An Icelandic veterinarian wants to bring public awareness to the living conditions of egg hens and poultry in this country, and has created an organisation which encourages cruelty-free farming.
“Almost all the eggs produced in Iceland come from hens that spend their entire lives in cages,” Sif Traustadóttir told Vísir. “I think most consumers don’t realise how animals are treated in this country. I think they believe the situation is better than it is. We want to make people aware of the situation, and improve it.”
The newly-formed organisation she represents, Velbú, seeks to make Iceland a country of cruelty-free farming. While many, both at home and abroad, might believe that Iceland’s livestock live lives of pure idyll, Sif says that eggs, poultry and pork in this country are produced in the same factory-farm conditions one would find elsewhere in Europe.
The ultimate aim of Velbú is to raise awareness of this fact, and to encourage farmers to treat their animals better.
“In 2009, about 84,000 pigs and 4.6 million chickens were slaughtered,” a statement on the group’s website says in part. “This same year, each Icelander ate 20.5 kg of pork and 23.5 kg of poultry. These animals were for the most part raised in factory farms, where economic advantages take precedence over animal welfare. Better farming conditions will not change until consumers demand them.”
Apart from the previously linked home page of the group, you can also check out their Facebook page.
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