Wants Animal Welfare Certification System For Meat

An animal welfare organisation wants to create a certification system for meat that would attest to the animal’s treatment while on the farm.

While numerous news stories about the poor treatment of domestic animals intended for meat production have received considerable attention, RÚV reports, there is currently no way for consumers to know for certain that the meat they buy comes from animals raised in good, or at least legal, conditions. This is something to Animal Protection Association of Iceland (DÍS) wants to change.

The association’s director, Hallgerður Hauksdóttir, told reporters they are looking to examples already in place in Holland, Britain and Denmark. Such a certification system, she said, would “expand people’s choices so that they can know how the animals they consume have been treated, which isn’t possible today.”

The idea has the approval of both the Consumers’ Association of Iceland and the Farmers Association of Iceland.

“We really have to consider if we need to eat less meat, and mind the animals we are raising for this purpose better,” Hallgerður said.