At Almarai, we are passionate about animal wellness, and its role in creating a more sustainable business and supply chain. As a part of our Doing better every day strategy, we ensure that our customers are receiving quality and ethical products. Our aim will always be to support and encourage the improvement of animal welfare throughout our business. To do this, we work closely with our teams and partners to maintain our high standards, and always strive to raise them. We ensure that the animals we raise to produce our products are properly and humanely treated throughout their lifecycle. We follow the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guiding principles on animal welfare, as well as the universally recognized ‘Five Freedoms’ for animals under human control to upkeep the mental and physical wellbeing of animals. All livestock that provides our fresh meat, poultry and eggs must be reared with these five freedoms:
We work closely with various veterinary organizations to maintain the health of our animals and seek to provide our livestock with exceptionally high standards of living, to ensure maximum yields and quality. Our Holstein dairy herds have 24-hour support from professional veterinary teams, year-round shaded housing, and air cooling and showering. Cows are fed a healthy diet that is specifically formulated for their needs.
To produce the best quality products, we must ensure that the feed we give our livestock is also of the highest quality, sourced from well managed locations and that they are fed the correct amount. Poultry flocks receive best-in- class care, ensuring that health consistently exceeds global standards. Such standards are achieved by focusing on high levels of husbandry and nutrition for our birds. For example, we have a unique air filtration system in our broiler farms. Broilers are housed in climate-controlled barns and are provided with a healthy diet. Almarai also does not use cages on any of our poultry farms.
Therapeutic antimicrobials are not used in our cows as an alternative to good management. We have a health plan to continually improve our cows’ health with an emphasis on effective vaccination, good animal husbandry and best hygiene practices. During treatment, our cows are removed from production until treatment has been completed and they test negative for antibiotics in their milk. With our broiler chickens, we do not use antimicrobials (antibiotics) ever.
In 2021, we worked to draft our Animal Welfare Policy that will formalize and govern our approach to animal welfare. This policy will cover all livestock and animals throughout our group and safeguards them against malpractice by focusing on best practice approaches to management, living conditions, transportation, food, nutrition, health, and wellbeing. This policy will form a part of our journey towards achieving the NSF Global Animal Wellness Standards, which we feel demonstrates or care and compassion to our livestock. This journey commenced in 2020 with the update of our standard operating procedures to align to the standards, conducted training for site employees, and identified an Animal Welfare team.
Zero incidents of non-compliance with laws and regulations, and adherence with voluntary standards related to transportation, handling, and slaughter practices
100% of cows in enclosed housing with resting areas and 100% of chickens in enclosed cage free housing
Almarai has become the first company globally to obtain the international certificate for animal wellness for dairy farms and operations. This recognition has been provided by NSF International according to International Animal Wellness standards.
Almarai has also become the first company in Saudi Arabia to be certified in the poultry hatchery, transport, and operation. This recognition has been provided by NSF International according to International Animal Wellness standards.
Through our ambition to lead our sector in best animal welfare practices possible, we have now become the first company globally to obtain the international certificate for animal wellness for dairy farms and operations. This recognition has been provided by the NSF International according to International Animal Wellness standards. Almarai has also become the first company in Saudi Arabia to be certified to the poultry hatchery, transport, and operation.
Almarai has renewed the cooperation and partnership agreement with the Saudi Veterinary Medical Association for three more years, from 2021 until 2024. The agreement stated that the company is exclusively sponsoring the award, which is “Almarai Veterinary Medicine Award for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries,” by being committed to cover the annual value of the award, which is five hundred thousand Saudi riyals (500,000 SAR).
The award was originally launched in 2009 under the name of “Almarai Veterinary Award for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries” before changing the name. The awards have reached 62 winners from doctors and researchers since launching and has seen remarkable successes as it attracts hundreds of veterinary doctors and researchers who have a great impact on enriching the Saudi veterinary medical movement. The award is consistent with the comprehensive vision pursued by Almarai in supporting various professions and enriching them in the local community.
| Goal/Target | Progress |
|---|---|
| Achieve global animal welfare certification for our dairy and poultry farming operations by 2025 |  |
