Compassion in our food systems

With the slogan, ‘WE’RE NOT LOVIN’ IT, MCDONALD’S SA!’ four local animal protection groups – including SAFCEI through the One Web of Life (OWL) programme – are asking McDonalds South Africa to join its counterparts in Canada and the US in phasing out the use of battery chickens.

An online petition started in March this year and supported by over 17 000 people, is asking McDonald's to make the commitment, but up to date McDonald's South Africa has not budged. In a plea to get McDonald’s attention, OWL appeals to all Earth Keepers that haven’t signed, to do so.

Background

SAFCEI’s One Web of Life (OWL) Programme, Beauty Without Cruelty SA, United Front 4 Animals (UFA) and Animal Voice, the official South African representative of Compassion in World Farming reached out to McDonald’s South Africa this year to address the company’s use of caged eggs.

During September 2015, McDonald’s internationally committed to phasing out battery cages from their supply chain in Canada and the United States within 10 years (following previous animal welfare commitments in Europe, North America and South America). However, corresponding commitments have not been made by McDonald’s South Africa.

Frank Molteno from OWL, states: “Battery cages are cruel and cause extreme pain, distress and discomfort to chickens. We’re all creatures of God and God loves and values every one of us.  As SAFCEI Earth Keepers, people of faith, we find it intolerable that our fellow living beings are subjected to the conditions that factory-farmed hens are forced to suffer. Moved by the love of God, we call upon McDonald’s SA to stop supporting the torture of millions of egg-laying hens in South Africa and to commit to adopting a cage-free policy.  Dishing up the sort of pain that McDonald’s eggs contain is too hurtful. Our prayer is that compassion and mercy will enter the hearts of those responsible at McDonald’s SA and that their egg-laying hens will be freed from cruel battery cages as soon as humanly possible.”

McDonald’s South Africa responded, saying: “McDonald’s South Africa takes note of the moves made by their USA and Canadian counterparts, and though we are exploring the viability of expanding McDonald’s cage-free policy to South Africa, we cannot at this stage, make a similar commitment as the one made by McDonald’s USA and McDonald’s Canada.”

The online petition https://www.change.org/mcdonaldssacruelty was started by a student, Yolanda Guse, a member of Beauty Without Cruelty SA.

OWL appeals to all faith communities and individuals to inform themselves and their families about the food choices they make and to encourage and ask for compassion towards the web of life in the food systems we support.

Sign the petition at https://www.change.org/mcdonaldssacruelty to encourage McDonald's SA to adopt a cage-free egg policy.

Earth Keepers can also join the conversation on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/McDonalds-SA-must-go-Cage-Free-225179401168867/?fref=ts #McDonaldsCruelty