The average score for all companies covered in the 2018 Benchmark was 32%. While this is lower than the average score of 37% in 2017, the figure is skewed downward by the 43 companies added to the 2018 Benchmark and the increased weighting given to performance reporting and impact. The new companies achieved an average score of just 16% and the performance weighting increased from 24% to 35%. A more accurate picture of the performance of food companies on farm animal welfare can be obtained by excluding the new companies (see Figure 2.1). This shows an overall average score of 38% (when scored at the higher performance weighting) or 41% (when scored at the lower performance weighting for comparison).