Animal Welfare

At Mondelez, we support agricultural programs and farming practices that help maintain a sustainable, high-quality supply of raw materials.

We share consumer, civil society, government and investor concerns about the health and welfare of farm animals, as sentient beings, and we recognize the link between animal welfare and the health of animals raised for food.

A number of our products include ingredients that come from farm animals, such as dairy and egg products. We use fresh and powdered milk, other dairy ingredients, eggs and egg derivatives in the production of our cheese, chocolate, biscuit and dressing brands.

We are committed to working with supply chain partners to source high-quality raw materials and to improve farm animal welfare, focusing initially on liquid milk and eggs in Europe and North America.

We believe that an animal's welfare, whether on farm, in transit, or at market should be considered in terms of 'five freedoms'.

  1. Freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition - by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.
  2. Freedom from physical and thermal discomfort - by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
  3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis and adequate treatment.
  4. Freedom from fear and distress - by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
  5. Freedom to express normal behavior - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.

We expect suppliers of ingredients that come from farm animals to be aware and comply with all applicable national laws on animal welfare and, where legislation does not exist, the guidelines of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Regulations typically relate to diet, availability of water, accommodation, prevention/diagnosis of disease, sufficient space for normal behavior, facilities, companionship, conditions which prevent mental and physical suffering, and in the case of severe illness providing appropriate medical attention (preferably from a veterinarian).

In addition, we require suppliers to engage in continuous improvement to promote better standards in quality, safety and animal welfare respecting the Five Freedoms and to support national standards and assurance schemes. Through our Procurement function, we embed requirements into our procurement process and track progress annually against the key performance indicators specified in our dairy and egg principles.

Animal welfare is part of our corporate strategy to Protect the Well-being of People and Planet We have a global Well-being Leadership Team that has oversight from our Chief Growth Officer and is co-chaired by our Chief R&D & Nutrition Officer, and Vice President of Global Well-being & Sustainability. We take a comprehensive approach to well-being, integrating it throughout our business, and we engage with suppliers, farmers, industry associations, governments, international organizations, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders.