165,076 voices raised for cows’ right to graze – signatures handed over to the Swedish Parliament

At the heart of the campaign is the so-called “grazing requirement”, a long-standing regulation in Sweden mandating that cows have a right to graze outdoors in summer, which is under threat due to a government-appointed inquiry aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of Swedish food producers. Despite scientific evidence on the importance of grazing for cows, and despite several surveys showing strong political support for outdoor access for animals, the inquiry suggests that the grazing requirement for cows in loose housing systems should be removed. 

At the time of the handover, 165,076 people had signed the "Jag vill beta (“I want to graze”) petition to preserve and enhance the current grazing requirement. Moving forward with the proposal to abolish it would be a setback, primarily for the animals affected, but also for the environment, open landscapes, biodiversity and consumer trust in Swedish animal welfare. 

− Removing the grazing requirement would have devastating consequences for the animals. We see strong public support for preserving cows’ rights to graze, which Swedish politicians must listen to, said Sebastian Wiklund, Director of Public Affairs at Project 1882, who attended the handover. 

Project 1882 had previously presented the signatures from the "Jag vill beta" (“I want to graze”) campaign to the Swedish Minister of Rural Affairs, Peter Kullgren. This time, the appeal was instead addressed to all parties in Parliament. The handover took place during a meeting at the Parliament building, with representatives from all parties invited. Members of the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Green Party, the Centre Party, the Sweden Democrats and the Liberals participated whilst the Moderate Party and the Christian Democrats abstained. 

At the same time, a public demonstration was held at Mynttorget, where over 50 people had gathered to demand not only the preservation of the current grazing right but also its extension to include bulls and calves. In addition to representatives from Project 1882 and other organizations involved in the campaign, members of the public, politicians and media were also present. 

− The right to graze is essential for the welfare of cows, and we must work to strengthen it. More, not fewer, animals should have the right to graze, said Cissi Krantz, Campaign Coordinator at Project 1882, who attended the demonstration.

The inquiry’s report is currently out for public consultation, with a deadline of April 1. After that, it will be up to the government to decide which proposal to move forward with. Among the proposals are several threats to Swedish animal welfare–issues that Project 1882 will raise in its official response. The hope is that these proposals, including the one to remove the grazing requirement, will be thrown in the trash where they belong.