Advocate for Institutional Change as a CreatureKind Partner Community
Partnering with CreatureKind means that your community (school, church, organization) is committed to theological exploration of issues related to farmed animals, and to taking practical actions to engage with issues related to farmed animal welfare. You don’t have to meet a specific benchmark to be in partnership with CreatureKind. In fact, we meet you where you are and formulate goals together. Our emphasis is on nurturing institutional relationships and continuous dialog that leads to policy improvements. Not on checking any specific box.
Becoming a CreatureKind Partner Community involves these three steps:
-
YOU determine who can approve your community’s engagement with CreatureKind and secure their blessing to explore partnership. Download our basic overview to share with other members of your community.
-
WE work together to draft a partnership agreement that outlines your community’s existing commitments and actions, if any, and describes next steps. For example:
-
initiate an audit to review trends in consumption and sourcing;
-
develop an action plan based on that audit in relation to reducing consumption of animal products and opportunities for further progress towards higher welfare sourcing;
-
and host a speaker or other opportunity for campus reflection/engagement in the coming academic year.
-
-
WE work together to secure approval of the partnership document and then begin to take action!
View a sample Partnership Community Agreement document.
One of our goals is to promote communities that demonstrate firm commitments in this area, and we will develop a plan to publicize the partnership together at a time that is mutually agreeable.
Working with CreatureKind is always free. Also, we work closely with organizations like Farm Forward’s Leadership Circle, the Better Food Foundation, and Default Veg who help us provide comprehensive tools and resources for communities who wish to align their food supply chains with their values.
If you’d like to discuss the CreatureKind Partnership Community model, please drop us a line.
Featured CreatureKind Partners
Regents Theological College, the epicenter for training Elim Pentecostal ministers in the United Kingdom, will audit their animal product consumption, develop a plan of action based on that action to reduce consumption of animal products and move to higher- and highest-welfare sourcing, host a speaker or offer an event for campus reflection on Christianity and animals, raise awareness of animal welfare and the environment as a Christian faith concern within the Elim Pentecostal Church, and form a committee to oversee the commitments.
University of Winchester was the first institution to partner with CreatureKind. With a long track record of environmental action and a rapidly evolving catering strategy, the University of Winchester had already taken strides to reduce their overall animal product consumption and source from higher welfare sources, receiving accolades from Compassion in World Farming for their sourcing practices. Through their partnership with CreatureKind, they’re committed to ongoing dialogue and to setting additional goals.
As part of their commitment to environmental and human justice, Friends House, London announced their partnership with CreatureKind. Friends House committed to reduce their consumption of animal products by 20% over a two-year period, and they plan to open a completely plant-based bistro in their facility.
Why Food Policy?
The CreatureKind project is motivated by a Christian recognition of animals as fellow creatures of God and the conviction that when humans are kind to animals and care well for the world, God’s entire creation benefits. It’s a win for the environment, a win for animals, a win for humans, and a win for the health of our communities, when we—individually and corporately—reduce our consumption of animal products and move to buy the animal products we do consume from higher welfare sources. Plant-forward menus can save money, reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to improved health, and reduce our reliance on factory farmed animal products. When we purchase animal products from certified higher-welfare sources, we support farmers and families who are working like mad to do right by the earth, by their workers, by the land, and by animals. Most importantly, when we include animals on our agenda, we honor our call to care for the whole earth, to anticipate the peaceable Kingdom of God, to share the peace of Christ with all of God’s beloved creation, and to love our neighbors well.
