Strong international call to Sweden’s Minister for Rural Affairs: Protect the right of cows to graze

Swedish politicians and the dairy industry have recently begun questioning the legal requirement for cows in loose housing systems to have access to pasture. This change would affect approximately 80 % of cows in Sweden’s dairy factories. In response, 16 animal rights and animal welfare organizations in Europe have sent a joint letter to the Minister for Rural Affairs, Peter Kullgren, urging him to uphold the legal right of Swedish cows to graze. 
 
– Sweden’s animal welfare policies also play a significant role on the international stage, and the potential removal of the pasture requirement has caused widespread concern across Europe. For Sweden to maintain its standing as a player to be counted on in international animal welfare contexts, the Minister for Rural Affairs and the government must strengthen, rather than weaken, national animal welfare laws. Eliminating the legal pasture requirement would represent a step backwards in this regard, says Benny Andersson, CEO of Project 1882.     

In the joint letter, the organizations emphasize that removing Sweden’s pasture requirement would send a strong message to the EU that animal welfare is not a priority in the country. This move would be detrimental, not only to the cows confined indoors, but also to broader efforts to strengthen the animal welfare legislation across the EU and globally.  

Access to pasture is important for the welfare of cows, as recognised by numerous scientific studies. EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, stated in 2023 that cows should have access to pasture because of the animal welfare benefits. In the letter, the organizations urge Peter Kullgren to defend the Swedish pasture requirement in order to protect animal welfare and preserve Sweden’s important role in international animal welfare efforts. 

In addition to Project 1882, the letter is signed by animal rights and welfare organizations from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Finland, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Portugal, and by organizations that operate across several countries.