Marking a great milestone for European cows

A whopping 293,511 of our supporters in Europe have spoken up for improved dairy cow welfare. In fact, Andrea Gavinelli, Head of the Animal Welfare Unit at the European Union (EU) described the total of signatures as “unprecendented” on his twitter feed:

Currently, there are no specific rules in place to protect dairy cows’ specific needs, unlike pigs, hens and most other farm animals. It’s estimated that 10 million cows are currently suffering from issues such as cramped living conditions, a poor diet, health problems and inadequate care. We believe they would benefit from the protection of an EU Directive, which would harmonize standards and create a level playing field for farmers. 

The coalition met with the EU Commission in Brussels, Belgium, to highlight concerns over varying levels of dairy cow welfare in Europe. The meeting was positive and productive - with opportunities for driving improvements across the dairy industry identified and discussed. 

Presenting the signatures in the form of the artwork was also a big success – the names of cow campaigners from every country in the European Union immortalized in a bold, 12 m long canvas piece that portrays one of the campaign’s key objectives: contented cows with access to pasture and a high welfare environment. 

The Supporting Better Dairy campaign is one of World Animal Protection's many campaigns to improve the welfare of farm animals. In North America, we are focused on helping the three hundred million hens suffering - squeezed into cages so small they can’t stretch their wings or even turn around. 

As we have seen with cows in Europe, creating change is possible. As numbers grow for Choose Cage Free in the US, more and more retailers, restaurants and institutions will take notice.