Frequently Asked Questions
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There's no universal definition of factory farming, but most of us would know it if we saw it.
After consulting with vets and animal welfare experts, we define factory farming as any of the following:
Confinement in cages, crates or crowded areas (whether inside, outside or underwater).
Depriving animals of the freedom to live as they naturally would (to stay with their families, to roam, explore, play, root in the ground etc.).
Painful mutilations like cutting beaks and tails, and burning off horns, to prevent animals harming each other due to stress caused by confinement.
Breeding animals for unnaturally fast growth that causes them pain or health problems.
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Compassion in World Farming estimates that over 85% of farmed animals in the UK are confined in factory farms.
The RSPCA claims the figure is 70%, as they exclude animals in RSPCA Assured farms, even though the majority are factory farms.
Farming has become an increasingly industrialised system, dominated by a handful of corporations that profit from confining and killing animals in their billions. The RSPCA Assured scheme certifies that system.
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Through RSPCA Assured – a certification scheme that puts the RSPCA's trusted logo on products from factory farms. Despite the RSPCA's reputation as the UK's leading animal charity, its Assured farms:
separate calves from their mothers within hours of birth
frequently confine animals in stressful and crowded conditions
allow mutilations, often without pain relief
deny animals the freedom to explore, play and be with their families
allow animals to be killed in gas chambers and industrial slaughterhouses.
Over 137 undercover investigations have exposed severe suffering in RSPCA Assured farms and slaughterhouses.
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We are campaigning against factory farming. But the factory farming industry has become so powerful partly because it hides behind false marketing – images of happy animals, green fields, and reassuring labels. RSPCA Assured is one of those labels. It certifies factory farms, while perpetuating the myth that animals can be farmed or slaughtered in a kind way.
The RSPCA is uniquely placed to change this. For over 200 years, they've been the organisation that exposes cruelty for what it is and helps end it. They helped ban dog fighting, live exports, and wild animals in circuses. When the RSPCA decides something is unacceptable, Britain listens.
Factory farming is the single biggest cause of animal suffering in the UK. The majority of the British public want it to end. We need the RSPCA to stop lending their trusted name to it – and start leading the movement to end it.
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Stop supporting factory farming
End RSPCA Assured certification of factory farms.Lead the way
Campaign to end factory farming by 2040, and lead the UK towards a kinder, more sustainable future.Tell the truth
End misleading advertising of RSPCA Assured and expose the reality of farming animals to the public.
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A future free from factory farming benefits everyone:
Animals are treated with respect – free to roam, explore, and be with their families.
Farmers are supported and valued – paid fairly for kinder, more sustainable farming, and supported to transition to plant-rich farming.
Our environment is protected – with cleaner rivers, healthier soils, thriving wildlife, and reduced climate impact.
Human health is protected – with less antibiotic resistance and air pollution, lower pandemic risk and disease risk, and healthier diets.
UK food security is protected, with diverse local food systems replacing factory farms.
This is the future the UK should be heading towards. And we need the RSPCA to use their power and influence to accelerate that change.
