INTRODUCTION TO WORKING GROUPS AND STEERING COMMITTEE

Orientation for New Members & Steering Committee Participants

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WELCOME

• What to Expect:
• Learn about our collaborative structure and our theory of change
• Understand how our working groups and Steering Committee drive coalition goals.
• Explore ways to contribute to impactful campaigns.
• Why It Matters:
• Together, we amplify diverse voices and take targeted action to challenge financing for factory farming.
• Let’s Begin:
• Discover how you can engage and make a difference!

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OUR THEORY OF CHANGE

The Problem: MDB financing supports harmful factory farming practices, threatening environmental health, animal welfare, and public well-being.

Our Approach:

• Intersectional campaign addressing climate, health, animal welfare, and economic justice.
• Key interventions: Policy & Advocacy, Public Mobilization, and Community Empowerment.

The Impact:

• Short to Medium Term: MDBs classify livestock projects as high-risk, delay or halt harmful loans, and adopt enforceable animal welfare standards.
• Long Term: MDBs phase out financing for factory farming, resulting in climate action and sustainable food systems.

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TOGETHER WE ARE A GLOBAL CAMPAIGN

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Our Steering Committee

Stop Financing Factory Farming Global Network

STEERING COMMITTEE OVERVIEW

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Purpose:

• Provides strategic guidance for coalition activities.
• Aligns decisions with the coalition’s Theory of Change.

Structure:

• Monthly meetings (90 minutes).
• Communication via mailing list and WhatsApp group.
• No cost to join.

Membership:

The Steering Committee comprises Bank Information Centre, Compassion in World Farming, Friends of the Earth US, International Accountability Project, Sinergia Animal, and World Animal Protection International.

STEERING COMMITTEE ROLES AND DECISION-MAKING

Roles

Network Model Support

Benefits of Membership

• Influence coalition direction.
• Access to shared resources and networking opportunities.
• Learn and contribute to impactful advocacy campaigns.

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• Enable activities like joint letters or MDB project responses led by members
• Access to the Stop Financing Factory Farming Shared Drive to input on guides for the wider network

• Decide on S3F-branded or endorsed activities (e.g., campaigns, coalition reports).
• Oversee strategy and ensure alignment with coalition goals.

WORKING GROUPS OVERVIEW

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Current groups

Flexible participation

Benefits

The S3F coalition working groups bring together experts to network and develop activities aligned with the campaign goals.

Opportunity to share work, network, and learn from other members.

Play a key role in achieving coalition objectives.

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Commitment ranges from 1 hour/month to 5 hours/week.

Keep up to date with newsletters and google groups

Policy & Advocacy: Focus on development bank policy engagement.

Project Response: Track and respond to harmful MDB project proposals.

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WORKING GROUPS MEETINGS

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Project Response Working Group

Focused on identifying and responding to new Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) projects that pose risks to animal welfare, the environment, or communities.

• Regular Meetings: Monthly on Tuesdays, typically at 6:30 PM UK
• Extraordinary Meetings: Weekly during urgent Project Response Campaigns; short-notice scheduling may occur
• Length: 60 minutes
• Updates: Shared via email with regular attendees and included in the Newsletter
• Facilitator:
• Alessandro - Contact him to join meetings and the email list
• alessandro@accountabilityproject.org
• Typical Agenda:
• Review upcoming MDB projects
• Agree on a collective response

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WORKING GROUPS MEETINGS

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Policy Working Group

Dedicated to influencing MDB policies and coordinating joint responses to consultations and reports to advance coalition goals.

• Regular Meetings: Biweekly on Tuesdays, alternating between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM UK
• Extraordinary Meetings: Rare, for coordinating around key events (e.g., COP) to engage adjacent networks
• Length: 75 minutes
• Updates: Shared via the Google Group and included in the Newsletter
• Facilitators:
1. Emily and Wendy - Contact Emily to join meetings and the Google Group
2. emily@stopfinancingfactoryfarming.com
• Typical Agenda:
• Coordinate joint responses to consultations and reports
• Plan for key advocacy opportunities

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WHAT IS THE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM ?

The Early Warning System (EWS) is a monitoring tool created by the International Accountability Project. It identifies high-risk projects proposed for funding by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), providing advocates with timely information to take action.

How Does the Coalition Use It?

• Project Identification: The Project Response working group tracks industrial agriculture and factory farming projects flagged for potential funding by MDBs.
• Campaign Launch: Alerts coalition members to organize responses and mobilize advocacy efforts.

Impact:��The EWS enables the coalition to proactively delay, amend, or stop harmful MDB-funded projects while raising awareness about factory farming’s environmental and social risks

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CASE STUDY - LDC (MAY 2022)

This campaign addressed IFC financing of unsustainable soy production.

• Project: A $200 million loan to Louis Dreyfus Corporation (LDC) to expand soy production in Brazil’s threatened Cerrado biome.
• Action: Advocacy efforts included:
• Mobilized 235 organizations
• Lobbying meetings with US, German, Nordic, Dutch and Canadian Executive Directors
• Delayed the Board’s vote on the loan twice and generated an agribusiness portfolio review
• Outcome: Two Executive Director abstentions; commissioned Rede Social da Justica e Direitos Humanos to document on-the-ground impacts

CASE STUDY - PRONACA (2021- PRESENT)

This campaign addresses IFC and IDB financing of industrial pig farms.

• Project: Over $250 million in loans to PRONACA, an Ecuadorian meat company with 115+ factory farms in Ecuador.
• Action: Advocacy efforts include:
• Sign-on letters, a digital communications campaign and a report documenting harms to local Indigenous communities
• Filed a formal complaint to IDB Invest’s independent accountability mechanism, MICI; a CAO complaint forthcoming
• Outcome: The MICI complaint is in the Compliance phase; we are awaiting the investigation report

CASE STUDY: MARFRIG GLOBAL FOODS (OCTOBER 2021)

This campaign challenged MDB financing of industrial beef production.

• Project: A $43 million loan proposal ($200 million syndicated) by IDB Invest to Marfrig Global Foods, the world’s second-largest beef producer.
• Action: A six-month global campaign included:
• A letter signed by 285 civil society organizations.
• Advocacy briefings with the U.S. government.
• Letters to IDB Executive Directors opposing the project.
• Outcome: IDB Invest canceled the loan due to “environmental reasons,” citing advocacy efforts.

CASE STUDY: ALVOAR LÁCTEOS (APRIL 2023)

This campaign addressed IFC financing of unsustainable dairy production.

• Project: A $32 million loan to Alvoar Lácteos, a Brazilian dairy giant.
• Action: Advocacy efforts included:
• Investigations by Sinergia Animal exposing supplier violations of IFC Performance Standards.
• A call to delay the IFC vote pending further analysis.
• Outcome: The IFC engaged with Alvoar Lácteos on improving animal welfare conditions, though on-the-ground impact remains unclear.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES TIMELINE FOR 2025

FOE-branded LDC case study release. Finance in Common Summit (Feb 26-28, Cape Town, led by Sinergia Animal).

IDB AGM (March 26-30, Santiago, led by BIC). World Meat Congress (TBD, Mato Grosso, Brazil, potential GFC leadership). Global South Webinar (TBD, led by Camila and Andrea).

UNGA Sustainability Week & ECOSOC Youth Forum (TBD, NYC). World Bank Annual Meeting (April 25-27). Release S3F-branded IFC Project Policy Brief (FOE).

Asia Development Bank Annual Meeting (May 4-7, Milan). Africa Development Bank Annual Meeting (Last week, Abidjan).

Debrief WB Push in SteerCom. S3F webinar report back on WB push about network movement building (TBD).

Finance for Development UN Summit

GET INVOLVED!

• Contact Us:�To arrange a meeting or discuss getting involved, email: emily@stopfinancingfactoryfarming.com
• Sign Up:�Join our mailing list to stay updated:�Mailing List Signup Form
• Learn More:�Visit our website for resources and campaign updates:�www.stopfinancingfactoryfarming.com

This guide was produced by Emily Randall for the Stop Financing Factory Farming (S3F) campaign, with contributions from Ashley Schaeffer, Jamie Woolley and Bianca Ines.

For further information, please visit stopfinancingfactoryfarming.com or email us at emily@stopfinancingfactoryfarming.com

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