The award recognises companies that demonstrate outstanding innovation, commitment or achievement in a particular area of farm animal welfare.

Winterbotham Darby has achieved this award from initiatives in three key strategic areas; improving pig welfare, maintaining full traceability of supply chains; educating farmers and consumers through research and communication events.

Winterbotham Darby formed the European Farm Partnership to bring farmers, researchers, producers, processors and NGO’s together to share knowledge, innovation and science which has played an important role in achieving the significant improvements to date.

The company has been working in collaboration with Compassion since 2012 in improving pig welfare in continental Europe. Through the development of the Winterbotham Darby pig scheme and also working closely with Compassion, Winterbotham Darby has been able to take a leadership position in Europe in improving animal welfare standards. The Special Recognition Award recognises welfare improvements made in addressing and overcoming the major issues including confinement, mutilation and barren environments.

David Houghton, technical director for Winterbotham Darby comments:

“We are delighted to win this award and have our efforts recognised. There has never been a more important time for animal welfare within the food industry due to an increasing pressure and demands from the market to the uncertainty posed by Brexit. We need to ensure that animal welfare standards are not diluted and that changes in longer term goals and commitments are not made in response to these pressures and demands.

"When we started this journey, the consensus was that what we wanted to achieve would be improbable or impossible; we are pleased and proud to demonstrate that this was not the case.

"At Winterbotham Darby we recognise the importance of animal welfare and that is why it is a key strategic part of our organisation be it today and in the future.”

As reported by Winterbotham Darby