EVIDENCE-BASED ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCACY
The International Council for Animal Welfare advances animal welfare by applying rigorous science and strategic pressure to the institutions that shape how animals are treated worldwide. We focus on high-impact, evidence-based priorities and engage directly with multinational corporations and industry decision makers to drive accountability, transparency, and measurable change.
Advancing animal welfare on a global scale
Our work targets systemic practices affecting chickens, aquatic life, and other animals whose welfare is determined by corporate policy and global supply chains. We concentrate our efforts where intervention can move the greatest number of animals out of harm.
How We Help
Defining high impact priorities
We ground our work in well-established and emerging animal welfare science to identify solutions that are credible, defensible, and capable of delivering real outcomes.
Corporate engagement
We work directly with corporate and industry leaders to challenge outdated practices, secure public commitments and push for implementation that goes beyond paper promises.
Global reach, coordinated action
We are a far-reaching, broad coalition of specialists with a dedication to making a real impact. We coordinate efforts at a global level to drive meaningful change.
FOCUS AREAS
OUR WORK
Our commitment to improving the lives of animals on a global scale comes from our deep-rooted passion for doing what’s right for animals and consumers.
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The shift away from intensive cage confinement for layer hens is a well-established animal welfare priority that has the potential to dramatically improve the lives of hundreds of millions of animals globally. Holding companies accountable to their cage-free commitments is crucial to ensure meaningful progress in animal welfare, as unreported efforts can obscure industry transparency and hinder trust in corporate pledges.
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Emerging science demonstrates that electrical stunning is the most humane pre-slaughter method for shrimp, as it renders them unconscious far faster and more effectively than outdated practices like ice slurry immersion or asphyxia. Investment in electrical stunning technology is a straightforward and inexpensive solution to advance the humane treatment of shrimp during harvest and slaughter.
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Lasting institutional change requires sustained public pressure. We invest in building authentic grassroots power by equipping advocates with the tools, information, and strategic direction needed to hold decision makers accountable. By cultivating informed, committed activists across regions, we strengthen the collective capacity to drive reform and ensure that corporate promises translate into real-world outcomes for animals.
HAVE A QUESTION?
Speak To The Council.
RAVEN is our Rapid Virtual Escalation Network, connecting volunteers across the globe with weekly online actions, hand-crafted to make real change for the animals.
Frequently Asked Questions.
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Hens in cages suffer from limited space and restricted movement, which prevents them from engaging in natural behaviors and leads to high stress and frustration. Studies also indicate that caged hens have higher rates of Salmonella, a leading cause of foodborne illness and are more prone to disease than hens in systems that allow for greater mobility and expression of natural behaviors.
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Shrimp, like other animals, can experience suffering, especially under traditional slaughter methods like ice slurry and asphyxiation, which are ineffective, and cause prolonged pain. Electrical stunning, widely considered the most humane pre-slaughter method, offers a quicker, more humane alternative, reducing suffering significantly. Companies are beginning to adopt this cost-effective technology, and we’re working to make humane practices the standard across the industry.
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Lasting institutional change does not happen without sustained public pressure. Companies rarely act on animal welfare without clear, visible demand for change, and isolated advocacy is not enough to shift global systems.
Movement building ensures that pressure is consistent, credible, and impossible to ignore. By equipping advocates with the tools, information, and strategic direction needed to take action, we help create a broad base of informed individuals who can hold decision makers accountable across regions and over time.
This collective pressure is what turns commitments into action and ensures that progress for animals is not delayed, diluted, or quietly abandoned.
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We engage in dialogue, offer recommendations, and educate consumers regarding corporations that fail to uphold humane practices. By keeping the public informed, we create transparency that pressures companies to improve their standards.
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Corporate animal welfare policies directly impact billions of animals within supply chains. When companies commit to better welfare standards, such as cage-free egg production or humane slaughter methods, it leads to tangible improvements in animals’ lives. ICAW pushes for these policies to create industry-wide shifts toward ethical practices.
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You can support ICAW’s mission by joining our movement both online and in person. Sign up for RAVEN, our global digital network, to take part in coordinated online actions that hold companies accountable. You can also participate in grassroots activism on the ground, joining in-person efforts that bring visibility and pressure directly to decision makers.
Together, these efforts build the sustained public pressure needed to turn corporate commitments into real-world improvements for animals worldwide.