news - FMO launches Position Statement on Animal Welfare

Today, FMO published its Animal Welfare Position Statement as part of its universe of Sustainability Policy documents. The publication of the Position Statement follows a consultation process with FMO’s stakeholder community – including the Dutch government, several NGOs and peer financial institutions.

Hans Bogaard, acting director of the Agribusiness, Food and Water Department at FMO, commented: “I am very pleased with this new position statement – which is a clear commitment to animal welfare. Even though FMO has a limited number of livestock investments in its portfolio, it is important to consider animal welfare whenever it is a material risk dimension.”

With this new Position Statement, FMO subscribes to international animal welfare standards and commits to not invest in a number of animal husbandry systems and practices that are widely regarded as animal-unfriendly. The Position Statement outlines how FMO will approach animal welfare:

• when an investment has a substantial direct involvement of animals (e.g. animal production/transport/slaughter);
• when an investment has primary supply chains that rely substantially on animal products, or
• when it invests in a financial intermediary (e.g. a financial institution or fund) that is substantially exposed to animal welfare risk.