Littleproud: Retailers not backing ag against “corporate terrorism”

The Nationals leader has urged government, industry and retailers to get vocal in supporting farmers in the face of attacks launched by animal activists.

Australia’s major supermarkets are failing to stand up to animal activists and defend farmers against strongarm “corporate terrorism” tactics.

That is the view of federal Nationals leader David Littleproud, who squared his comments at the controversial Business Benchmark for Farm Animal Welfare and the supermarkets’ response.

The BBFAW – run by two UK-based animal activist organisations that want to halve the number of animals farmed for food by 2040 - ranks some of the world’s largest agribusinesses and food retailers on their animal welfare practices. Both Woolworths and Coles have used it to guide their policies and were seeking to improve their rankings, with Woolworths chasing Tier 1 status.

Mr Littleproud, a former Morrison Government agriculture minister, said stakeholders had a vested interest and obligation to defend producers, with farmers across all sectors having worked hard over recent years to enhance sustainability and best management practices.

Nationals leader David Littleproud has called on stakeholders to better support farmers over animal activists. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

“Activists have no grounds to attack our industries. It is just pure ideology that they want to impose through corporate terrorism,” he said.

“I have no faith in the supermarkets or their courage to stand up and to use common sense, you only need to look at how they treat the horticulture sector or the wine sector.

“These corporates go running away as soon as it gets hot rather than helping to promote and articulate what Australian farmers do.”

Last month, the BBFAW added criteria to judge companies on their efforts to cut down their reliance on animal-based proteins, as well as urging Australian supermarkets to end the use of carbon dioxide gas to stun pigs before slaughter.

It came as animal activists committed several trespass incidents by animal activists on Victorian slaughterhouses protesting the use of CO2 stunning.

Mr Littleproud said the federal government had a responsibility to help agriculture transparently articulate the “great story the industry has to tell” and build market and consumer confidence both domestically and overseas.

“This would take away the activists’ new weapon of choice in targeting capital and markets and weak corporates. All the information is there, the agriculture industry should be congratulated for what they have done,” he said.

State and federal governments are currently developing the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Livestock at Processing Establishments.

Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt was contacted for comment.

Woolworths said it is currently reviewing its BBFAW association and works with producers to “protect the welfare of animals in our supply chain”.

Coles has previously said that it would continue to use “a range of measures of performance in animal welfare rather than the singular use of the BBFAW”.