We protect the health and welfare of animals at all stages of our supply chains.

Targets

• Align to Tier 4 requirements of the Business Benchmark for Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) by 2027.
• Source 100% Ocado Own Range meat, dairy and eggs (including as ingredients) to ‘Best’, as outlined in the Sourcing Better Framework, by 2030.

Our approach

Our partnership with the Soil Association supports research to advance farm animal welfare, working closely with farmers to enhance positive animal welfare and demonstrate how giving farmed animals a good life is practical, profitable, and sustainable.

The management of animal welfare starts at the farm and we ask all our suppliers to work with farmers who are dedicated to quality and who take good care of their animals. We recognise the integral role that animal health and welfare play in sustainable production and we will continue to promote high welfare standards.

Our Partnerships

Through our Soil Association partnership, experts are developing practical, measurable checklists for farmers to objectively assess their animals’ living conditions and identify opportunities to enhance well-being. The goal is to clearly communicate these standards across the supply chain, ensuring transparency for consumers and rewarding farmers that uphold the highest welfare standards.

Animal welfare standards as defined by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, fall into three categories: ‘A life not worth living’, ‘a life worth living’ and a ‘good life’. Most welfare standards concentrate on the bottom two tiers, seeking to simply remove negative experiences for animals. We are going one step further by creating positive ones, including dietary variety, environmental exploration and social choice.

Our Performance

In 2024, 15% of Ocado Own Range meat, dairy and eggs were sourced to high standards outlined in the ‘Sourcing Better’ Framework, classified as ‘Best’, which include Organic and RSPCA free range certifications. The remainder of the range is sourced to Red Tractor and country-equivalent standards.

Managing our supply chain risks

We have a number of set requirements to ensure animal welfare standards are met and maintained in our supply chains. These requirements are based on third-party assurance standards such as Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) certification for eggs, British Red Tractor or an equivalent in-country standard for products including poultry, beef, lamb, milk and cheese, and Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) targets for antibiotic use. We also commit to continually reviewing our standards and working with our partners, industry and suppliers to bring about improvements.