Guides to animal-friendly shopping
Client and Partner: Ombuds Office for Animal Protection of the City of Vienna
Goal: Develop shopping guides for animal-friendly purchasing of foodstuffs of animal origin.
Task: Prepare evaluation schemes and research label guidelines; develop and apply classifications and assessments
Period: multiple periods between 2018 and 2023
Anyone who wants to take animal welfare into consideration when buying products of animal origin will find themselves in a jungle of quality seals and brand labels that want to make people buy their products. But which of them really say something about animal welfare and what exactly? The shopping guides of the Ombuds Office for Animal Protection of the City of Vienna set out to answer these questions in a clear and concise way and enable you to choose the most animal-friendly alternative when shopping and eating out.
Success stories
The following shopping guides are based on the work of Shifting Values and are available on the website of the Ombuds Office for Animal Protection of the City of Vienna (in German):
• Milk and dairy products
• Poultry
• Fish
• Restaurants
Further information:
Species conservation for sharks
Client and Partner: International Fund for Animal Welfare
Goal: European Union to support the listing of hammerhead and requiem sharks in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
Task: Provide information and engage in direct dialogue with relevant decisionmakers in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia to gain support for the objective above
Period: January – August 2022
While sharks play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, on which we all depend, they have been largely neglected in international species conservation policy over the past decades.
Today, every second shark species is endangered globally. In addition to habitat destruction, this decline is also caused by the trade in shark fins and meat, which kills more than 100 million sharks every year. This trade is largely unregulated. Only very few shark species are covered by CITES, which is to regulate international trade so that species do not become extinct because of trade.
Thus, at the Conference of Parties to be held in November 2022, shark species affected by trade will be proposed for listing in Appendix II of CITES. This would condition trade in these species on export and import permits from the competent authorities.
Success stories
The EU within CITES always votes as a single bloc, i.e. with 27 identical votes. Its position is therefore very weighty in CITES votes.
The efforts of IFAW, its partners and Shifting Values have contributed to the EU proposing the listing of the hammerhead shark family in Appendix II itself and co-sponsoring a proposal by the conference host, Panama, to list the requiem shark family.
There is thus justified hope that the CITES Conference of Parties in November 2022 will bring an important step towards better protection of sharks.
Mark Conlin/NMFS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Further information:
https://www.ifaw.org/international/press-releases/eu-milestone-decision-to-support-sharks-congratulated-by-ifaw
More than just “system-relevant”
Childminders in Austria
Client and Partner: Federal Association of Childminders in Austria
Goal: Increase awareness of childminders’ value and merits to Austrian society
Task: Draw up a range of measures, provide ongoing advice, create an action video
Period: July – October 2020
Day after day, more than 3,300 Austrian childminders care for nearly 11,000 children. They offer childcare in family-like structures and small groups responsive to the children’s individual rhythms and needs. It’s a service and support that’s indispensable for society – not just in times of COVID, but now more than ever. In particular in times that are economically hard for families and single parents, warm and professional childcare across the country plays a vital role.
The Federal Association of Childminders in Austria approached SHIFTING VALUES asking for concepts on how to increase awareness of childminders’ importance and achievements in the context of an action day on October 7th.
Success stories
We devised a concept to ask parents and children to tell us what their childminder means to them. This resulted in a video full of appreciation, warmth, honest love and gratitude.
The video was published on the platforms of the Federal Association and used for nationwide media work.
Animal welfare and environmental protection in food production
Client and Partner: Vienna Municipal Department for Environmental Protection
Goal: Develop measures to promote the necessary development towards a much fairer, environmentally sound and animal-friendly food production in a participatory round table process with stakeholders along the entire value chain
Task: Process support; expert advice; participation in the plenum and the smaller working groups; involvement in the final editing of the results.
Period: May 2019 – October 2020
The City of Vienna initiated a round table process involving representatives from various municipal departments, hospitals, retirement homes, schools and kindergartens as well as from universities/science, agriculture interest groups, the private sector and environmental and animal welfare NGOs. SHIFTING VALUES participated in all working processes, summarised the results of discussions, researched information and was part of the editorial team for the final product.
Success stories
Further information:
https://www.wien.gv.at/umweltschutz/pdf/runder-tisch-lebensmittel.pdf (German only)
Criteria for the procurement of fish and fish products
Client and Partner: Vienna Municipal Department for Environmental Protection
Goal: Increase sustainability, environmental protection and animal welfare in the procurement of fish and fish products by facilities and services run by the City of Vienna
Task: Prepare a set of criteria for the procurement of fish and fish products within the framework of ÖkoKauf Wien, and arrange a conference on this topic.
Period: 2019
The City of Vienna commissioned SHIFTING VALUES to prepare the basis for establishing a catalogue of criteria on fish and fish products in ÖkoKauf, Vienna’s programme for sustainable procurement. For this purpose, we analysed science on both fishing (at fishing area and population level) and aquaculture and organised a high-level expert and stakeholder conference. The results of both processes will be reflected in the future fish criteria catalogue of ÖkoKauf Wien.
Success stories
Further information:
https://www.wien.gv.at/umweltschutz/oekokauf/lebensmittel-beschaffung.html#fisch (German only)
Crowdfunding campaign “A preview of climate catastrophe”
Client and Partner: own project by Shifting Values
Goal: Raise funds to make the book project “A preview of climate catastrophe” possible. The author, Margi Prideaux, lost her house and all her belongings to the wildfires on Kangaroo Island, Australia, in January 2020.
Task: Carry out a crowdfunding campaign in support of the book project, which would allow the author to write down her terrible experience with climate change from the point of view of a sufferer, but also an internationally experienced nature and species conservation campaigner.
Period: March/April 2020
Shifting Values received great support by the renowned creatives agency Springer & Jacoby, who developed the main campaign visuals for online communication and even arranged for free billboards.
Success stories
Over the eight weeks of crowdfunding, we saw our own expectations being surpassed. We managed to raise a total of 8810 Euro. This amount was provided to the book project without any deductions.
Many heartfelt thanks to all the supporters who make this book project come true.
The book will be published on the 3rd of January 2021, the anniversary of the fire that destroyed Margi Prideaux’s house.
#Wildlife Crime
Online Trade in Endangered Species
Client and Partner: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
Goal: Highlight the dimension of online trade in live animals and products made from endangered animal species, derive calls on politics and website operators, and report incidents of illegal trade to the authorities.
Task: Research the online trade in internationally protected animal species on small ad platforms and social media in Germany, and prepare incidents of illegal trade for the authorities.
Period: August 2017 – March 2018
SHIFTING VALUES has been part of an international team which did a research into the online trade in endangered animal species in four countries (France, Germany, Russia, UK). This included those species strictly protected according to Annex A to the EU CITES regulation, as well as selected Annex B species. The research covered both live animals (predominantly reptiles, but also wildcats, primates and others) and products made from protected species (e.g. ivory, leather, taxidermy).
For the first time, the researchers also investigated the trade in endangered species on social media.
Success stories
Operators of online small ad platforms were made aware of the dimension of the trade in specimens of endangered animal species on their websites. Those operators, who had already banned the trade in certain species or products from their platforms, were made aware of loopholes or weak spots in implementing their policies.
In Germany, Ebay-Kleinanzeigen was the first operator to react positively by announcing that live animals and products from all protected species will be excluded from the trade (until now only live animals of strictly protected species).
The report published in May 2018 helps the International Fund for Animal Welfare to speak up against the online trade in internationally protected species.
Further information and report as pdf:
https://www.ifaw.org/deutschland/Cybercrime-mit-Wildtieren-beenden
#Noise
Client and partner: OceanCare and NRDC
Goal: measures to improve protection of marine wildlife from intensive noise in European waters, with focus on the Mediterranean Sea.
Period: 2012 – 2017
OceanCare and NRDC join forces and energy to achieve measures in European waters that protect marine wildlife from noise, in particular from intensive noise sources. The focus of our work is on the Mediterranean Sea. These efforts to have effective measures implemented that protect marine wildlife from intensive noise sources will be continued in the long run.
SHIFTING VALUES works on behalf the two organisations and is part of the team which achieved measurable progress in the period 2012–2017. Here’s only a small selection of successes which we have been instrumental in achieving.
Success stories
- The Mediterranean Sea population of the Cuvier’s beaked whale receives highest level of protection by being included in Annex I to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) – this whale species is particularly susceptible to noise
- The recitals to the revised EU directive on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) make clear that this directive has to be applied also to noise generating activities in the marine environment. Prior to that, some EU member states did not carry out EIAs for the use of sound cannons (airguns).
- By empowering and cooperating with numerous regional NGOs, we lend marine wildlife an informed voice towards authorities and multinational corporations.
- These joint efforts resulted in regional success stories. Among others, averting seismic explorations off Malaga created a precedent, as the decision was based on the protection of important habitat of the Cuvier’s beaked whale; this was followed by the withdrawal of an application for seismic activities in the Gulf of Valencia by Cairn Energy
- Numerous decisions on underwater noise by regional and international species conservation agreements have been achieved. In autumn 2017, for example, the more than 120 member states of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species adopted guidelines for environmental impact assessments prior to activities generating underwater noise.
- A workshop in Split, Croatia, in November 2017 addressed the issue of oil exploration in Southeast European waters and resulted in the participants working out a set of recommendations. The workshop was organised and hosted by OceanCare in cooperation with and supported by NRDC and the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU).
Animal Welfare as a criterion
for investment capital allocation
Client and partner: Humane Society International
Goal: make animal welfare a binding criterion for investment decisions within the World Bank Group, the EBRD, and the OECD export credit group.
Period: 2013 – 2016.
On behalf of and in cooperation with Humane Society International (HSI), SHIFTING VALUES achieved within less than four years that animal welfare was made a binding criterion for investment capital grants by the World Bank and the EBRD, as well as for export credit guarantees by export credit agencies (ECAs).
A report published in 2013 (“International Finance Institutions, Export Credit Agencies and Farm Animal Welfare”) for the first time turned public attention to the fact that hundreds of millions in public monies are being invested in livestock operations that cause vast animal suffering. EU countries, too, provide public monies, even if the agribusiness operations in third countries fall short of EU minimum animal welfare standards.
The consequences are multifaceted:
- immense billionfold animal suffering
- distortions of competition
- support for companies that are already market leaders, thereby negatively impacting on rural structures.
Success stories
November 2016
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is the first International Finance Institution to tie investment capital to binding animal welfare criteria. These criteria refer to EU directives and “Good International Practice”, whichever is most stringent. The European Investment Bank (EIB)
soon thereafter follows with a similar provision.
2016
Animal welfare is included in the World Bank’s Safeguard Policies, which serve as a benchmark also for a range of other development institutions.
April 2016
The OECD adopts a revision of its “Common Approaches” (the framework for export credit guarantees), which accounts for animal welfare for the first time. Among others, it points to the “Good Practice Note: Improving Animal Welfare in Livestock Operations” of the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group). Further, the Common Approaches offer the opportunity that member states apply stricter rules, such as EU directives. EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström advised EU countries to make use of this possibility.
#StayWild
Client: own project by Shifting Values
Goal: discussing chances and limitations of critical documentaries, and making a statement on changing the attitude towards dolphins in Japan
Period: December 2015
December 3rd, 2015:
SHIFTING VALUES organises a special screening of the documentary THE COVE, which has been awarded an Oscar as the best documentary and several other film awards, in Vienna. Dolphin protection activist Ric O’Barry, former ‘Flipper’ trainer and main protagonist of THE COVE, is present in the cinema, takes part in a panel discussion on “Chances and limitations of critical documentaries” and speaks about his activities and experiences in Japan.
December 4th, 2015:
Supported by international marine conservation OceanCare, SHIFTING VALUES together with Ric O’Barry and Viennese artists Axel Just and Benjamin Fillitz send out a creative and artistically ambitious signal for dolphin protection. The image STAY WILD created by the two artists has been inspired by the centuries-old culture of Japan and interprets quotes from Japanese history of art in a contemporary context.
Already in May 2015 in Vienna, SHIFTING VALUES organised the Austrian premiere of the documentary BLACKFISH, which had won several awards, too.
#SaveKimi
Client and partner: Four Paws
Goal: Public discussion about using fur in fashion, and focus protests on the label “Burberry”, which sources fur from Finnish fox farms.
Period: Autumn 2014
The campaign #SaveKimi was developed, prepared, coordinated and implemented by SHIFTING VALUES. In this campaign, Kimi represents more than 2 million foxes being killed every year on Finnish fur farms. According to our vision at SHIFTING VALUES, we intentionally placed the individual in the centre of communications in order to lend the suffering a face. By placing the individual in the centre, the way how we treat this individual becomes the main focus.
Owing to tens of thousands of Facebook friends, more than 1000 #SaveKimi postings on Instagram, numerous media guerrilla actions in major cities throughout Europe, as well as broad support by musicians and actors, the initiative reached out to several million people. Hundreds of thousands voiced their protest against fashion labels using fur. A broad public was made aware of the suffering of fur animals. A respectable result of a short-term campaign.
Success stories
Overwhelming reaction by a broad public, campaign went viral successfully, hundreds of thousands of citizens sent their protest to Burberry, etc.
In autumn 2014 tens of thousands of people joined #SaveKimi to take an interest in the fate of young fox Kimi and the daily reports about his life on a Finnish fur farm posted on his Facebook page. In addition to animal suffering, readers learn about common practices of fur farming (including minimum legal standards), tricks by fashion labels (how to recognize animal fur), and legal loopholes (labelling).
Without investing a single cent in online marketing, more than 50,000 readers follow Kimi’s online diary within less than four weeks in October 2014. Media like RTL aktuell, ntv, Heute and Krone report on the furry viral star.
Putting an end to
illegal online pet trade
Client: Ombuds Office for Animal Protection of the City of Vienna
Goal: Performing an analysis of the online trade in animals kept as pets in Vienna, and providing expertise for the development of concrete action.
Period: several phases from 2013 to 2016
Remark: Shifting Values conducted the first comprehensive study on this issue in Austria. The study as well as current data prepared on an ongoing basis enabled the city administration to take target-oriented action. Over the project period, illegal online pet trade declined significantly and platform operators changed their policies, which has been documented by statistics and concrete examples.
The study focused on dogs (especially puppies), cats and reptiles. It involved monitoring pet animal advertisement numbers on six main classifieds platforms as well as further investigations into the practices of illegal traders.
Success stories
Even prior to the release of the study, some of the online small ad platforms changed their terms and conditions to approximate these (to a varying extent) to the lawful state. Cases of seizure of animals unlawfully offered for sale (including 40 dog puppies and 63 reptiles) resulted in eye-catching media reports.
Find a summary of the study in English here.
#Iceberg
An animal, its picture, its story
Client and partner: Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP) and Shifting Values
Goal: Placing the fascination with an individual into the centre of communication about whales, and thereby promoting the protection of whales.
Task: planning a worldwide campaign, implementation and media work in cooperation with the FEROP team
Period: April 2012
In April 2012 the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP) and SHIFTING VALUES release information about the first ever observation of an all-white adult male orca. This orca, named ICEBERG by the team of scientists around whale expert Erich Hoyt, has been observed in the North Pacific, east of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The reactions to the sighting of the “White Russian” are stunning, granting him popstar-like status overnight. The official YouTube clip earned more than 650,000 visitors in the first week. In addition, more than 200,000 visitors in one week watched the Iceberg clip featured by Russia Today. In Germany alone, more than 80 different print media publish his picture.
ICEBERG is a striking evidence for the fact that the uniqueness and beauty of wildlife fascinates people all over the world. This is very important, because fascination is an important motivation for nature conservation – and that’s what the young and dedicated scientists of the Far East Russia Orca Project want to achieve off Kamchatka and the Commander Islands. They want to direct attention to beauty and diversity, as opposed to growing economic interests of the fisheries and petroleum industries in the region.
Success stories
ICEBERG and his story are featured by major international news agencies (afp, APA, BBC, dpa, Reuters, among others).
In Germany, ICEBERG’s picture is published in media with a print run of around 8.5 million.
Online media reports on Iceberg have a reach of about 280 million people worldwide. The countries with the largest number of hits include the USA, Canada, EU member states, Russia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, India, South Africa and Argentina.
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jToz9MVVvk
#Sonar Sucks
Noise against noise.
Client and partner: Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and the punk band Itchy Poopzkid
Goal: making underwater noise, until then a largely disregarded issue, known to the public
Period: 2010 – May 2011
Remark: Nicolas Entrup was then in charge of this campaign (planning, coordination, implementation, media work) as the CEO of WDC Germany and head of campaigns of WDC international
Until some years ago, noise pollution of the world’s oceans has been an issue largely unheard by the public. Hardly anybody wanted to tackle it, there were too many hurdles ahead. The issue is complex, the polluters (military, oil industry) seemingly insuperable. Our idea? We are louder, we are provocative, we stir it up. We bring the consequences of underwater noise to the surface.
The punk band Itchy Poopzkid writes a song for the international cetacean conservation organisation WDC: Why Still Bother. It becomes the hymn of the campaign Sonar Sucks. A polarising video: A dead porpoise gets blasted – the noise is “blowing up its head”.
The campaign’s creative process has been supported by Peter Treibenreif’s agency section e.
Success stories
Thousands of fans, bands, actors and athletes support the campaign by posting a photo showing them covering their ears, screaming.
TV actor Andreas Hoppe (series “Crime scene”) becomes the speaker and patron of the action “Crime Scene Ocean”. On the anniversary of the “Deepwater Horizon” disaster on 19 April 2011, we organise a flashmob and guerilla concert by Itchy Poopzkid at the Brandenburg Gate – in front of the BP office building. At that time BP had plans to use sound cannons to search for oil in and near a dolphin sanctuary.
Numerous media feature reports, including Süddeutsche Zeitung, Stern, BR Fernsehen, SWR Late Night, as well as all relevant music magazines. The provocative video, the eye-catching online actions and the guerilla gig in front of the BP office in Berlin are effective – for the first time, the BP Europe management board invites WDC for talks in the London headquarters.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MokJ2RAuTJY
#WALHELFER
Client and partner: Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
Goal: founding and building up the German WDC branch; developing and heading international campaigns
Period: CEO of WDC Germany 1999–2011, head of campaigns WDC international 2010/11
Remark: In Summer 2011, Nicolas Entrup decided to take over fresh challenges and handed over the management of the German WDC office to his successor with an active supporter base of 13,000 persons. Over his 12 years as CEO, WDC became one of the leading marine conservation organisations in Germany. The numerous campaign successes include bringing about a strong position of Germany within the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by closely cooperating with environment minister Künast, who renounced the compromise policy of her predecessors; a ban on international trade in Black Sea dolphins; preventing dolphin catches and closing down several dolphinaria; making underwater noise an issue and many things more.
One personal highlight for Nicolas Entrup during this period was to participate in developing the “Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Whales and Dolphins”, which was written and adopted on the 21st and 22nd of May 2010 by an international expert panel from various disciplines at the university in Helsinki, Finland.
Some might interpret this Declaration as revolutionary, others as a logical consequence based on increasing information available. For cetacean species, it is their only chance against the pressures caused by human activities in the world’s oceans. Now, practical implementation has to follow the academic vision. This is where the journey for shifting values starts …
