animal welfare

Animal welfare is severely compromised by the conditions of intensive animal farming. Overcrowding does not allow for normal behaviour or normal growth patterns. Animals are routinely separated from their young; they develop deformities due to inappropriate housing and poor farming practices (such as tail docking or beak clipping); and are fed unnaturally. Calves for veal, for example, are given feed deficient in iron and fibre to make the animals anemic, thus producing whiter meat.

Cramped conditions provide the perfect breeding ground for disease. Sick and "healthy" animals alike are fed cocktails of drugs and antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to facilitate production [1]. Live animal export subsidies in the CAP also result in horrific treatment of animals during transport out of and within the EU [2].

15% of the CAP budget is spent on supporting beef and veal production. In 2001 10,7 Billion Euro of CAP budget was given to producers of animal products. Although poultry and pig producers are not eligible for direct income support from the CAP, they profit from low cereal prices (since the 1992 CAP reforms) and from cheap duty free imports of soya and other animal feed. Poultry and pig producers also profit from direct export subsidies.

[1] Dr Tim O'Brien "Factory Farming: The Global Threat" Hants, Compassion in World Farming Trust, 1998.
[2] Eurogroup for Animal Welfare Campaign Information "Live Animal Transport" available online.