Livestock producers in Brazil and China are to be encouraged to adopt welfare-friendly farming practices under an initiative launched by two UK organisations, the Food Animal Initiative and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

The two groups are liasing with industry and farmer organisations to the two fast-growing economies, with the aim of setting up model farms demonstrating humane methods of meat, milk and egg production.

"While the EU slowly legislates to improve conditions for farm animals, intensive factory farming is exploding in the developing world", said WSPA director general Peter Davies.

"Animals are caged, chained and forced to grow super-fast in the quest for ever more meat,milk and eggs."

Campaign manager Ami Firth said the authorities in Brazil and China had very limited welfare legislation and what they did have was poorly enforced. There was also a general lack of awareness.

"But rather than just going in and complaining, we want to offer solutions, so we have teamed up with the Food Animal Initiative to develop alternative systems."

The aim is to persuade existing farmers to change their techniques and demonstrate that they can still be profitable to the wider food-producing community.

Ms Firth denied that pushing low input systems was at odds with the aim go feeding a burgeoning world population.

"The answer is to cut down on meat consumption and to use more extensive, sustainable production methods."