Cows in Sweden could lose their right to pasture access
Sweden is the only country in the world where cows older than 6 months (excluding bulls) must have the opportunity to graze outdoors in summer. However, this right is now under threat as farming associations attempt to cut costs.
The Swedish Farmers' Association and other organisations are challenging Sweden's unique mandatory pasture access requirement.
They argue that it makes animal husbandry in Sweden more expensive than in other EU countries and undermines competitiveness. The agricultural associations are calling for the abolition of this statutory requirement in order to give farmers the freedom to decide for themselves.
These demands have also been taken up by politicians. The Minister for Rural Affairs, Peter Kullgren, has commissioned an inquiry into “strengthening the competitiveness of food producers.” Peter Kullgren's party has on several occasions submitted a petition to the Riksdag calling for the grazing requirement to be removed from the legislation.
Pasture access is an important, natural behaviour for cows and contributes to their physical and mental wellbeing. The Swedish Agriculture Agency concluded in 2019 that the mandatory pasture requirement is too important for animal welfare and animal health to be abolished and replaced. The European Food Safety Authority also recommends in its most recent scientific opinion on dairy cows that pasture access should be mandatory.
This demand is also broadly supported by consumers. According to a survey, 84% of Swedes consider it important that animals are able to move freely outdoors. Another study found that an overwhelming majority of 95% believe it is important or very important that cows are allowed to go out to pasture.
Several animal protection groups, including our members Djurskyddet Sverige, Projekt 1882, Svenska Djurskyddsföreningen and World Animal Protection, have launched a petition in collaboration with Greenpeace to demand that Sweden's high standards for cows not be abolished.
At the end of March, the organizations held a protest in front of the Swedish Parliament, delivering more than 165’000 signatures to parliamentarians from six different parties. The campaign was also recently featured on a major Swedish radio programme, reaching a large national audience.
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