BBFAW score improvement

Improving your BBFAW (Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare) score is no longer about writing better policies. Since the 2023 methodology reset, BBFAW has fundamentally shifted its focus toward demonstrable, on‑the‑ground impact and the 2025 results confirm that many companies are still struggling to make that transition.

For stakeholders responsible for animal welfare, supplier assurance, procurement, and ESG risk, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity. Companies that can prove delivery through their supply chains are pulling ahead, while those relying on commitments alone are stagnating.

This guide explains how to improve your BBFAW score in practice, based on trends from the 2023–2025 benchmarks.

1. Understand what BBFAW rewards (and what it doesn’t)

The most important step in improving your BBFAW score is aligning internal effort with the current scoring logic.

Since 2023:

• 50% of BBFAW marks are linked to performance impact, not governance or policy
• Disclosure without evidence no longer scores well
• Companies are assessed on what proportion of animals actually experience higher welfare, not intentions

This is why average scores have plateaued around 18% in 2024–2025 despite widespread commitments.

What this means for teams:

• Policy drafting alone will not move your score
• Internal ownership must shift from sustainability to supplier operations and assurance
• Data from suppliers is now essential

2. Close the commitment–implementation gap in high‑risk categories

BBFAW consistently shows that eggs and chicken welfare dominate scoring outcomes and stakeholder scrutiny.

In 2025:

• 69% of companies have cage‑free egg targets
• Only 17 companies report 100% cage‑free sourcing
• Just 4 of 39 Better Chicken Commitment signatories show substantial compliance

To improve your score:

• Prioritize delivery in laying hens and broilers before expanding scope
• Ensure targets are universal (all products, all geographies)
• Track actual supplier progress, not aggregate company statements

Score‑improving action:
Move from “we have a target” to “X% of volume meets standard Y, verified annually”.

3. Embed animal welfare into supplier assurance processes

One of the clearest signals from BBFAW benchmarking is that supplier management quality now determines performance impact scores.

High‑scoring companies:

• Embed welfare requirements in supplier contracts
• Collect structured data on housing, stocking density, slaughter methods
• Can demonstrate progress year‑on‑year

Lower‑scoring companies rely on:

• One‑off audits
• Voluntary self‑declarations
• Inconsistent regional enforcement

To improve your BBFAW score:

• Standardize welfare data requests across suppliers
• Track progress continuously, not only at audit points
• Escalate underperformance against agreed timelines

4. Manage regional risk explicitly

BBFAW 2025 highlights widening regional divergence:

• UK and parts of Europe lead across all pillars
• France and Brazil show the fastest improvement
• North America and parts of Asia consistently underperform

BBFAW does not reward “global averages” if poor‑performing regions remain exposed.

Practical steps:

• Segment suppliers by geography and regulatory exposure
• Align internal assurance to local legislation (e.g. cage or crate phase‑outs)
• Provide targeted support where compliance gaps are structural

Companies that demonstrate region‑specific risk management score higher on governance and impact.

5. Strengthen evidence trails to protect brand credibility

A key insight from 2024–2025 benchmarks is rising investor and NGO concern about:

• Delayed targets
• Revised deadlines
• Withdrawn welfare commitments

BBFAW penalizes companies that cannot substantiate progress when scrutiny increases.

To improve your BBFAW score:

• Maintain versioned records of commitments and changes
• Retain historical evidence of supplier compliance
• Ensure public reporting aligns with internal data

This reduces both impact score penalties and reputational risk.

6. Don’t ignore protein transition – event if it’s nascent

While protein transition currently contributes a smaller proportion of total marks, it is a clear growth area in BBFAW scoring.

In 2025:

• Global average protein‑transition score: ~11%
• UK companies: ~28–29%

BBFAW increasingly frames diversification away from animal‑sourced foods as a risk mitigation strategy, not just an ethical choice.

Low‑effort score gains include:

• Acknowledging reliance on animal proteins
• Mapping product portfolios
• Setting exploratory targets or governance oversight

What “good” looks like for your BBFAW score

BBFAW leaders are no longer those with the most ambitious language — but those who can show:

• Supplier‑level delivery
• Species‑specific impact data
• Regional enforcement
• Continuous improvement over time

Final takeaway: how to improve your BBFAW score

If you are responsible for animal welfare or supplier assurance, improving your BBFAW score comes down to one shift: Move from managing commitments to managing suppliers.

The benchmark is now a test of operational capability, not intentions. Companies that invest in centralized supplier management systems, increase supply chain visibility and collaborate through the tiers are the ones that improve — and stay credible with investors, NGOs, and regulators.