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| Coles suffers storm in a pig bag over animal welfare campaign | Coles suffers storm in a pig bag over animal welfare campaign |
| (4 months later) | |
| If you were to consider the potential causes of indignant uproar, a bag featuring a whimsical cartoon of a flying pig would appear to be on fairly uncontroversial territory. | If you were to consider the potential causes of indignant uproar, a bag featuring a whimsical cartoon of a flying pig would appear to be on fairly uncontroversial territory. |
| Not so for the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), Australia’s peak body for tillers of the soil and producers of meat, which has emerged triumphant in its push to rid Coles supermarkets of an Animals Australia shopping bag. | Not so for the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), Australia’s peak body for tillers of the soil and producers of meat, which has emerged triumphant in its push to rid Coles supermarkets of an Animals Australia shopping bag. |
| Animals Australia, an anti-cruelty campaign group that aims to end factory farming, has decided to pull the $3 bags from Coles, just three days after they went on sale at the supermarket giant’s stores. | Animals Australia, an anti-cruelty campaign group that aims to end factory farming, has decided to pull the $3 bags from Coles, just three days after they went on sale at the supermarket giant’s stores. |
| The bags are adorned with the group’s flying pig logo, along with the text: “Imagine a world without factory farming – Make it Possible.” | The bags are adorned with the group’s flying pig logo, along with the text: “Imagine a world without factory farming – Make it Possible.” |
| Animals Australia said it hoped the bags would help raise consumer awareness of the suffering caused by factory farming, but the campaign caused consternation at the NFF, which met with Coles to register its disgust. | Animals Australia said it hoped the bags would help raise consumer awareness of the suffering caused by factory farming, but the campaign caused consternation at the NFF, which met with Coles to register its disgust. |
| Some farmers even threatened a boycott of the supermarket, along with other businesses owned by its parent company, Wesfarmers. | Some farmers even threatened a boycott of the supermarket, along with other businesses owned by its parent company, Wesfarmers. |
| Animals Australia said the farmers’ “vicious campaign” was distracting from the animal welfare message, prompting the group to ask Coles to withdraw the bags. | Animals Australia said the farmers’ “vicious campaign” was distracting from the animal welfare message, prompting the group to ask Coles to withdraw the bags. |
| “It was overshadowing the cause of animals and it wasn’t fair on Coles, who should be applauded for offering these bags and being staunch in their support for us,” Lisa Chalk of Animals Australia told Guardian Australia. | “It was overshadowing the cause of animals and it wasn’t fair on Coles, who should be applauded for offering these bags and being staunch in their support for us,” Lisa Chalk of Animals Australia told Guardian Australia. |
| “The consumer response was overwhelming. I think the bags would’ve sold like hot cakes. The NFF may think this is a win for them, but it is in fact a huge loss for consumer awareness and for producers to show that they are moving to more humane processes. The NFF isn’t working in the industry’s long-term interests.” | “The consumer response was overwhelming. I think the bags would’ve sold like hot cakes. The NFF may think this is a win for them, but it is in fact a huge loss for consumer awareness and for producers to show that they are moving to more humane processes. The NFF isn’t working in the industry’s long-term interests.” |
| Chalk said Animals Australia would continue to sell the bags online, with the money raised used for a TV campaign to highlight animal suffering in factory farms. | Chalk said Animals Australia would continue to sell the bags online, with the money raised used for a TV campaign to highlight animal suffering in factory farms. |
| Animals Australia claims Australia lags behind other wealthy nations in its treatment of factory-farmed creatures, citing small battery hen cages, cramped sow stalls for pigs and painful practices such as beak trimming and tail docking. | Animals Australia claims Australia lags behind other wealthy nations in its treatment of factory-farmed creatures, citing small battery hen cages, cramped sow stalls for pigs and painful practices such as beak trimming and tail docking. |
| Matt Linnegar, chief executive of the NFF, said the withdrawal of the bags showed farmers “will not be bullied by an animal activist group”. | Matt Linnegar, chief executive of the NFF, said the withdrawal of the bags showed farmers “will not be bullied by an animal activist group”. |
| “Improving animal welfare is about changing behaviours,” he said. “This will not be achieved by a group that simply stands on the sidelines and throws stones, which Animals Australia has proven itself to be. | “Improving animal welfare is about changing behaviours,” he said. “This will not be achieved by a group that simply stands on the sidelines and throws stones, which Animals Australia has proven itself to be. |
| “This group is obviously extremely concerned that their real agenda – to end animal agriculture in this country – has been revealed. | “This group is obviously extremely concerned that their real agenda – to end animal agriculture in this country – has been revealed. |
| “Today’s decision is the right decision, and both Animals Australia and Coles now have an opportunity to show their support of Australian farmers by working with them, not against them, to continuously improve animal welfare.” | “Today’s decision is the right decision, and both Animals Australia and Coles now have an opportunity to show their support of Australian farmers by working with them, not against them, to continuously improve animal welfare.” |
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