Quality over quantity, a system change

Ms. Kikou pointed out that, in making EU animal agriculture less intensive, ending caged farming would help to deliver the environmental benefits sought by the EU Green Deal.

“Over 9 billion land animals are slaughtered in the EU every year. The current industrial agriculture system requires huge quantities of feed whose production is causing enormous deforestation and irreversible land degradation around the world. Shifting to a different model of agriculture in which we privilege quality over quantity, with fewer animals in much better conditions, will be good for animals, humans and the planet,” she said.

Ms Kikou added that reducing the number of animals kept in close confinement by banning cages would also help prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases. This point was validated by a European Food Safety Agency scientist participating in the panel discussion who said “shifting to outdoors systems does not represent a threat to biosecurity, which can be achieved also without cages.”

Our priorities for Animal welfare

The conference also addressed crucial animal welfare issues during transport, slaughter and at farm level. Compassion in World Farming EU calls for the following changes to be included in the revision of EU animal welfare legislation currently under preparation by the Commission:

Ban live animal exports to third countries by all transport modes and replace them with trade in meat, carcasses and genetic materials;
Adopt measures to reduce and effectively regulate transport of animals within the EU;
Ban painful stunning and slaughter methods (e.g. CO2 stunning for pigs, grinding up of live male chicks);
Adopt species-specific legislation for the protection of all species currently not covered, including invertebrates and aquatic animals;
Implement a mandatory EU method of production label for all animal products.

For more information, please email eu.office@ciwf.org