Safeway Becomes First Fortune 50 Corporation to Prioritize Farmed-Animal Welfare

April 2002

PETA urged Safeway to follow the lead of McDonald’s by instituting higher animal-welfare standards for its suppliers, but 18 months of discussions netted no improvements.

In February 2002, PETA launched a campaign against Safeway and its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Canada. Our campaign included more than 100 demonstrations in 20 states and four Canadian provinces, as well as powerful advertisements and celebrity involvement.

In May 2002, Safeway announced that it would immediately begin auditing one of its pig suppliers and would implement new minimum animal welfare standards that would initially mirror those of the fast-food giants but quickly surpass them. Safeway was the first U.S. grocery chain to make much-needed improvements in the conditions of farmed animals, as well as the first Fortune 50 Corporation to do so.

For more information on the Safeway victory, including a complete timeline, please visit Shameway.com.