Walmart has announced that it wants its food suppliers to stop inhumane treatment of animals and overuse of antibiotics. Walmart, the largest food retailer in the US, said today that it would urge its suppliers to to support a new set of rules known as the "five freedoms" of animal welfare. The rules detail raising animals in environments that keep free from fear, hunger, discomfort, sickness, and confined spaces. It also urges suppliers to stop using antibiotics for growth purposes and to adopt voluntary FDA guidelines that limit the use of medically important antibiotics. :we believe that farm animals in our supply chain should be treated humanely throughout their lives and that the welfare of farm animals should be considered in selection of all production systems, practices, and technologies," Walmart wrote on its website. Walmart, one of the largest food retailers in the US, has made a major step forward towards the humane treatment of animals and the proper usage of antibiotics. Walmart follows McDonald's and Chick-fil-A in setting timelines for removing some or all antibiotics use.
The five freedoms are as following:
1. Freedom from hunger and thirst - by providing ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.
2. Freedom from discomfort - by providing appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease - by ensuring prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to express normal behavior - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
5. Freedom from fear and distress - by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
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