Download A plea for CAP aid to enhance the welfare of dairy calves

The dairy industry is still refusing to accept full responsibility for the calves it produces as milk by-products, and the general public has not yet been made sufficiently aware of the extent of their distress. The dairy industry is abandoning its dairy veal calves to the veal sector, a dismal sector of animal production.

The plea for CAP aid to improve the welfare of dairy veal calves adresses first the conditions in which these veal calves are fattened. This also raises questions about the coherence to be found between milk and meat production.

The plea then goes on to present the research underway to enable contact to be maintained between the cow and her calf.

The aim is to overcome the denial of the maternal bond. Our species shares the biology of the mammalian maternal bond with the dairy cow, whose calf is taken away from her after a laborious and painful birth, sometimes after the first feedings.

But a calf is not the same as an apple falling from a tree.

Countless generations of farmers have done this, and modern industry is intensifying it. While young mothers easily understand that there is a problem here, most farmers and other professionals who work with cows and milk are equipped with a mental shell that refutes doubts and painful questioning. For them, “producing milk” is a noble profession in the service of humanity. And this profession that they have learned and that has been passed down from generation to generation is considered by others to be in denial of maternal love? It’s difficult. Let’s pay tribute to all those pioneers who are trying to find solutions. They need financial support, support from the CAP. It’s a question of the dignity of human society.

To find out more about the price of milk (which makes a mockery of animals) see Fondation pour la nature et l’homme (French only) :

Éleveurs et consommateurs, grands perdants de la hausse des prix des produits laitiers