Global Day of Action: Campaigners Call on World Bank to End Industrial Farming Support

Campaigners Deliver Letter to Bangkok Office During Global Day of Action

On April 24, 2025, campaigners from Sinergia Animal Thailand and World Animal Protection Thailand joined over 2570 allies worldwide for a global day of action, demanding that the World Bank and its private-sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), stop financing factory farming. Activists delivered a joint letter to the World Bank's office in Bangkok, urging an end to all investments in factory farming that drive environmental destruction, threaten human and animal health, and undermine global sustainability goals.

The World Bank Group, which includes the IFC, is an international financial institution that provides loans and funding to projects in developing countries. It aims to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. However, recent research reveals that the Bank's ongoing support for factory farming contradicts these very objectives by contributing to biodiversity loss, climate change, and worsening public health outcomes.

Although there are no current World Bank investments in factory farming in Thailand, the country is still affected by these global investments. The Thai government holds a 0.51% voting share in the World Bank, meaning public money from Thailand contributes to harmful factory farm projects in other countries.

Saneekan Rosamontri, Country Director at Sinergia Animal Thailand, explained, "Thailand is a shareholder of the World Bank, which means our government plays a role in deciding where money is invested. We do not want our public funds supporting industrial factory farms that harm communities, animals, and the planet.""This is a critical moment for the Bank to transition to sustainable, just food systems that protect people, animals, and the environment. We're calling on our government to use its World Bank vote to help make that shift," added Saneekan.

Despite Thailand's growing awareness of sustainable development and climate resilience, the impacts of global factory farming investments are already being felt at home, from worsening air pollution and deforestation to a rise in antimicrobial resistance, food insecurity, and extreme weather events.

Recent research from World Animal Protection showed a comprehensive review of the World Bank and IFC's current policy gaps. These include a lack of transparency, failure to align with international climate and biodiversity frameworks, and inadequate protection of community land rights and labor standards. For example:

• Climate impact: The World Bank fails to address the climate consequences of industrial livestock production, with no emission reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement, inadequate emissions reporting, and a lack of clear policies to prevent deforestation in agricultural supply chains.
• Public health: There are no bans on the routine use of antibiotics in livestock, no clear restrictions on the use of harmful chemicals, and insufficient measures to address pollution from industrial animal waste.
• Food system sustainability: The Bank continues to prioritize industrial meat production over sustainable alternatives, with no strategy to support plant-based or local food systems, promote alternative proteins, or address environmental and social injustices in agriculture.

"Factory farming is accelerating a global crisis—and Thailand is already paying the price. We are experiencing more frequent floods, extreme heat, and dangerously polluted air that threatens the health of millions. These are not distant problems. They are here, now, and getting worse. Climate change, public health threats, and food system shocks do not stop at national borders. That's why Thailand must take a stand—to protect our people, our environment, and our future," said Chokdee Smithkittipol, Programme Lead at World Animal Protection Thailand.

In response, over 270 organizations and civil society associations, including international and local NGOs, academics, farmers, and advocates, have signed a joint letter addressed to the executives of the World Bank and the IFC. The letter urges the two institutions to:

• Adopt a formal exclusion policy to end financing for factory farming
• Phase out existing investments and redirect funds to sustainable, high-welfare food systems

"We're running out of time. The World Bank cannot claim to fight poverty and climate change while fueling a system that destroys the planet and harms the most vulnerable, including animals. We need bold leadership now—starting with ending all support for factory farming," added Chokdee.

Campaigners stress that Thailand should not be complicit in financing this destructive model by participating in the World Bank. Instead, the country can help lead the way in promoting food systems that are sustainable, ethical, and resilient for future generations.

Read the full public letter here: Letter to World Bank

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