In recent years, animal welfare has become an increasing priority for consumers, producers, and farmers. It is now widely recognized that animals have fundamental needs that must be respected to ensure ethical and responsible food production. Ensuring their well-being is not just about adopting good farming practices in terms of housing, hygiene, nutrition, and health, but also about understanding their mental state and allowing them to express natural behaviors in harmony with their environment.
The Brambell Report (1965) and the subsequent Farm Animal Welfare Council (1979) defined the Five Freedoms, an essential framework for assessing animal welfare:
Freedom from hunger and thirst
-Freedom from discomfort
-Freedom from pain, injury, or disease
-Freedom to express natural behaviors
-Freedom from fear and distress
Arrigoni Battista, a leading producer of Gorgonzola and Taleggio DOP, considers animal welfare a shared responsibility across the entire production chain. Thanks to long-standing and trusted partnerships with farmers, we develop specific assessment plans to monitor and improve farming conditions. This approach not only ensures a more balanced environment for the animals but also guarantees high-quality milk production, essential for crafting premium cheeses.
In 2020, we strengthened our commitment by adopting ClassyFarm, an integrated system developed by the Italian Ministry of Health to assess farms based on animal welfare, nutrition, biosecurity, and medication use. This protocol includes over 90 assessment criteria, all verified by certified veterinarians. Thanks to close collaboration with our suppliers, today, 100% of the milk used in Arrigoni Battista cheeses comes from ClassyFarm-certified farms.
However, our journey does not stop here. To further enhance our commitment, we will integrate even stricter animal welfare criteria into supplier contracts and initiate the process of accredited certification, ensuring high standards both in farming practices and in the final product.
Animal welfare is not just a regulatory requirement—it is a core value that shapes our vision of the dairy industry. Through responsibility, sustainability, and continuous improvement, we are committed to producing cheeses that respect the environment, animals, and the people who choose them.
