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The Hidden Cost of Factory Farming
Pig Business : Time for Change

EU Parliament, Brussels, 9th February 2011

bove at eu event

On February 9th 2011, Pig Business organised a screening and debate at the EU Parliament with the aim of informing politicians, commissioners, councillors and their advisers about the negative impacts of industrial farming on people, pigs and the planet with suggested solutions.

In Attendance were over 280 MEPs (including those on the agriculture and environment committees), commissioners, political advisors, industry insiders, press and NGO representatives.

Event Resources

Presentations and Debate Video Footage


Event Description

Sponsored by three MEPs:

  • Janusz Wojciechowski MEP (European Conservatives and Reformists)
  • Jose Bove MEP (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance)
  • Dan Jorgensen MEP (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

Agenda:

  • Introduction – Tracy Worcester, director and producer
  • Screening of Pig Business – 15:00 – 16:00
  • Presentations and debates – 16:00 – 18:00

Speakers at this event:

  • Economic and social costs – MEP José Bové / René Louail – Farmer / Gerard Choplin – Food Sov Cap
  • Environmental costs – MEP Dan Jorgensen / Mute Schimpf – FOE Europe / Antje Koelling – IFOAM EU Group
  • Human and animal health – MEP Janusz Wojciechowski / Peter Stevenson – Compassion in World Farming / Prof. Dr. Hab. Robert Karczmarczyk, Department of Epizootiology / Coilin Nunan – Antibiotics adviser to the Soil Association

Though members of NGOs might choose to follow their own NGOs recommended legislative changes, our event focused on Pig Business’ ‘6 Big Asks’:

  1. Recognise that the profitability of factory farming depends on externalising its true costs onto the broader community.
  2. Ensure the Common Agricultural Policy post 2013 moves European agriculture away from industrial livestock production to sustainable, humane and autonomous forms of animal husbandry. So make more money available and make it mandatory for member states to take up the subsidies to move farmers from intensive to extensive farming methods.
  3. Ensure better enforcement and strengthening of the existing EU Directive on the welfare of pigs.
  4. Introduce mandatory method of production labelling.
  5. Introduce a ban on routine prophylactic use of antibiotics.
  6. Ensure local, national and EU public bodies only source locally or nationally produced high welfare pork.

Looking forward:

Janusz Wojciechowski has invited us to support a declaration on the CAP reforms that will call for an end to subsidies that support industrial farming, increased support for traditional, small and medium scale farmers, as well as legislation to introduce mandatory method of production labelling on pork products.

This declaration is currently in its draft stages. When formalized, we will be looking to form a broad coalition of NGOs who are willing to ask thier members to write to thier MEPs to urge them to sign up and thereby support the necessary amendments to the CAP

On March 9th 2011, we will be holding another screening and debate on Capitol Hill (Washington, D.C., USA), with a special guest speaker, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For further information please click here.