For #WorldDayForFarmedAnimals, the Animal Justice Project looked at the latest government statistics that show how the livestock industry is changing. In a document named ‘Agriculture in the UK 2020’, which is released every year, has some disturbing numbers but also some positives! Watch…
CHICKEN ‘MEAT’
The ‘broiler’, or ‘broiler’ chicken, makes up the majority of the animal species raised both in the UK and around the world. With the popularity of white meat, especially chicken, on the rise, as it is considered a healthier option than red meats – clear industry propaganda – The number of chickens raised and killed has understandably increased. From 2018 to 2019, production fell by 29,000,000 but in 2020 it has increased again to 1,149,000,000 – almost 1.15 MILLION CHICKEN!
Despite this heartbreaking number, another poultry industry is not doing so well…
DUCKS & GEESE
Over the past few years, the duck and swan industry has remained relatively stable with about 14-15 million birds produced and slaughtered each year. But 2020 has seen More than 20% DISCOUNT in production!
In 2020, 11 million ducks and geese are killed in the UK, down from 14 million in 2019.
Did the Animal Justice Project’s investigative work have any impact? With TWO undercover investigations underway inside the UK’s largest duck producer, Gressham Foods, 2019 and Year 2020, we sincerely hope that we have influenced consumers to never buy into this brutal and barbaric industry again.
We must do everything in our power to keep these numbers on a downward trajectory!
MILK & EGGS
The number of dairy herds in the United Kingdom has not changed much in a few years. Even so, from 2019 to 2020, the number of dairy cows is less than 12,000 heads. The good news is that this is balanced by a higher milk yield per cow. Effective, each cow is forced to produce more and more milk; This is a fact that you will never see on dairy product packaging. The overall value of the dairy industry has declined.
There was a drop of 1.78 million laying hens in the same time period: First drop since 2015! Egg production has fallen 2.1%, although the value of the industry has actually increased. This is largely due to fewer caged eggs being produced, although millions of hens in the UK are still kept in cages. And as we all know, ‘free-range’ and ‘free-range’ hens have equally short and terrible lives. There are just under 40 million laying hens in the UK, with around half being ‘free-range’. It’s not time to stop using cages, It’s time to end the violent and abusive egg industry!
BENEFITS, BEEF & BROKEN
Just like the dairy industry, the UK beef herd has remained relatively stable over the past few years, currently standing at 1.5 million head in 2020. Although this is the number of ‘meat’ cows in the UK at any one time. Anyway, the number killed in the year is higher. Last year, 2,854,000 animals were killed for beef and veal. This is an industry worth almost £3 BILLION!
The greatest demand for ‘beef’ products is minced meat, burgers and steaks. Thankfully, incredible vegan alternatives are available in the market and more beef products are coming out every week! With huge environmental impacts and more listening consumers, we hope that the beef industry will collapse soon!
PIG
The disappointing news is that the pig industry killed more pigs last year than it did in 2019. More than 10 million pigs will be slaughtered in 2020. The pig industry has been largely affected by Covid-19, as demand for ‘pork’ products increased with producers losing their export licenses to China.
Along with the pandemic, Brexit has caused great turmoil for pig farmers. With fewer farm and abattoir workers and HGV drivers, there is already a ‘surplus’ of pigs waiting to be slaughtered on UK farms. It became the national media when needed ‘destroying’ tens of thousands of pigs on farms, who were destined for the slaughterhouse. Coupled with a shortage of carbon dioxide – a gas used to ‘stun’ and kill pigs in slaughterhouses – it will be interesting to see how this has affected the 2021 figures so far.
SHEEP & LAMBS
Sheep farming has recently enjoyed great success: due to Brexit, proposals to ban raw meat exports and Covid-19. From the government report, it is clear that what has sustained the retail volume of ‘lamb’ is the take away industry. Kebabs, which are mostly made from lamb or lamb, are also pressed out with cheaper veal.
The total size of the UK sheep herd has decreased and the number of animals killed has decreased by 358,000 in just one year. With the uncertainty of live exports and cuts to foreign trade due to Brexit, the sheep industry could face a dire future!
In some livestock farming industries, more animals are produced than ever before, but in others they are decreasing. Despite the dramatic rise of vegan and plant-based diets, it is clear that this is not enough to combat these cruel and destructive industries. So what now? We must continue to investigate, advocate and show consumers where their ‘food’ really comes from, and that a kinder, more compassionate lifestyle is possible.
The Animal Justice Project has such dedicated and generous supporters and we want to empower you to continue to be with us in this fight for animal liberation. Together, we can make a huge difference to animals.
As always,
For animals.
