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The second worst animal welfare problem in Europe? Here’s what’s really happening to dairy cows
24 July 2023
Are you clued up when it comes to what factory farmed dairy cows in Europe go through? Millions of these animals are spending nearly their whole lives sick, confined and in pain. Here are some of the main problems they face – and how policymakers should address them as they continue to revise the animal welfare legislation.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a ‘healthy’ dairy cow in a factory farm. Forced to produce massive amounts of milk and subjected to zero-grazing systems, inadequate housing and improper monitoring and treatment, millions of these poor beings spend nearly their whole lives in pain. In fact, their health problems are so severe that they’re considered by the European Union to be the second-worst animal welfare problem in Europe. With that said, the welfare laws for dairy cows have not been addressed for decades. It’s time that changes.
Across factory farms in the EU, dairy cows commonly suffer from two major challenges:
Lameness, which hinders their movements and increases their susceptibility to mastitis and other metabolic disorders. There hasn’t been a meaningful reduction in the prevalence of this illness for the past 20 years, which affects up to 31% of dairy cows in industrial farming systems
Mastitis, which can permanently injure their udders and is caused by physical trauma and infections. It affects between 20% – 30% of cows per herd, and it can be very hard to treat and has a high chance to come back.
Lack of access to pasture is a big reason why these dairy cows are suffering so much
Cows have evolved to thrive on pasture, where they can graze, exercise, socialise, and explore the environment at their will. These natural habits are critical for their welfare, and are something they’re strongly motivated to do. Dairy cows have been known to push against weighted gates to access pasture, even when they’ve been hungry and exhausted – clearly, their desire to be in these spaces is deeply-rooted, regardless of their physical state.
Cows simply need pasture. There’s no long-term replacement for it. However, surveys show that there has been a decline in grazing dairy cows across Europe over the past decade, with evidence concurrently showing that this lack of access to the outdoors has contributed to health issues like mastitis, dystocia, lameness, and teat trampling.
Dairy cows and calves also spend too much time alone, bored and starving
The indoor environment millions of dairy cows are forced to live in is nowhere near good enough to keep them satisfied, comfortable and sickness-free. Numerous cows are tethered within ‘tie-stall systems’ where they find it incredibly difficult to lie down and relax, and where they are far more likely to get sick (as opposed to cows in ‘loose-housed’ systems, who can roam and look after themselves more effectively).
Cows are commonly lonely on factory farms, too. 60% of Europe’s dairy cows are housed individually for at least the first eight weeks of their lives. This impedes their ability to learn, socialise, and develop good coping mechanisms, as well as restricts their behaviours and ability to move. Adult dairy cows can be tethered throughout their lives, as well.
The grass is greener on the other side: the European Commission must free Europe’s dairy cows and protect their welfare.
These problems clearly cannot be allowed to continue or worsen. The EU’s dairy cows desperately need changes to be put in place for their welfare as the European Commission continues to revise the animal welfare laws, including provisions to:
Enable them to access good-quality pasture more frequently
House calves socially, so they don’t have to grow up alone
Improve their indoor environment – so when dairy cows do have to be indoors, they have plenty to do to keep themselves healthy and entertained. A simple measure that could be implemented is the use of mechanical brushes, which can reduce boredom, stress and frustration, as well as improve their hygiene and make them happier
Fed sufficient amounts of nutritious food
Tethering of dairy cows should be banned, so no cow has to endure being tied to the same place for months in a row.
Dairy cows deserve to be free, comfortable, healthy, nourished and happy – as does every other living thing. Share this tweet if you agree – dairy cows and all other kept animals need stronger laws for their welfare!
It’s now up to the European Commission to provide a formal reply to the 1.5 million citizens who have called for a Fur Free Europe, in the most successful European Citizen Initiative related to animal welfare.
Today the European Citizen Initiative (ECI) organisers formally met with the European Commission (EC) to present the case, and signify the importance of a full harmonised ban on fur farms and on the placement of farmed fur products on the European market.
More than 1.5 million citizens asked for a Fur Free Europe, and 19 Member States have already totally or partially banned fur farming on grounds of animal welfare and public health: a clear sign is being sent to the EC that this practice cannot be justified under any circumstances.
The call was also recently reiterated by a majority of Member States during the last session of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) and has been publicly supported by a number of members of the European Parliament.
By the end of 2023, the EC will publish a proposal aimed at improving the EU’s animal welfare legislation to align it with the latest scientific evidence. The organisers reiterated once more that while it’s possible to improve welfare standards for domesticated animals, science has clearly shown that this is not possible for wild animals on fur farms. Consequently, a ban on fur farming should be included in the proposal.
In addition, fur farms pose significant risk for the spread of zoonotic diseases, putting both humans and animals at risk, a fact which became widely evident during recent COVID-19 outbreaks. Banning the placement of farmed fur products on the EU market will ensure thatfur produced under similarly cruel conditions in third countries is not allowed to be sold within the EU.
After the autumn hearing at the European Parliament, The EC will provide a formal reply to the ECI by mid-December.
“As the EU is preparing to take a giant leap for animals, and with the set revision for the Kept Animals Regulation, this is a great opportunity to show that such cruel unjustifiable practices have no place in Europe. Citizens have made their voice loudly heard, and for this democratic tool to be successful, we expect a positive response from the EC soon,”
Injecting animal welfare in renewed EU-Latin American trade relationships
18 July 2023
As leaders from the EU and from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) gather in Brussels for the third EU-CELAC summit, willingness to accelerate the conclusion of controversial trade agreements is on the agenda. What’s at stake for animals?
During the EU-CELAC Summit on 17-18 July, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Mercosur countries reiterated their “determination to work towards the conclusion of the Agreement between the EU and MERCOSUR by the end of 2023”.
Instead of pushing forward an unsustainable and harmful trade policy, the EU should redesign its trade deals to be compatible with the EU Green Deal and the Farm-to-Fork Strategy. These deals, as exemplified by the EU-Mercosur FTA, grant further unconditional market access to animal based products, leading to an increase in the trade and further fuelling the intensification of farming both in the EU and abroad. This trend not only implies poor animal welfare conditions, but also raises public health concerns in terms of zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Intensification of animal production also generates high levels of deforestation, impacting the welfare of millions of wild animals.
For all these reasons, Eurogroup for Animals, together with 50 civil society organisations from South America and Europe, and with the support of MEPs from the Greens/EFA, the Left and S&D, organised an international conference calling for ‘A new EU-Latin America trade relationship for the 21st Century’.
The Left in the EP
During the conference, a wide range of speakers from the EU and South America agreed that the EU-Mercosur deal is toxic for indigenous people, workers, the environment and animals, and that the proposed additional protocol offers nothing more than cosmetic, unenforceable adjustments. Furthermore, the risks of the deal aggravating deforestation cannot be restrained by the recent EU legislation on imported deforestation, given that the legislation ignores many products that contribute to deforestation and other biomes destroyed by intensive agriculture. For example, soy-fed animals such as poultry are not covered by the legislation.
Other speakers echoed Eurogroup for Animals’ criticism of the EU-Mexico and EU-Chile agreements. These deals have had devastating consequences for local communities, including pollution and destruction of natural habitats, and their “modernised” versions are likely to have further negative impacts on animal welfare, human rights, deforestation, the climate crisis and biodiversity. While the agreements do include some animal welfare provisions – including on animal sentience and growth promoters and, in the case of Mexico, a standalone chapter on animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance – the language is weak and will do nothing to offset the negative impacts unconditional trade liberalisation will have on animals, people and the planet.
All eyes are now on the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council to avoid fast-tracking the EU-Chile and the EU-Mexico FTAs by side-stepping national and regional parliaments and removing Member States’ veto right. This is critical given the range of negative impacts the agreements will have on animal welfare, human rights, the climate crisis and biodiversity. Concerning the EU-Mercosur FTA, Eurogroup for Animals calls for a full renegotiation of the deal, including conditioning all trade preferences granted in the agreement to EU-equivalent animal welfare standards.
“Utterly unacceptable and unlawful”: Ireland’s mistreatment of male calves
14 July 2023
EFI
Investigation
A new documentary by Ireland’s RTÉ Investigates programme, ‘Milking It; Dairy’s Dirty Secret’ has exposed animal welfare breaches of male calves in Ireland, both on-farm and during live export to Europe.
Irish milk production has jumped 68% since the EU milk quota system was abolished in 2015. Ireland now produces just short of 9 billion litres of milk every year and 10% of the world’s infant formula. To meet this demand, approximately 1.5 million dairy calves are born in Ireland every year. While female calves are reared to become dairy cows, over half a million male calves born each year are considered a valueless by-product of the sector, as they neither produce milk nor fatten well for beef. Male calves therefore face a difficult fate: either killed at a few days old, or shipped to veal farms in Holland, Spain, Italy, and, more recently, to a growing market in Poland and Romania.
The RTÉ documentary included investigation footage carried out by L214 and Eyes on Animals, assisted by our member organisation Ethical Farming Ireland, which covered the journey of calves transported from Ireland to France and the Netherlands.
Despite scientific evidence suggesting that these animals should not travel until 12 weeks old due to their undeveloped immune systems and incapacity to correctly use feeding devices, the industry continues to ignore this recommendation, and calves are exported at around 15 days old. Also, The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a minimum age of 5 weeks for transport, emphasising the vulnerability of these animals during their early stages of life.
Furthermore, EU regulations clearly state that unweaned calves must be given water and, if necessary, fed after 9 hours of transport, when they should receive a rest period of at least 1 hour before being transported again. However, footage reveals that the calves are subjected to 30-hour journeys without milk or rest: a flagrant violation of EU law, and a general disregard for animal welfare.
Further footage taken by RTÉ told the same story of gruelling journeys for young calves that breach the EU Regulation on the transport of live animals. In addition, workers could be seen repeatedly kicking young calves, hitting them with sticks, and throwing them from trailers. .
The documentary has caused political outcry, with the Irish Department of Agriculture confirming an investigation into the programme findings. Irish Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue called the practices uncovered in the documentary “utterly unacceptable, and in some instances unlawful”.
Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar described the footage as “repugnant”. Mr Varadkar said there would be “robust and timely” action against people found to have breached regulations in the footage, and that the reputation of the sector relied on compliance with the regulations in place.
The documentary proves once again that the existing animal welfare legislation does not go far enough to protect EU farmed animals at rearing, transport or slaughter. The European Commission has the power to improve the transport regulation this year, with the revision of the EU Animal Welfare legislation. In particular, they must:
Ban ‘unfit animals’ from being transported, including unweaned animals, for whom these journeys are even more difficult to bear
Place strict limitations on journey times
Ensure that the new rules are better enforced
Let’s be clear, there is no way to export calves humanely or in line with legislation because it is not possible to feed calves during transit. That is the simple truth. The dairy industry must find an alternative outlet for their calves, and keep them with the herd until weaned. If you don’t have the facilities to look after them then don’t breed them in the first place.
Caroline Rowley, Founder of Ethical Farming Ireland
Indeed, and as recommended during the documentary, the culling and mistreatment of “valueless” male calves should be avoided, which is currently possible by using sexed semen. The transport of farmed animals should be reduced, refined and replaced by meat and carcasses, semen and embryos as recommended by the FVE, WOAH and EFSA.
I have more to say about Irish calf transport investigations which we have undertaken in the past; I will provide details and links in another post very soon.
Industrial animal farming can continue polluting as the European Parliament waters down emissions directive
12 July 2023
CIWF
The European Parliament has voted to exclude emissions from industrial cattle farms from the Industrial Emissions Directive. The Parliament also voted for scrapping the Commission’s proposal for updated thresholds for pig and poultry farms. Thereby the proposal from the European Commission, that could reduce emissions from the largest polluters that keep animals in cramped conditions, is substantially weakened and puts the EU off track on its climate commitments.
The Industrial Emissions Directive controls emissions from the largest industrial installations in the EU, including a small number of the largest pig and poultry farms. Any installation controlled by the IED is forced to reduce emissions into air, water and soil and needs a permit to operate. With the European Commission proposal, the Directive would increase the coverage from 18% to 60% of emissions of ammonia from cattle, pigs and poultry, and extend the coverage from 3% to 43% of methane emissions.
The Parliament voted for going back to the current insufficient thresholds of 750 Livestock Units that only cover farms with 40,000 poultry, 2,000 pigs and 750 sows or more, with cattle farms entirely excluded. This stands in stark contrast to the Commission’s proposal of 150 Livestock Units which would cover all large farms, including cattle as it is the main emitter. In numbers this would mean that farms with example 500 pigs, or 150 dairy cows, or 10,700 laying hens or 21,400 broiler chickens would be included while the Directive would not affect small and medium sized farms.
In addition, the result of the Parliament’s vote shows a declining ambition even below the current Industrial Emissions Directive by further reducing the obligations for the industrial poultry and pigs farms with 750 Livestock Units and that will be covered by the Directive.
Animal farming is responsible for 67% of EU ammonia emissions and more than 50% of EU methane emissions. Cattle farming is by far the biggest source of methane emissions from agriculture. Failure to reduce these emissions puts the EU on track to break its commitment under the Global Methane Pledge (pledging to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030) as well as failing on its Zero Pollution Action Plan. In order to reduce emissions it will be necessary to address more of the large livestock farms. In addition to the negative impact the intensification of animal farming has had on animals, a strong Industrial Emissions Directive would bring significant health and environmental benefits for citizens.
Overall, the Parliament’s vote points to an even lower climate ambition than the agreed position by the Council. Earlier in spring, the Environmental Ministers agreed to include cattle in the scope but increase the thresholds as compared to the Commission’s proposal. The revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive will now go to interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) between the Council, Parliament and the Commission. The results of the negotiations can potentially mean that the IED will continue to exempt the majority of the largest polluters.
The debate around the Industrial Emissions Directive has pinpointed how EU animal farms have intensified during the last years, with detrimental impact on animal welfare and with the EU potentially failing to address their emissions if this is not rectified in trilogues.
For more information, please see the briefing by Eurogroup for Animals’ members Compassion in World Farming and FOUR PAWS.
The EU-New Zealand trade deal includes animal welfare conditionality
9 July 2023
Press Release
On Sunday 9 July, the EU and New Zealand officially signed their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after five years of negotiation. While the FTA liberalises trade for all animal-based products, thereby further stimulating animal agriculture in the EU and New Zealand,Eurogroup for Animals still welcomes that the beef quota is reserved for grass-fed animals.
This is only the second time the EU negotiates an animal welfare condition in a trade agreement. The controversial EU-Mercosur FTA introduced the first one in relation to shelled eggs. Yet, the volume of shelled eggs imported by the EU from the Mercosur countries is quite low. In the case of New Zealand, the EU managed to obtain an animal welfare condition for one of the animal products most traded between the partners. While New Zealand only had one feedlot built for exports to Japan, recently there has been a push to establish new ones, and this condition in the FTA will ensure EU consumption is not responsible for that.
We welcome the explicit exclusion of meat derived from commercial feedlots from the list of products benefitting from preferential access thanks to the FTA, also based on sustainability reasons. In addition to being a significant source of pollution, feedlots are detrimental to animals as they suffer from respiratory and digestive diseases, which are the main causes for cattle death under such rearing conditions. So far, EU trade policy has been blind to the unsustainable methods of production it can stimulate abroad, including the development of feedlots.
This trade agreement shows that the EU can condition relevant trade flows to higher animal welfare standards. The EU should apply this approach to all animal products in FTAs, and negotiate ambitious animal welfare conditions with all trading partners, including Mercosur countries. Why would it be sustainable to include meat derived from commercial feedlots in the quota granted in the EU-Mercosur agreement, when it’s not sustainable to do so with New Zealand? Especially as feedlots are a much more common method of production in Mercosur countries.
Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Apart from this condition on preferential market access for beef, the FTA, like many others, includes a chapter on animal welfare cooperation. Yet, the language used in this chapter remains aspirational and the impact of such wording will only depend on the political willingness of the EU and New Zealand to work on this together. Surprisingly, the language on animal welfare has been separated from the chapter on Sustainable Food Systems (SFS), contrary to most recent EU FTAs. This means that in that chapter, no mention is made to animal welfare or to the close connections between animal welfare and public and environmental wellbeing. This creates silos that can be harmful and create detrimental trade-offs for animals.
The EU-New Zealand FTA has also been praised for being the first EU trade deal integrating sanctions in its Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapter. While this is welcome, it does not change the intrinsic issue that if the language used in such a chapter is often non-committal, which is the case for provisions related to wild and aquatic animals, no violation can be found.
Introducing animal welfare-based conditions in FTAs, as the EU did with New Zealand, is one option to avoid that the EU further externalises its animal welfare concerns. However, as negotiations of trade agreements can be long and difficult, Eurogroup for Animals calls on the European Commission to seize the unique opportunity offered by the revision of the EU’s animal welfare legislation to propose the inclusion of all animal products placed on the EU market, regardless of their origin, within its scope.
World Animals Voice 