Published 30/05/2019

We’ve hit a million!

As of today, one million EU citizens have signed the End the Cage Age European Citizens Initiative (ECI); the biggest ever political push for farm animal welfare. 

A Continent stands up against cruelty 

We joined forces with over 170 other animal welfare and environmental organisations across the EU to launch the #EndTheCageAge ECI, to bring an end to the use of cages for farm animals across Europe.

Emma Slawinski, our Director of Campaigns and Communications says: “This is a huge victory. It is the largest win for farm animal welfare, ever. Not only that, it is the largest coalition that has been brought about in the name of farm animal welfare. We are phenomenally proud of this collaborative effort."  

Putting a million EU citizens on the map

The cruelty of cage farming 

Over 300 million pigs, hens, rabbits, ducks and quail are imprisoned in cages across the EU. Most cages are barren, cramped, and deny the animals space to move freely. The #EndTheCageAge ECI could bring about a seismic shift in our food and farming system, with the potential to benefit hundreds of millions of farm animals a year in Europe, by sparing them a life of suffering. This would be a monumental step on the path towards ending factory farming.  

“Of all the terrible contraptions used to control animals, the cage is one of the worst” says Sean Gifford, our Head of Campaigns. “It is high time we evolved past such cruelty and put a stop to the primitive and barbaric practice of keeping farm animals behind bars - a life spent in a cage is no life at all.” 

We need your help

The fight to get farm animals out of cages isn’t over. We need to continue collecting signatures to ensure the EU parliament understand just how important this matter is.  

If you are an EU citizen, you want to end the use of cages in farming and you haven’t signed yet, please sign and share the #EndTheCageAge ECI.