Peter Roberts

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Biographical Information

Peter Roberts, (died in 2006) who the founder and director of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). "CIWF was the first organisation devoted solely to the welfare of farm animals, and one of Peter's greatest achievements was the formal recognition of animals as "sentient beings" by the European Union... Meanwhile, Peter stopped farming, and in 1978, he opened the Bran Tub in Petersfield, still one of the best independent health food shops. He also set up Direct Foods, marketing the early meat substitute TVP (textured vegetable protein). He himself had become a vegetarian, although CIWF encourages people to make their own informed dietary choices and to eat welfare-friendly products. For all the years that Peter put in as director of CIWF, he managed never to draw a salary... Peter received several awards in his lifetime, from organisations such as the RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association's Animal Welfare Foundation. In 2001, Peter, by then retired due to the onset of Parkinson's disease, received the first ever BBC TV award for his outstanding contribution to animal welfare. The following year he was awarded an MBE...

"Those who knew Peter regard him as a true visionary. In his private life he was passionate about trees and butterflies, loved astronomy and was fascinated by Greek mythology. Peter's legacy lives on in the organisation he founded. Today CIWF has a staff of 40, nearly 30,000 supporters, offices and representatives in 11 countries and a European coalition of 32 societies in 24 countries. Its message of compassion for farm animals is being taken seriously by global institutions such as the International Finance Corporation and the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). First steps have been taking in emerging nations such as China and South Africa. The aim, of course, is to achieve Peter's ultimate vision- compassion in world farming. He is survived by Anna and his daughters, Judy, Helen and Gill."