Animal Welfare Policy
An Animal Welfare Policy sets out an organisation's commitment to protecting animals in the course of conducting its business operations and supply chain. It's a formal, publicly available statement that demonstrates accountability to customers, investors, employees and the wider community on how the organisation considers animal welfare in its sourcing, procurement and operational decisions.
Why it matters
Community expectations around animal welfare have shifted significantly. According to Futureye research, 95% of Australians view farm animal welfare as a concern, and 91% want at least some reform. Organisations without a published position on animal welfare are increasingly out of step with customers, investors and procurement standards.
Who should have one
Any organisation that directly uses animal-derived products or sources from supply chains involving animals. That includes obvious sectors like food retail, hospitality and pharmaceuticals — but also corporate operations that procure catering, uniforms, cleaning products, or event supplies. More businesses need one than realise it.
Why ACXPA tracks it
We track whether ACXPA Business Members publish an Animal Welfare Policy as a transparency indicator — so other members evaluating potential suppliers can see at a glance which organisations have a documented position.
What Is an Animal Welfare Policy?
An Animal Welfare Policy is a formal, publicly available document that outlines how an organisation considers, protects and promotes animal welfare across its operations and supply chain. It goes beyond minimum legal compliance — setting out the organisation's principles, commitments and management practices for areas where its business activities involve animals, directly or indirectly.
Plain-English Definition
An Animal Welfare Policy says: "Here's what we think about animals, and here's what we promise to do about it." It commits the organisation to specific standards, makes those standards visible to customers and suppliers, and creates internal accountability for meeting them. Without a formal policy, animal welfare decisions get made ad-hoc — or not at all.
✓ An Animal Welfare Policy IS
- A formal, published commitment that customers and suppliers can read
- Specific to the organisation's actual operations and supply chain
- A governance document with named responsibilities and review cycles
- Aligned with ESG reporting and broader corporate policy suite
✕ An Animal Welfare Policy is NOT
- A legal compliance statement (that's the minimum, not the policy)
- A marketing claim without backing commitments or governance
- A one-size-fits-all template copied without adaptation
- Only relevant to agriculture, retail or food-service businesses
Why an Animal Welfare Policy Matters
Animal welfare used to be seen as an agricultural or activist issue. It isn't anymore. It's now a mainstream corporate responsibility issue that affects procurement decisions, investor relations, staff attraction, and customer trust — even for businesses that have no direct contact with animals.
Community expectations have shifted
According to 2018 Futureye research, 95% of Australians view farm animal welfare as a concern and 91% want at least some reform. Organisations without a visible position are assumed to be indifferent — which increasingly damages brand trust, particularly with younger consumers.
ESG reporting is tightening
Animal welfare is recognised globally as a component of corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy. Publicly listed and large private organisations are increasingly required to report on animal welfare commitments alongside climate, modern slavery and governance disclosures.
Procurement is asking the question
Major corporate and government tenders now routinely require bidders to document animal welfare commitments as part of supplier qualification. "We don't have one" is increasingly an immediate disqualifier for certain contract categories — even for businesses where the link feels tangential.
The practical commercial case
A well-constructed Animal Welfare Policy is a business asset, not a compliance burden. It protects the organisation from reputational risk, opens procurement opportunities that would otherwise close, aligns with staff and customer values (increasingly decisive factors in retention and loyalty), and makes ESG disclosures easier to produce. The cost of developing one is measured in hours; the cost of not having one can be measured in contracts lost and trust damaged.
Who Needs an Animal Welfare Policy?
The honest answer: more organisations than realise it. The relevance isn't limited to businesses that farm or sell animals. Any organisation that procures goods or services involving animal-derived products or animal testing has a legitimate reason to have a documented position.
Obvious sectors
Food retail, hospitality, agriculture, food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, pet supplies, veterinary services, and any business selling or producing animal-derived products. For these organisations, an Animal Welfare Policy is core to operations and should be comprehensive.
Corporate procurement
Any organisation that procures catering, staff uniforms, cleaning products, event supplies, corporate gifts, or office consumables. That covers most medium-to-large businesses — including banks, telcos, utilities, insurers, councils, professional services firms, and government agencies. A lightweight procurement-focused policy is appropriate.
Operational impact
Organisations whose operations affect native fauna or domestic animals as a by-product of their activities. Water utilities (waterway and catchment management), councils (urban wildlife, pets), transport operators (wildlife strike management), land developers, energy and resources companies. A policy scoped to operational impact is appropriate.
The "do we really need one?" test
If any of the following are true, your organisation should have an Animal Welfare Policy: you procure food products for staff or customers; you buy leather, wool, or other animal-derived materials; your operations affect wildlife or native fauna; you source from suppliers who work with animals; your tenders or procurement processes are asked about animal welfare commitments; you report on ESG; or you have stakeholders who care. For most organisations above ~50 staff, at least one of those applies.
What a Good Animal Welfare Policy Covers
The structure below follows RSPCA Australia's recommended framework, which is the most widely referenced Australian standard. The specific content varies significantly by organisation — a food retailer's policy will differ dramatically from a council's — but the five core components should be present regardless.
Scope
Explicit definition of which products, species, geographies and brands the policy applies to. Critical for avoiding ambiguity later. A policy that says "we care about animal welfare" without defining scope is unenforceable. A policy that says "this applies to all food products sourced in Australia, covering cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and dairy" is actionable.
Internal governance and management
Roles and responsibilities for implementing, managing and monitoring the policy. Who owns it? Who approves exceptions? Who reviews it, and how often? Without named accountability, the policy sits in a filing cabinet and nothing changes.
Supplier and client engagement
How the policy is communicated to suppliers, what's expected of them, and how the organisation engages clients on animal welfare questions. This is where policies either become real (embedded in procurement contracts and supplier reviews) or stay on paper (published and forgotten).
Objectives and commitments
Specific, measurable commitments — both species-specific issues (e.g., cage-free eggs by 2028) and cross-species principles (e.g., the Five Domains of animal welfare). Vague commitments are worse than none, because they look like greenwashing. Specific commitments, with timelines, build trust.
Ongoing analysis, KPIs and public reporting
How progress is measured and reported. An Animal Welfare Policy without measurable KPIs and public reporting cadence is a statement of intent, not a policy. The best policies include annual public reports on progress against commitments, alongside broader ESG disclosures.
Getting a Template You Can Adapt
Animal welfare policy is not ACXPA's area of authority, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. The definitive Australian guide on how to develop one comes from RSPCA Australia, and it's genuinely excellent — practical, business-focused, and specifically structured for the Australian regulatory and community context.
Recommended: RSPCA Australia's Guide
RSPCA Australia publishes a free guide titled How to Develop an Animal Welfare Policy as part of their Responsible Sourcing series. It covers the business case, the five key components, the three-step development process (scoping, issue assessment, stakeholder engagement), and references throughout to Australian animal welfare legislation. For most organisations, this is the right starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an Animal Welfare Policy legally required in Australia?
No. Australian animal welfare legislation (set at the state and territory level) requires compliance with minimum standards of care and prohibition of cruelty. But having a formal, publicly-available Animal Welfare Policy is voluntary. Increasingly, however, it's required by procurement processes, ESG reporting frameworks, and supplier qualification criteria — so while it's not mandated by law, it's often effectively required to win contracts or retain investors.
Our business doesn't sell food or animal products. Do we really need one?
Possibly. Most medium-to-large organisations procure catering, uniforms, corporate gifts, cleaning products, or event supplies that involve animal-derived materials. If you source any of those, your procurement decisions affect animal welfare even if your core business doesn't. A lightweight procurement-focused Animal Welfare Policy is often appropriate and easy to implement.
What's the difference between an Animal Welfare Policy and a Sustainability Policy?
A Sustainability Policy is broader — typically covering environmental impact, resource use, carbon, waste, and social issues. An Animal Welfare Policy is narrower and specific to how the organisation considers animals. Some organisations embed animal welfare commitments inside a broader Sustainability or ESG Policy; others maintain a separate, standalone Animal Welfare Policy. Both approaches are valid — what matters is that the commitments are specific, accountable, and visible.
How long should an Animal Welfare Policy be?
Length depends entirely on scope. A corporate procurement-focused policy might be one or two pages. A food retailer's policy, covering species-specific commitments and supplier audit processes, might be 10-20 pages. The RSPCA guide covers both ends of the spectrum. Short and specific is always better than long and vague.
Who should own the Animal Welfare Policy within our organisation?
Typically the policy is owned by the Sustainability, ESG, Procurement, or Compliance function — whichever exists in your organisation. In smaller organisations, the CEO or COO owns it. Whoever owns it, the policy should be formally approved at executive or board level, because it commits the organisation publicly to actions that have supplier, cost, and reputational implications.
How often should the policy be reviewed?
Annually at minimum, with formal review cycles tied to ESG reporting. More frequent review is appropriate if the organisation's supply chain changes, if new commitments are made, or if regulatory changes (state animal welfare law updates, new Australian Animal Welfare Standards) affect compliance. The review cadence should be specified in the policy itself.
Does ACXPA provide Animal Welfare Policy templates?
No. Animal welfare is outside ACXPA's area of authority, and we don't produce templates in this area. We recommend RSPCA Australia's How to Develop an Animal Welfare Policy guide as the authoritative Australian reference. We do track whether ACXPA Business Members publish an Animal Welfare Policy as part of their directory listings, as a transparency indicator for other members evaluating potential suppliers.
Summary
An Animal Welfare Policy is a formal, publicly available document that sets out how an organisation considers and protects animal welfare in its operations and supply chain. It's no longer a niche concern — community expectations, ESG reporting obligations, and procurement requirements have made a documented position increasingly important for any medium-to-large organisation, not just those in obviously animal-related sectors.
A good Animal Welfare Policy covers five key areas: scope (what it applies to), governance (who's accountable), supplier engagement (how it flows through the supply chain), specific commitments (with measurable targets and timelines), and ongoing reporting (how progress is tracked publicly). For most Australian organisations, RSPCA Australia's free How to Develop an Animal Welfare Policy guide is the right starting point — practical, Australian-specific, and written for business readers rather than activists.
Animal welfare policy sits alongside other corporate policies — Modern Slavery, Environmental, Corporate Social Responsibility, Whistleblower, Privacy — that increasingly form a connected governance framework. ACXPA tracks whether Business Members publish an Animal Welfare Policy as a transparency indicator in our supplier directory. We don't publish templates ourselves; we link to the authoritative source.
