4 minute learn
This month, we spoke with Sandra Lopes, Co-Founder and Government Director of Compromiso Verde, one among ACE’s newest Motion Grant recipients.
As a educated lawyer with over 15 years of expertise in animal advocacy, Sandra has led impactful campaigns throughout Latin America centered on company outreach, cage-free insurance policies, and sustainable meals techniques. She is obsessed with driving systemic change for animals by way of coverage, authorized advocacy, and collaboration, and at the moment leads efforts to remove merciless practices in industrial farming in Peru and Latin America.
On this interview, Sandra shares the story behind Compromiso Verde, the challenges and wins they’ve confronted to this point, and what’s subsequent of their mission to construct a greater future for animals.
Firstly, let’s speak about Paolo, who’s he and why is he in your web site?
Paolo was the very first rescue of our Company Campaigns Supervisor. He was present in poor situation and suffers from digestive and feeding points, which suggests he’s not in a position to return safely to the wild. She took him in, and since then, Paolo has change into a beloved presence in our day by day work.
He’s current in any respect our workforce conferences, extremely vocal, and clearly obsessed with our trigger, so it solely felt proper to present him a correct place on the workforce web page.
Are you able to share the most important challenges for animals in Peru and the panorama of the animal advocacy motion?
Farmed animal safety remains to be a comparatively new and underrepresented difficulty in Peru. For many individuals, the realities of how animals are handled in industrial farming are usually not extensively identified. Ideas like cage-free techniques and even primary information about the place eggs come from are usually not but extensively understood.
As a result of this subject has remained exterior of public dialogue for therefore lengthy, the motion to guard farmed animals remains to be gaining visibility. Fortuitously, that is starting to vary. The difficulty is beginning to enter the general public dialog, and little by little, extra organizations and people are getting concerned in efforts to vary how animals are handled within the meals system.
Which a part of this are you trying to clear up by way of the work at Compromiso Verde?
At Compromiso Verde, we give attention to eliminating the worst practices in industrial animal agriculture in Peru and Latin America, beginning with eliminating the confinement of laying hens in battery cages. Our most important technique to realize that is by way of company stress campaigns.
We had been created to fill a spot within the area by main focused stress campaigns that demand concrete enhancements in animal welfare. Alongside our core marketing campaign work, we additionally have interaction in authorized advocacy and assist capability constructing to strengthen long-term change.
Our final aim is to rework how animals are handled within the meals trade by accelerating the shift away from probably the most inhumane techniques. By pressuring firms to behave, we work towards a world the place no animal is exploited.
What has been your greatest problem and largest win(s) to this point at Compromiso Verde?
One in all our greatest challenges has been navigating the excessive degree of informality in Peru. Many producers function informally, which makes it troublesome to entry even probably the most primary knowledge, such because the variety of animals confined or cage free in manufacturing facility farms. The federal government doesn’t accumulate or publish this info.
Alternatively, we’ve additionally had necessary wins. Up to now, we’ve secured a international cage-free dedication and three commitments from retailers. We additionally reached nationwide TV and radio by way of interviews and media protection, serving to carry the struggling of farmed animals into the general public dialog and reaching over 32 million media hits. Seeing animal advocacy enter mainstream media in Peru has been a robust second for us.
Because of this visibility, Compromiso Verde has change into a nationwide reference level with regards to farmed animal welfare. We are actually frequently quoted in media protection each time the subject arises, serving to form public dialogue and elevate animal safety as a nationwide difficulty.
What initiatives are you most enthusiastic about going ahead?
We’re most enthusiastic about scaling our stress campaigns with main retailers. These campaigns have confirmed to be a robust instrument in driving cage-free commitments and enhancing the lives of laying hens.
Trying forward, our aim is to broaden this mannequin throughout Latin America, working with extra firms to remove cages from their provide chains and construct regional momentum for higher animal welfare requirements.
In case you needed to share a ultimate message with the ACE viewers, what would it not be?
To really make progress for animals, we want coalitions between animal safety organizations that transcend formal partnerships. They should be strategic, with actual change of knowledge, alignment of actions, and shared knowledge and targets.
The animal farming industries are coordinated and relentless; they collaborate with one another, affect public opinion, and form the media narrative to take care of the established order. If we actually need to assist the animals, we should be simply as united and strategic.
———
To be taught extra about Compromiso Verde and the way they’re making very important adjustments for farmed animals. Go to their web site.
Affect extra funding for animals
To assist a spread of organizations working to scale back animal struggling across the globe, take into account making a present to our Motion Grants program
ACE is devoted to making a world the place all animals can thrive, no matter their species. We take the
guesswork out of supporting animal advocacy by directing funds towards probably the most impactful charities and applications,
based mostly on proof and analysis.
167
Recipients engaged on promising initiatives
42
International locations throughout six continents.
$68M
Donations inside the animal advocacy motion.
$47,000,000+
in donations already made to our really helpful charities between January 2019 and March 2024
Trying to make your first donation? We’re pleased to assist
