Certified NPO Animal Rights Center has announced the winners of the “Animal Welfare Awards 2026”, which recognize initiatives that have had a major impact on improving the welfare of farmed animals in Japan.
This year, the awards recognized signs of structural change in Japan’s livestock industry: two companies that introduced procurement policies with numerical targets, and a national-level policy that took steps toward improving slaughter practices. The three award recipients are as follows.
- Bourbon Corporation (Chicken Award)
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Chicken Award)
- Tanzawa Farm Co., Ltd. (Pig Award)
Background: Japan’s Animal Welfare Lags Behind the World
Efforts to improve animal welfare for farmed animals in Japan have fallen far behind the rest of the world. While the global trend is moving toward cage-free systems for hens and stall-free systems for pigs, relatively few Japanese companies have taken action. In addition, in poultry processing, methods that do not use stunning—now a global standard—are still widely used. This situation can pose risks not only to animal welfare but also to food safety, hygiene, and international market competitiveness.
This Year’s Key Evaluation Points: Concrete Progress Through “Numerical Targets” and “System Reform”
This year’s awards recognized initiatives that included quantitative commitments—particularly lacking in Japan—and efforts accompanied by structural reform at the policy level.
Each organization undertook meaningful initiatives in its respective field. We extend our sincere respect for the efforts and decisions made by each recipient.
Chicken Award: Bourbon Corporation
Announced a cage-free target of “5%, with a deadline”
Bourbon Corporation, a long-established confectionery manufacturer, has committed to improving animal welfare by expanding its procurement of cage-free eggs, and has publicly set and disclosed a switching target of “5%.” The company has also reported on its procurement progress.
By adopting a target aligned with international standards and clearly stating both a numerical goal and a deadline, the initiative can accelerate progress and generate positive social impact. Bourbon’s approach to disclosure demonstrates readiness to meet the scrutiny of the global community and has become an example that Japanese companies should follow.
Chicken Award: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Government Establishes a New Subsidy Category Requiring Stunning
In the FY2025 supplementary budget, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries created a new subsidy category—”Advanced Model Poultry Processing Facility Development Program”—to promote the implementation of pre-slaughter loss of consciousness at poultry processing plants, and stipulated that the introduction of stunning equipment aligned with animal welfare is mandatory.
This will serve as a stepping stone toward eliminating slaughter without loss of consciousness—one of Japan’s major challenges—and will support measures that contribute not only to animal welfare but also to hygiene, food safety, and improved working conditions.
The impact of the government clearly stating that “loss of consciousness with consideration for animal welfare is necessary” is significant, and could mark a turning point for domestic poultry processing.
Pig Award: Tanzawa Farm Co., Ltd.
Impact on the Supply Chain Through a Shift by a Trusted Producer
Tanzawa Farm is a producer well regarded by conscientious consumers, including co-op members, for its independent animal welfare initiatives. It has steadily built up these practices in the production of fattening pigs. This time, the company announced that for sows, it will transition 3–5% of pregnant sows to free stalls by 2030.
This decision is highly significant. A producer that has built trust taking a step toward eliminating gestation stalls has indicated the direction the entire supply chain should move in. Its influence is spreading quietly, yet steadily. It is a step forward for pig welfare in Japan.
What Are the Animal Welfare Awards?
The Animal Welfare Awards are presented to companies whose actions in the previous year were effective in advancing animal welfare in Japan. The awards are administered by Certified NPO Animal Rights Center, which works to improve the welfare of livestock and farmed aquatic animals, and evaluates the initiatives that had the greatest impact on improving animal welfare up to the end of the previous fiscal year (April 2025 to the end of March 2026).
https://www.hopeforanimals.org/animal-welfare-award
Toward an Era That Demands Objectively Measurable Metrics
The initiatives in FY2025 reflected each organization’s efforts to explore options and move forward with the largest possible strides. Bourbon and Tanzawa Farm demonstrated their sincerity and direction by openly disclosing what they could do. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries clearly expressed its stance of supporting farmers who undertake good practices. Japan’s animal welfare, still in its early stages, will accelerate as all stakeholders move forward step by step. It was a year in which that was clearly demonstrated.
Meanwhile, internationally, even in the field of animal welfare, there is a growing expectation to set ambitious, time-bound targets—articulating “what we want to achieve, and by when.” Similar expectations exist in climate action, and many companies have set target values; the same approach to commitment is required here as well. Doing so will earn recognition internationally and within the financial sector, and will also help build consumer trust. From FY2026 onward, we hope to see initiatives that stand out even in the global marketplace, and we look forward to such efforts from all food-related companies.
Finally, we would like to thank all companies that considered and took action to improve animal welfare.
We would also like to once again express our gratitude to the award recipients.
About the Animal Rights Center, an authorized NPO
Animal Rights Center is a Japanese animal protection organization that sheds light on the realities faced by animals and works to improve animal welfare and promote animal rights. Its activities focus primarily on protecting farmed animals used for food such as eggs and meat, aquatic animals used in aquaculture, and animals used for clothing materials such as fur, as well as promoting ethical consumption.
