More to be desired

However, environment MEPs also voted to exempt from responsibility some industrial pig and chicken farms. For them, any farm that has less than 28 571 broiler chickens, 14 285 laying hens, 666 pigs, 400 sows or 300 dairy cows would not have to comply with the environmental rules (see Compromise Amendment 7 bis A1, which was adopted). While these numbers are still too big and more factory farms should pay when polluting, this may be the least of all evils – other proposals called for even more exemptions (see Compromise Amendment 7 bis).

Nearly brainwashed

“The Big Agricultural lobby nearly managed to brainwash elected representatives into thinking that factory farms provide superior benefits to society, and unlike any other big industry they don’t have to clean up their mess," said Olga Kikou, Head of Compassion in World Farming EU.

"It is crystal clear that unless we make the industrial agriculture sector accountable, there is no going back and our civilisation as we know it is at risk. It’s already payback time when it comes to the climate crisis,” she added.