What Welfarm does

Welfarm is a French nonprofit association (WELFARM – Protection mondiale des animaux de ferme) founded in 1994 and headquartered in Metz, France. Recognized as being of public utility since April 2010, the organization is dedicated to improving farm animal welfare across breeding, transport, and slaughter. Its multidisciplinary staff of approximately 30 — comprising ethologists, jurists, agronomy engineers, and education specialists — operates from Metz and is supported by roughly 30,000 active donors who fund the association through public donations; no fees are charged for any service.

Welfarm's principal commercial-facing initiative is ETICA, launched in 2021 as a methodology, charter, and suite of decision-support tools for French public collective catering (school canteens, crèches, Ehpad, and administrative restaurants). The ETICA stack includes a downloadable Technical Guide on quality labels, a Vade-mecum specifying welfare criteria for public procurement, evaluation criteria tables, and a tailored advisory service in which Welfarm experts review tender specifications and provider responses for municipal and institutional buyers. Charter membership and all advisory services are provided free of charge to qualifying public entities; the program is structured to align with French laws such as Egalim and Climat et Résilience.

ETICA also comprises a public-education layer, comprising educational posters for canteens, the "La poule et l'œuf" pedagogical kit for CM1–6ème students, and the interactive travelling exhibition "Les animaux, l'élevage et moi." By February 2026, ten French cities plus the Assemblée nationale's catering services had signed the ETICA charter; reach now includes anchor relationships with the Ville de Paris (28 million meals annually) and influence extending into private supply chains via partners Carrefour, D'aucy, and Restalliance. Welfarm's go-to-market combines direct outreach to municipalities, institutional partnerships (e.g., CNFPT Pays de la Loire since May 2020), media engagement around charter signings, and broad social-media and educational distribution.

Name

Welfarm

Legal name

WELFARM – Protection mondiale des animaux de ferme

Website

https://appro-etica.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Welfarm is a French nonprofit association founded in 1994 in Metz that improves farm animal welfare and, through its free ETICA initiative launched in 2021, helps public collective catering operators (municipalities, schools, Assemblée nationale) integrate animal welfare criteria into procurement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Advocacy & Nonprofit Advisory Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Animal Welfare Auditing, Compliance & Certification Services (Non-testing Lab) (AFAEALAN)

Keywords

• Animal welfare advocacy
• Farm animal protection
• Collective catering procurement
• Public procurement guidance
• Food labeling analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Metz

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Donations: Welfarm operates exclusively through public generosity, supported by approximately 30,000 active donors who contribute to funding the association's operations and initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Welfarm runs the ETICA initiative, a free charter and methodology launched in 2021 that helps French public collective catering entities (school canteens, crèches, Ehpad, administrative restaurants) integrate animal welfare criteria into their public procurement of animal products. The offer combines personalized advisory support, on-site charter signing ceremonies, and a suite of decision-support tools (technical guide, vade-mecum, criteria tables) and educational resources (school posters, the "La poule et l'œuf" pedagogical kit, the "Les animaux, l'élevage et moi" traveling exhibition). All services and resources are provided free of charge to qualifying public entities, funded by donations from approximately 30,000 active donors.

Product overview

Welfarm, through its ETICA initiative launched in 2021, offers a comprehensive suite of tools and resources to guide collective catering establishments toward animal welfare-conscious procurement. The core offering is the ETICA charter and methodology, supported by technical resources including the Vade-mecum (public procurement specifications guide) and Technical Guide (label analysis). These are complemented by educational tools—posters, the 'La poule et l'œuf' educational kit, the 'Les animaux, l'élevage et moi' interactive exhibition, and pedagogical workshops—all designed to raise awareness among children and the public about farm animal welfare conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ETICA Charter & Methodology A free methodology and charter created by Welfarm in 2021 that guides collective catering establishments (municipalities, territorial collectivities, SIVUs, regions, national institutions) toward sourcing animal products more respectful of farm animal welfare. ETICA provides personalized support to help public entities integrate animal welfare criteria into their public procurement processes.
• Vade-mecum (Public Procurement Specifications Guide) A downloadable technical document providing specifications for integrating animal welfare criteria into public procurement specifications, covering animal living conditions, certain farming practices, transport, and slaughter. Targeted at public procurement professionals in collective catering.
• Guide Technique (Technical Guide on Animal Welfare Labels) A technical guide providing detailed analysis of animal welfare guarantees offered by different food labels and quality marks to help collective catering buyers make informed decisions.
• Affiches pédagogiques (Educational Posters) Educational posters for school canteens that help children identify the origin of food served, recognize animal welfare information, and adopt responsible consumption habits. Exclusively available to ETICA member collectives.
• Mallette pédagogique "La poule et l'œuf" (Pedagogical Kit "The Hen and the Egg") An educational kit for CM1, CM2, and 6th grade students explaining the origin of eggs and food consumption, and raising awareness about farm animal welfare. Shipping costs are covered for ETICA members.
• Exposition "Les animaux, l'élevage et moi" (Interactive Exhibition "Animals, Farming and Me") An interactive exhibition presenting societal issues around farm animal welfare using factual and scientific data. Features a personality test visitors complete throughout the exhibition to reveal their capacity to engage.
• Atelier pédagogique sur la poule et l'œuf (Educational Workshop on Hens and Eggs) An educational workshop for CM1 and CM2 students animated by Welfarm's education officer, exploring the world of hens and egg production through presentations, video sequences, and Q&A sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of French citizens would accept paying more for school meals that guarantee better breeding conditions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CNFPT (Centre national de la fonction publique territoriale) du Pays de la LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020Since May 2020, Welfarm has collaborated with the CNFPT du Pays de la Loire to develop tools adapted for territorial public function agents who wish to integrate more animal welfare into their establishment menus. The collaboration focuses on formulating concrete animal welfare criteria for inclusion in specifications, producing a turnkey document for agents in charge of drafting calls for tenders.
• RestallianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestalliance, a leading collective catering company, committed to sourcing from poultry farms with winter gardens developed in partnership with the D'aucy cooperative, as recommended by Welfarm. This partnership demonstrates the private sector adoption of Welfarm's animal welfare standards.
• D'aucy CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerD'aucy developed a pilot poultry farm with a winter garden (outdoor covered area) following Welfarm's recommendations, offering hens access to fresh air, natural light, and enriched environments for scratching and pecking activities.
• CarrefourminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing Welfarm's recommendations, Carrefour was the first retailer to commit that all cage-free eggs sold under its private label brands would come exclusively from farms with winter gardens. The retailer also publicly committed to ceasing sale of cage eggs under its own brands.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Greenpeace France: Major French advocacy NGO addressing industrial agriculture, food systems, and public procurement reform. Comparable for donor-funded advocacy targeting French public institutions and food supply chains, though broader environmental mandate.
• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): Large US-based animal welfare organization with farm animal program and policy advocacy. Comparable for nonprofit animal welfare advocacy and public engagement, though geographically distinct and broader in scope.
• WWF France: Major French environmental NGO with active programs on sustainable food systems, agricultural supply chains, and institutional catering. Comparable for nonprofit advocacy on food procurement in France, though broader in scope than Welfarm's animal-welfare focus.
• France Nature Environnement: Federation of French environmental associations engaging on agricultural policy and food system reform. Comparable for nonprofit advocacy addressing French food production practices, though broader ecological scope than Welfarm's welfare focus.

Direct peers

• Four Paws International: Global animal welfare organization with strong European footprint and programs addressing farm animal conditions, food policy, and corporate supply chains. Comparable for its nonprofit structure, multi-species farm animal focus, and EU-level regulatory engagement.
• L214: French nonprofit association dedicated to farm animal welfare and advocacy, conducting undercover investigations and public campaigns on livestock conditions. Most directly comparable French peer given similar nonprofit structure, farm-animal focus, and donor-funded operating model.
• RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): Long-established UK-based animal welfare charity operating welfare standards, certification schemes, and policy advocacy. Comparable for its nonprofit status, farm-animal welfare standards work, and regulatory influence.
• Humane Society International: Global animal welfare organization running farm animal protection campaigns and engaging food businesses on welfare commitments. Comparable for its advocacy-driven, donor-funded model and farm-animal supply-chain interventions.
• Compassion in World Farming (CIWF): International farm animal welfare organization with active EU advocacy, including food policy work targeting institutional catering and supply-chain welfare standards. Directly comparable for its farm-animal scope, policy advocacy, and institutional buyer engagement.

Emerging players

• Slow Food International: Global grassroots movement promoting good, clean, and fair food, with active European chapters working on public procurement reform and animal welfare-aware sourcing. Comparable in promoting welfare-conscious collective catering, but structured as a member-led movement rather than a service-providing nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/welfarm.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiJAjlUSl1cGrQzkDPsw7ng
• Facebookfacebook.com/174152456808_1311503084342667
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/welfarm
• Instagraminstagram.com/welfarmfr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Welfarm