Straw and pigs: 92% urgently demand better animal husbandry!

Straw and pigs: 92% urgently demand better animal husbandry!

The focus is on animal welfare in pig farming, particularly the urgent demand for mandatory straw bedding. Loud EcoNews An impressive 92% of the population support this initiative, which is particularly pushed by the Association Against Animal Factories (VGT). In a comprehensive campaign, the VGT sent packages with straw to important political decision-makers in order to clarify their responsibility in the context of the upcoming changes to the Animal Welfare Act.

The association makes it clear that straw not only improves the quality of life of pigs by giving them soft places to lie down and offers opportunities for manipulation, but also brings health benefits. The straw bedding helps reduce inhalation of harmful ammonia gases from the manure pit. A decision on the new regulations on fully slatted floors and straw bedding is expected by the end of May 2025, as the repeal of the existing regulation of the Constitutional Court (VfGH) comes into force on June 1st.

The role of the Constitutional Court

In its judgment, the Constitutional Court made it clear that the 17-year transition period for keeping pigs in unstructured, fully slatted pens is viewed as unreasonably long. From June 1, 2025, the provision in the Animal Welfare Act that set this deadline will no longer be in force. The aim of the change in the law, which was passed in the National Council, is to ban unstructured full-slatted pens in pig farming from 2040 in order to promote more animal-friendly farming conditions.

The preference is for the ban without exceptions, which has been in effect for all new systems since January 1, 2023. According to the VfGH, these measures are intended to increase the pressure on pig farming and sustainably improve conditions. The VGT chairman DDr. Martin Balluch emphasizes that the current regulations only affect unstructured, fully slatted floors without a transition period and that binding regulations on straw bedding and more space for the animals are essential.

A growing awareness

The VGT reports a growing public awareness of fully slatted flooring as an example of animal cruelty, a topic that was little known until 2019. Protests against this practice have increased significantly in recent years. There have already been 467 protest actions in 2024, and 99 more activities are planned by June 1, 2025. These figures illustrate the social pressure on political decision-makers to take appropriate measures on animal husbandry.

The VGT's demands, which include double space per animal and mandatory straw bedding for all pig farms by 2033, have received clear support from public opinion. According to a Eurobarometer survey from 2023, the majority of the population is in favor of implementing these measures, which signals the need for further action to those responsible in politics.

In this situation, it is crucial that political decision-makers react quickly and push forward the necessary changes to animal protection law. Animal welfare is the responsibility of politicians, and public pressure could be crucial to ending outdated pig farming practices.