Animal Welfare development, approaches, policies and challenges in the Netherlands

1. Animal Welfare development, approaches, policiesand challenges in the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Directorate of Agriculture Division of Animal Welfare

2. Elements of presentation • developments in the Netherlands • Memorandum on Animal Welfare • approach: regulation, market and innovation • animal welfare issues for types of animals • international contributions ( Focus on farm animals )  Feel free to ask questions!!

3. Developments: society • humanisation of the animal; emotional and moral debate • lots of attention in the media • initiative of citizan to advocate against intensive pig/poultry farming • sector and retail moving forwards • still gap between citizan and consumer … but growing market for welfare friendly products?

5. Developments: politics (1) • Current regulation: poultry, calves, pigs, rabbits, ducks, turkeys, tranport, mutulations, stunning & killing • Last government: centre-right wing: • animal welfare balancing with economic implications • level playing field • Current government: centre left wing: • political party for animals in Parliament • animal welfare as stand alone issue

6. Developments: politics (2) Ambition of new government (overall formulated): • more stringent standards in Europe • innovations and investments in welfare friendly systems • stimulating consumer choice • more stringent penalties and sanctioning Memorandum on animal welfare (concrete formulated): • vision and position of government on animal welfare • published end of last year • discussed in Parliament januari 2008

7. Memorandum aw: general • long term goals & actions in the current government period • covers all types of animals (wild, pets, agriculture, circus, fish,…) • animal has intrinsic value (5 freedoms); humans have duty to treat animal with respect • responsability for society to work on solutions for animal welfare: producers, chain, retail, consumers (government assists)

8. Policy paper aw: pathways • Regulation • Market (retail and consumers) • Research and innovations

9. Policy paper aw: new regulation Principles: • level playing field (open market, mainly export) • solutions by parties in the society are always more effective than government intervention • responsibility for keeper of animals and stakeholders • role of government: safeguard minimum legal standards 1st) Ambition in Europe: • stringent standards for all animal categories (indicators) • ! castration of boars, laying hens, transport 2nd) Sector should take its responsability 3rd) National regulation

10. Policy paper aw: market • objective: consumers have sufficient knowledge, information and support to make responsible choices • consumers willing to pay 10-20% more for welfare friendly products: agreement in 2008 with sector and government for a higher segmentation for welfare friendly products • public campaigns to inform consumers and to stimulate sustainable consumption; target: 85% knows, 33% acts • labelling: preferably at European level for the higher segmentation; discussion between mandatory or voluntary

13. Policy paper aw: innovation & research • animal needs as guiding principle for housing desgins (integral with environmental needs) • target: 5% of all housing systems should be integral sustainable and welfare friendly in 2011 • good solutions for issues (e.g. castration, mutilations)

14. Example: pigs in ComfortClass • Agriculture sector and animal protection organisation adopt together a new welfare concept • Housing system focusing at the needs of the pig • Opposing parties join forces • An innovative pig facility

16. Issues animal welfare (focused on agriculture, pets not included) Concerns: chickens  pigs  cows • Chickens: • cages laying hens • growing speed • intensity stocking rate • Pigs: • castration without sedation • group housing sows • transportation (also for cows) • Cows: • outside grazing (also landscape) • lameness

17. Laying hens • 30 mln (65% export); 47% in cages, 34% barned, 19% free barned • Retail in NL: only alternative eggs • Eggs in processed food  Unilever sourcing cage free • Parliament: better alternative for the enriched cage • Beak trimming: still common practice (until 10 days), ban after 5 years, research

18. Broilers • 42 mln • intensive stocking density, but good score on management, dermatitis and mortality • broilers directive • genetic predisposition: how to tackle the fast growing rate?

19. Pigs • 11,4 mln (40% group housing) • Tail docking: common practice, ambition to stop • Wish to stop castration: no legal ban, but a technical sloution with support in the market • Retail: no pig meat from unsedated castrated pigs from 2009

20. Dairy and veal Veal • 1,3 mln; group housing; • floors: rubber mats when no straw from 2009 • transport • possibly more measures (on basis of research) Dairy • 1,4 mln; scale enlargement, 15% permanent in stable, mostly ligboxen • stimulans for outside grazing (also via market) • claw problems and mastitis

21. Stunning and killing of animals Implementation of EU Directive • ambition to go further • Revision of EU Directive Research to improve current methods and search for better methods • stunning methods for day-old-chicks, poultry and pigs (end 2008) • research to prevent the birth of male chickens & public support • consult organisations concerned about reversibel stunning of cattle ritual slaughter (mid 2009)

22. Transport • Export of 7 mln pigs/year, import of 700.000 calves/year • Mainly within a range of 8 hours, also long distance transport (Italy, Spain) • Public and political attention for incidents with transport Short term: national measures • More stringent measures and more inspection • Responsible role for the sector Long term: revision EU Transport regulation • Maximum of transport with 8 hours for slaughter animals • Standards for loading density and temperature • European database for tracking & tracing vehicles

23. International context (general) • NL export country in open and international market • WTO negociations. NL supports the Commission: balance between offensive and defensive interests • Sustainability in trade and care for conditions of production

24. International animal welfare Principles • care for animal welfare not restricted to NL / EU • ambition to improve animal welfare globally • also touches the issue of imports • science based (NL / EU not necessarily better!!!) • realistic and constructive (e.g. capacity building) • excluding protectionism • but distortion of competition could sometimes be an issue • still exploring the options…

25. International contributions (1) • Research animal welfare in 3rd countries: realistic and science based view (valuable for Parliament, sector and NGO’s). • EU: start of global dialogue for improving animal welfare and addressing concerns in trade • Working on international standards (in science and in global fora) • Animal welfare in bilateral agreements (e.g. preferential tariffs, FTA’s and APS)

26. International contributions (2) • Responsibility and effectiveness of measure taken by retail/industries (and role of NGO’s) • Animal welfare as a non-trade concerns in WTO a) using / exploring current possibilities within WTO b) including in TBT/SPS • Unilateral measures no preference a) possible when: concerns are indeed justified, other measures are taken, policy is coherent and consistent b) requests of Parliament could force governement

27. Animal welfare in OIE • moving forward fast • future: codes for farm animals? • role of science: collaborative centres?

28. Thank you for your attention