Cows’ grazing rights secured – for now
At a press conference on Friday, just one day before Project 1882 hosted Sweden’s largest demonstration for cows’ rights, the government announced that the grazing requirement will remain in place for the current parliamentary term. Project 1882 welcomes the decision but stresses that the requirement should not only be preserved – it should also be expanded to include calves and bulls.
– It is encouraging that the government is putting this issue on hold, but there are no guarantees that the grazing requirement will not come under threat again. The minister’s statement leaves the door open for cows to be confined after next year’s election, says Benny Andersson, CEO of Project 1882.
More than 175,000 people have signed the "Jag vill beta” (“I want to graze”) petition, organised by Project 1882 together with several other organisations. This reflects the strong and widespread public support for animals’ right to natural behaviours.
– Public opinion has clearly made an impact on the government, but the threat to grazing rights is not over, says Benny Andersson.
The recently presented governmental review of competitiveness in animal production contains, beyond the risk to grazing rights, several proposals that undermine animal welfare. Economic interests are being prioritised over the well-being of animals. Meanwhile, the review overlooked serious concerns, such as cage confinement, fur farming, and the use of carbon dioxide stunning in pigs – despite strong public opposition to these practices.
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