The UK government’s move to ban enriched colony cages within 6 years has been criticised by farming organisations.
In a consultation that opened in mid-January, Defra said it was seeing views on proposed amendments to the legislation which would see:
- A ban on building or bringing into operation for the first time any enriched colony cage system for laying hens from 2027.
- A ban on the use of existing conventional ‘battery’ cages for laying hens with fewer than 350 birds from next year.
- A ban on the use of existing enriched colony cages for all scale of production, including any other caged systems used for pullets and breeder layers by 2032.
Whilst enriched ‘colony’ cages are an improvement on conventional ‘battery’ cages, they still do not fully provide for the physical and behavioural needs of laying hens. Photo: Michel Zoeter
The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) said that the government had not committed to equivalent bans on imported shell eggs, egg products and finished goods containing eggs. It added that the move was going to provide little welfare gains for hens.
Nick Allen, BEIC chief executive, said: “We urge the government, if it wishes to ban enriched cages, to make a clear and unequivocal commitment to fair trade, and to support UK farmers. Products that would be illegal to produce in the UK must be illegal to import and sell here.”
Allen added that UK consumers can already make informed purchasing decisions, with egg production systems clearly marked on packs and on the eggs.
Choice and affordability
The National Farmers’ Union reiterated its disappointment that Defra’s animal welfare strategy fails to acknowledge the important role enriched colony cage systems play in providing consumers with choice and access to an affordable source of protein.
“Animal welfare is a top priority for poultry producers and livestock farmers, who already go beyond the bare minimum and work to strict legal and assurance scheme standards to care for their animals,” said NFU president Tom Bradshaw. “Britain’s reputation for high standards is something the public values and rightly expects.”
He added: “If the government wants to raise domestic animal welfare standards further by phasing out colony cage systems across the laying hen sector, then it must take steps to ensure consumers are protected from imported food that could be produced to lower standards, and that British farmers are not asked to compete with imports produced at those lower standards which would be illegal here.”
The NFU, he noted, has long called for a set of core standards for food imported into the UK. “It must meet the same production standards as asked of our farmers. It is what the British people expect and it’s time a system of core standards was properly established in UK law. Otherwise, we simply offshore production to jurisdictions we have no control over and expose the resilience of our domestic food system while at the same time undermining farmers.”
Widespread best practice and public opinion
But Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government had taken the measures following advice from the independent Animal Welfare Committee: “We are committed to improving the lives of farm animals and to supporting farmers to produce food sustainably, profitably and to the high standards consumers expect. British consumers want high animal welfare standards, and these measures reflect those values, creating healthier livestock and high welfare food production.”
A Defra statement added: “Enriched ‘colony’ cage eggs supply just over 20% of the UK shell egg production. These cages heavily restrict the movement of British laying hens with up to 80 birds are in each cage, with each bird having space that is no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. With the UK’s leading retailers, from Sainsbury’s to Aldi, already committed to not selling eggs produced from cage systems and widespread public support, the move announced today is in line with widespread best practice and public opinion,” it added.
Compassion in World Farming UK, as the as the RSPCA, which has been campaigning on the issues of cages for more than 50 years, welcomed the consultation. David Bowles, Head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA, said: “The announcement of this long-awaited consultation is a huge step forward for animal welfare, and we are urging the public to make their voices heard during this 8-week consultation period so we move closer to a cage-free future for farmed animals in the UK.”
The consultation closes on 9 March.
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>> In 1999, conventional ‘battery’ cages for laying hens (for keepers with 350 or more birds) were banned throughout the EU, including in the UK, but with a 12-year transition period to 1 January 2012 before the ban came into full effect. Due to the small size and barren environment, conventional ‘battery’ cages severely compromised the welfare of laying hens. However, this ban only targeted commercial scale producers and so keepers with fewer than 350 laying hens were excluded. Whilst enriched ‘colony’ cages are an improvement on conventional ‘battery’ cages, they still do not fully provide for the physical and behavioural needs of laying hens. The enriched ‘colony’ cage system restricts choice, preventing access to the ground and other levels, and limiting the ability to run, flap wings, dustbathe or forage. |
