Dairy cow welfare campaign launched
A campaign called 'Supporting Better Diary' has been launched to improve the living conditions of 23 million dairy cows across Europe.
The initiative, started by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and Ben and Jerry's, aims to create new legislation to make it mandatory to achieve a certain level of welfare. The charities have described welfare standards as varying greatly across the EU, with some animals suffering from poor health, inadequate housing and lack of access to pasture.
Supporting Better Dairy will be the first of its kind in that it will be using the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), which allows EU citizens to propose new legislation.
Suzi Morris, UK director of WSPA, commented: "We cannot assume that the needs of dairy cows are being put first, so the EU must take the lead and ensure that cows do not suffer."
The campaign is also getting a boost in publicity by CIWF patron Joanna Lumley, who said: “It’s our chance to say we don’t want to see our cows forced indoors, unable to graze in the summer fields, and to ask the EU to give them the protection they deserve. Other farm animals have specific laws, designed to guarantee a minimum welfare standard for them. Dairy cows don’t.”
However, a spokesperson for Dairy UK, said that UK cows already enjoyed high animal welfare standards under the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Scheme. He commented: “These high standards, which are kept constantly under review, are recognised by both Defra and the Food Standards Agency. So although the industry is always receptive to opportunities to develop and improve its standards, we do not consider further regulation to be necessary.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
