BOSTON, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) today launched a global campaign to improve the lives of tens of millions of farm animals worldwide. The organization is working to raise public awareness of the inherent relationship between better animal welfare, the environmental and economic sustainability, and also urging people to sign a letter to put animal welfare on the agenda at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio +20) in June 2012.

Rio+20, occurring 20 years after the precedent-setting 1992 "Earth Summit," will focus on mobilizing participation by businesses and catalyzing a global transition to a "green economy."  In the run-up to the event, WSPA will lobby the UN and national governments for the inclusion of animal welfare in the conference negotiations, where global principles on key sustainability and development issues will be agreed.

"Right now, member states of the UN are preparing their positions for next year's Rio+20 event," said Dr. Lesley Lambert, Chief Policy Advisor at WSPA. "It is critical that they include animal welfare considerations at this stage, since these issues are key to tackling some of the biggest global challenges facing us today. We have a unique opportunity to give animal welfare its rightful place in the sustainable development discussion – our campaign will create an engaging and interactive way for everyone – no matter what their current understanding of animal welfare – to join this debate."

WSPA is committed to ensuring that animal welfare is placed at the heart of policy-making on agricultural sustainability and international development. At each preparatory session of the UNCSD in the run-up to Rio+20, it will deliver compelling evidence that high-welfare farming is a viable, environmentally-friendly alternative to intensive industrial production methods. For example:

• In the United States, farms that allow cows to graze on pasture are creating long-term local jobs;
• In India, high-welfare, free-range chicken farming is significantly boosting the livelihoods of rural women; and
• In Brazil, environmentally-friendly chicken farms are protecting the local landscape from pesticides and pollutants.

"This is our chance to influence the debate and shape policies that can protect millions of animals worldwide," said Dr. Lambert, "A genuinely sustainable future for farming will be most effective if it is based around good animal welfare, protecting livelihoods and respect for the environment."

About the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) seeks to create a world where animal welfare matters and animal cruelty has ended. Active in more than 50 countries, we work directly with animals, and with the people and organizations that can ensure animals are treated with respect and compassion. We hold consultative status at the Council of Europe and collaborate with national governments and the United Nations. For more information, visit our website, follow us on Twitter and "Like" our Facebook page.

SOURCE World Society for the Protection of Animals

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