BILLA demands rapid system change in pig farming towards more animal welfare
“Fully slatted floors must be a thing of the past as soon as possible!” The discussions about improvements in the rearing of farm animals are ongoing. Even though the government passed a new legislative package at the beginning of May that provides for improvements in animal welfare, there is still a lot of room for improvement – especially in pig farming. Because fully slatted floors will remain in place for the time being.
On the farm of the Dirisamer family, there is plenty of room for the pigs to move around and straw to root in and rest on.
/ Copyright: REWE Group / Papis,
Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge
As Austria's first food retailer, BILLA is therefore calling for a rapid system change in pig farming towards more animal welfare and is actively campaigning for this.
“30 years ago, we at BILLA were the first retailer to successfully ban caged eggs from our shelves. Today, we must ensure that fully slatted floors are a thing of the past as quickly as possible and that subsidies only flow into farming systems with more animal welfare. Because fully slatted floors are absolutely outmoded and no longer correspond to the social consensus - they are an undesirable development that can be traced back to overly intensive farming and is co-financed by public funds,” explains Marcel Haraszti, REWE International AG Executive Board Member. “The abolition of full slatted floors must be our goal, but we can only achieve it together: Agriculture, politics, trade and consumers must each do their part. If there is currently discussion about 10-20% more space instead of full slatted floors, we consider this to be purely cosmetic. A real change in the system would only be achieved with an absolute minimum of 50% more space for pigs plus separate pens.”
“The abolition of full slatted floors must be our goal, but we can only achieve it together: Agriculture, politics, trade and consumers must each do their part.”
Marcel HarasztiExecutive Board Member REWE International AG
BILLA initiative “Fair zum Tier” guarantees straw instead of fully slatted floors as well as 100% more space for pigs
For years, BILLA has been committed to strengthening domestic agriculture and improving industry-wide animal husbandry standards. With the organic brand Ja! Natürlich, the “Fair zum Tier” (Fair to Animals) animal welfare label and the switch to 100 percent fresh meat, including chicken and turkey meat from Austria, BILLA has already set significant standards and made a clear commitment. In addition, BILLA launched the “Fair zum Tier” initiative in March 2022, which aims to further improve the living and husbandry conditions of domestic farm animals with the largest animal welfare range in Austria in the future and to establish standards that are significantly above the legal level.
“Through our 'Fair to Animals' initiative, fattening pigs have 100 per cent more space in the barn than required by law and outdoor access. They can occupy themselves with straw and have littered lying areas instead of fully slatted floors,” says Haraszti.
“Through our 'Fair to Animals' initiative, fattening pigs have 100 per cent more space in the barn than required by law and outdoor access.”
Marcel HarasztiExecutive Board Member REWE International AG
BILLA switches to high animal welfare standards at the service counter
The next step on the way to more animal welfare is already being implemented, explains Haraszti: “From October 2022, we will gradually switch our fresh meat in service at BILLA and BILLA PLUS to meat from animal welfare programmes from 'Fair zum Tier' and Ja! Natürlich (Yes! Of course). To this end, we are significantly expanding the 'Fair zum Tier' programme and thus fulfilling our customers' clear desire for animal welfare and regional origin.”
The BILLA family works together with around 170 local “Fair zum Tier” farms to guarantee the highest animal welfare. “Our thanks go to our 'Fair zum Tier' farmers, who want to consistently follow this path in terms of animal welfare together with us and our customers,” says Haraszti.
