THE University of Winchester has signed the CreatureKind Commitment, pledging to reduce its purchase of animal products and to source meat, dairy, and eggs from higher welfare farms for its catering operations on campus.

University First Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Elizabeth Stuart and CreatureKind Founder and co-director David Clough signed the formal agreement which sees the university commit to a cycle of reviewing current sourcing, setting goals for improved practice, and engaging with the wider university community about the programme.

The university is the first higher education institution internationally to sign the CreatureKind Commitment.

The signing took place at the Animal Welfare and Religion Symposium on November 2.

CreatureKind works to engage the church on animal welfare issues, with a particular focus on farmed animal welfare. While efforts by secular organisations have resulted in some corporations making changes to their food policies, CreatureKind is pioneering this campaign among Christian and faith-influenced institutions.

The university’s Catering for LIFE (Local, Independent, Fair, Ethical) initiative focuses on ethical standards – including offering Fairtrade products and using free range and locally-reared animals where possible – and good practices such as reducing food miles, promoting recycling and efficient waste management.

“The University of Winchester has a Christian foundation and is a values-driven institution committed to high standards of environmental sustainability, Fairtrade practices, and animal welfare,” said Prof Stuart.

“Signing the CreatureKind Commitment connects our values with our practice. Compassion is at the heart of our institution and we seek to improve the lives of animals used in the production of meat, dairy, and eggs and reducing the demand for animal products from factory farms.”