Campaigning against

battery cages in the Netherlands

A presentation for ENFAP

Geert Laugs, London 18 May 2011

Dutch egg industry is the fifth biggest in Europe

Production equals Germany and outnumbers UK

The housing of Dutch laying hens is untypical in Europe:

• 40% of hens still live in cages

• 60% in non-cage systems, mainly in barns, called ‘Scharrel’’ - eggs

In the early 70’s

Dutch industry proudly showed battery cages at agricultural exhibitions

Campaigns against battery cages started almost immediately

Groups:

Rechten voor al wat leeft

Lekker Dier

Dierenbescherming

They started to create and promote an alternative immediately:

This was called ‘Scharrelei’ (root-egg)

intensive, non cage indoor system, but an

attractive name to consumers

Biggest supermarket stopped selling battery eggs already in the 90’s

steady growth of market share, even before the cage ban

Compassion started campaigning in the Netherlands for the EU-ban of battery cages in 1998

The Dutch government supported the ban in 1999

We campaigned suppermarkets late 1999, early 2000

Industry started to adapt

Supermarkets stopped selling battery eggs in 2005

Our campaigns continued, targeting the EU and to support government in staying on our side

At the moment our campaign targets Poland (and EU) only

We monitor the Dutch gvt and are ready for action if needed

19 april demo in The Hague, meeting with embassy official;

“Yes, Poland would like a delay, but it accepts with regret that there will be no majority. So the ban is implemented in Polish law”

‘Boerderij’(Agricultural weekly) photo-report:

http://www.boerderij.nl/10115392/Pluimveehouderij/video-foto-pluimveehouderij/Demonstreren-tegen-uitstel-kooiverbod.htm

Agricultural newspaper report 21 May.

2220 signatures collected via: www.ciwf.nl, and …..

…. Campaign postcards

2010 figures:

33,7 million laying hens in the Netherlands

40% cage (enriched, Kleingruppenhaltung-colony and traditional)

44% barn

13% free range

3% organic

approx 100 (10%) farms may not be ready before January (though not unwilling as they say)

Government makes a strong stand nationally and in the EU:

“cages and marketing of cage-eggs illegal”

“EU should not export abandoned cages”

A new system:

Newly designed, based on needs of animals, farmer and environment:

an intensive, but high welfare system (rated 3-star by Dutch SPCA)

30.000 free range hens on 1 farm, in 6 segments

3 zones (night, days, outdoor)

no debeaking needed/practised

sold and marketed via Albert Heijn (biggest supermarket)