Company’s operations in Vietnam have developed removable pen barriers in fattening pig housing, replacing the previous separate enclosed system. This enables them to express their natural behaviors, and move freely, from the first to the last pens, resulting in reduction of the stress level.
No Slatted Flooring in Farms
The Company adheres to Five Freedom Principles and our farms have no slatted flooring.
The Company adheres to Five Freedom Principles and our farms have no slatted flooring.