GELITA AG announces it is joining the Animal Welfare Initiative as a sponsoring member. As of August 1, 2018, the company will support the Animal Welfare Initiative with a financial contribution. By becoming sponsoring members, companies that do not directly sell meat and meat products can help improve animal welfare in livestock farming.
“For us, as processors of animal by-products for the production of collagen proteins like gelatins, collagen peptides and collagen, the topic of animal welfare is particularly relevant. Even though the public discussion is primarily focused on the production of meat, due consideration must also be given to animal by-products. Ethical and fair livestock farming is a fundamental building block for the general acceptance of animal products. We firmly believe that the Animal Welfare Initiative is taking the right approach by consciously tackling the topic across the supply chain with large-scale involvement from the industry,” says Reinhard Zehetner, Global VP of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at GELITA AG.
“With GELITA AG, we’ve gained a partner that we can really be pleased with. That’s because GELITA AG proves that the topic of animal welfare is a relevant issue for more and more companies,” says Dr. Alexander Hinrichs, Managing Director of the Animal Welfare Initiative. “GELITA AG is making a statement with its sponsoring membership: the time has come to take responsibility at all stages of the meat supply chain, and the Animal Welfare Initiative offers the possibility of doing this.”
As sponsoring members, companies contribute to creating a more ethical and sustainable meat industry. Companies that are interested in becoming sponsoring members can contact the Animal Welfare Initiative’s office in Bonn.
About GELITA AG
GELITA is one of the world's leading manufacturers of collagen proteins. With 21 production facilities, it is represented on every continent. Collagen proteins are used as gelatin in the manufacture of food, pharmaceutical products and in technical applications. Collagen peptides are active components in the manufacture of products that counteract joint and skeletal problems, build muscle, reduce weight and reduce wrinkles.
With a workforce of over 2,500 employees, the company achieved revenues of €709 million in 2017. The GELITA Group’s management team is based in Eberbach, Germany. GELITA is an active supporting member of the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan region and is ranked in the Top 100 Innovative Companies.
About the Animal Welfare Initiative
The Animal Welfare Initiative enables leaders in the agriculture, meat, and food retail industries across the supply chain for pork and poultry to live up to their collective responsibility for the proper treatment of animals, as well as animal health and safety in the livestock industry. The Animal Welfare Initiative offers financial support to farmers to implement livestock welfare measures that go above and beyond the legal standards. The implementation of these measures is comprehensively monitored by the Animal Welfare Initiative. Founded in 2015, the Animal Welfare Initiative started its second, equally successful three-year program phase in 2018. The Animal Welfare Initiative is establishing greater animal welfare on a broader level, step by step, and continues to grow.
The Initiative’s shareholders are:
• Bundesverband der Deutschen Fleischwarenindustrie e.V. [The Federal Association of the German Meat Product Industry]
• Deutscher Bauernverband e.V. [German Farmer’s Association]
• Deutscher Raiffeisenverband e.V. [German Raiffeisen Association]
• Handelsvereinigung für Marktwirtschaft e.V. [Trade Union for Market Economics]
• Verband der Fleischwirtschaft e.V. [Association of the Meat Industry]
• Zentralverband der Deutschen Geflügelwirtschaft e.V. [Central Association of the German Poultry Industry]
“For us, as processors of animal by-products for the production of collagen proteins like gelatins, collagen peptides and collagen, the topic of animal welfare is particularly relevant. Even though the public discussion is primarily focused on the production of meat, due consideration must also be given to animal by-products. Ethical and fair livestock farming is a fundamental building block for the general acceptance of animal products. We firmly believe that the Animal Welfare Initiative is taking the right approach by consciously tackling the topic across the supply chain with large-scale involvement from the industry,” says Reinhard Zehetner, Global VP of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at GELITA AG.
“With GELITA AG, we’ve gained a partner that we can really be pleased with. That’s because GELITA AG proves that the topic of animal welfare is a relevant issue for more and more companies,” says Dr. Alexander Hinrichs, Managing Director of the Animal Welfare Initiative. “GELITA AG is making a statement with its sponsoring membership: the time has come to take responsibility at all stages of the meat supply chain, and the Animal Welfare Initiative offers the possibility of doing this.”
As sponsoring members, companies contribute to creating a more ethical and sustainable meat industry. Companies that are interested in becoming sponsoring members can contact the Animal Welfare Initiative’s office in Bonn.
About GELITA AG
GELITA is one of the world's leading manufacturers of collagen proteins. With 21 production facilities, it is represented on every continent. Collagen proteins are used as gelatin in the manufacture of food, pharmaceutical products and in technical applications. Collagen peptides are active components in the manufacture of products that counteract joint and skeletal problems, build muscle, reduce weight and reduce wrinkles.
With a workforce of over 2,500 employees, the company achieved revenues of €709 million in 2017. The GELITA Group’s management team is based in Eberbach, Germany. GELITA is an active supporting member of the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan region and is ranked in the Top 100 Innovative Companies.
About the Animal Welfare Initiative
The Animal Welfare Initiative enables leaders in the agriculture, meat, and food retail industries across the supply chain for pork and poultry to live up to their collective responsibility for the proper treatment of animals, as well as animal health and safety in the livestock industry. The Animal Welfare Initiative offers financial support to farmers to implement livestock welfare measures that go above and beyond the legal standards. The implementation of these measures is comprehensively monitored by the Animal Welfare Initiative. Founded in 2015, the Animal Welfare Initiative started its second, equally successful three-year program phase in 2018. The Animal Welfare Initiative is establishing greater animal welfare on a broader level, step by step, and continues to grow.
The Initiative’s shareholders are:
• Bundesverband der Deutschen Fleischwarenindustrie e.V. [The Federal Association of the German Meat Product Industry]
• Deutscher Bauernverband e.V. [German Farmer’s Association]
• Deutscher Raiffeisenverband e.V. [German Raiffeisen Association]
• Handelsvereinigung für Marktwirtschaft e.V. [Trade Union for Market Economics]
• Verband der Fleischwirtschaft e.V. [Association of the Meat Industry]
• Zentralverband der Deutschen Geflügelwirtschaft e.V. [Central Association of the German Poultry Industry]
