Animals
The treatment of animals is of concern to many animal welfare, wildlife and conservation charities. This issue can include concerns over animal testing, fur and intensive farming.
In this section
Animal testing
Fur
Intensive farming and meat sale
Animal testing
The issue
Animal welfare organisations have long campaigned against the use of laboratory animals to test the toxicity of chemicals in consumer products such as toiletries, tobacco and household cleaning products.
Cosmetics testing has always had the highest profile, being seen as having the least justification in terms of benefit to human beings. The European Union has agreed to ban most cosmetic tests from 2009, with importantly a ban on import into the EU of cosmetics with ingredients tested on animals - so the problem is not simply exported outside the EU.
Cosmetic tests represent a very small proportion of the procedures carried out on animals. The animal testing of all new chemicals (not just those used in cosmetics) accounts for many more procedures - these tests include pesticides, food additives and preservatives.
However, fundamental biological research and drug research and development account for the largest proportion of animal testing procedures. Most testing occurs at the development rather than the research stage - before new drugs can be tested on humans they have by law to be tested on twoo species to test the 'whole body' effect.
Its relevance for charities
This issue is likely to be of particular concern to animal welfare charities.
Incorporating the issue into investments
It is possible to apply negative screens in relation to animal testing, for example screening out companies which
- provide animal testing services
- have tested cosmetic products or their ingredients on animals in recent years
- have tested cosmetic products or their ingredients on animals in line with a fixed cut-off date policy
- have tested medicines on animals in recent years
- have tested other products on animals in recent years
It may also be possible to engage with companies on this issue.
Some pooled investment funds apply screens in relation to this issue. The Database of funds and fund managers provides some examples.
Fur
The issue
Anti-fur campaigners believe that the use of fur for clothing is cruel and unnecessary in modern societies - real fur is viewed as a luxury item for which there can be little ethical justification. Campaigners focus particularly on fur which is not the by-product of the food industry, such as rabbit fur, but which comes from fur farms or from trapping wild animals.
Its relevance for charities
This issue is likely to be of particular concern to animal welfare charities.
Incorporating the issue into investments
It may be possible to avoid investing in companies which sell fur products.
Some pooled investment funds apply screens in relation to this issue, for example, avoiding companies which produce, sell or distribute fur products.
Intensive farming and meat sale
The issue
Animal welfare organisations have long been campaigning over the treatment of animals used in food production - for example, the conditions in which they are kept, how they are transported and the methods of slaughter.
There is also widespread concern about the quality of food produced, particularly about food contamination (in the wake of BSE), antibiotic residues and the use of growth hormones and pesticides. Wider environmental concerns are also highly relevant for the food production sector.
Its relevance for charities
This is an issue that may be of relevance to animal welfare, conservation, environmental and health charities.
Incorporating the issue into investments
It is possible to apply negative screens in relation to intensive farming, for example, excluding companies deriving turnover from intensive farming, slaughter houses or meat sale.
It may be possible to engage with companies on this issue.
Some pooled investment funds apply criteria in relation to this issue. The Database of funds and fund managers provides some examples.
