webinarFriday,June 30,2023 9:00-11:00UTC(18:00-20:00 JST)
Hearing about the EU’s Historical
Change
to Animal Welfare Livestock Production
Animal Welfare Food Community Japan
webinar
The EU transition to cage-free animal farming following citizens’ calls
Where is Japan heading?
Language:Japanese and English(Bilingual attendance is available
- Speaker
- Dr. Olga Kikou
Head of Compassion in World Farming EU - Introduction of the Speaker
- Prof. Miki Ueki
Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University - Date and time
- Friday, June 30, 2023
9:00-11:00 UTC (18:00-20:00 JST) - Method
- webinar
- Language
- Japanese and English(Bilingual attendance is available
- Organizer
- Animal Welfare Food Community Japan(AWFCJ)
web site - Registration
- Peatix click
- Participation Fee
- Free
Recommended
for peole
- Interests
- people who are interested in sustainability of food and agriculture
- People who are interested i n farm animal welfare
- Involved
- People involved in livestock production and distribution
- People involved in the export of livestock products to the EU.
- People involved in policy making for sustainable food procurement in business and government.
Benefits of the event
Speaker
Dr. Olga Kikou
Head of Compassion in World Farming EU
Olga Kikou is Head of the EU office of Compassion in World Farming, an international organisation with offices and representatives in many European countries, the US, China and South Africa, dedicated to improving farm animal welfare, ending industrial animal agriculture and achieving sustainable food and farming. Holding a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts and having worked in international organisations in the non-profit sector, in research and planning, she became involved in raising awareness of the importance of citizen participation. Having managed the Volunteer Programme for the Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games, she steered her efforts to advocacy work. Olga has a long-time involvement in animal advocacy and is currently informing the EU Institutions on key EU interests concerning the interlinked areas of farm animal welfare, food and farming, and raising the profile of these issues on the policy making agenda. She also engages with civil society organisations and other stakeholders, exploring synergies and developing joint strategies to influence policy in the interest of citizens in the above areas. Olga is substitute representative of the Citizens’ Committee for the End The Cage Age ECI.
Event Outline
Major Turning Point of EU Livestock Production
The 21st century is an era of rapid change: the spread of information technology, the advances in artificial intelligence, Digital Transformation, the shift to electric vehicles, decarbonization, and so on. In the EU, livestock industry is also undergoing a major transformation, which you will experience once in a generation or not.
European citizens support ”End the Cage Age"
Symbolic of this is the success of the European Citizens' Initiative called ”End the Cage Age.” The European Citizens' Initiative(ECI) was initiated in 2012 to allow citizens' voices to be heard in EU policy. If an ECI is supported by more than one million valid votes in at least seven EU member states, it will be able to call on the European Commission to propose new laws. “End the Cage Age” aims to end the era of livestock animals confined in "cruel and unnecessary" cages. “End the Cage Age” received 1.4 million valid votes in the year from September 11, 2018 to September 11, 2019, far exceeding the stipulation.
Livestock Cages to be Eliminated in EU
In response, on June 30, 2021, the EU Commission made a historic commitment to phase out the use of cages for livestock throughout the EU. Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, stated “Our commitment is clear: the phasing out of cages for farm animals will be part of our actions under the Farm to Fork strategy and lead to more sustainable farming and food systems.” By the end of 2023, the EU Commission will propose legislation to phase out and eventually ban cages throughout the EU. The legislation will take effect in 2027. This is truly a revolution in livestock industry in the EU. But it has not even been in the news in Japan. An objective of this seminar is to communicate the ongoing livestock revolution in the EU to Japan.
Interview with Dr. Olga Kikou, CIWF EU Head
Dr. Olga Kikou, the head of Compassion in World Farming EU, the international NGO that led the successful "End the Cage Age" campaign, will speak at the event. How was the year-long campaign successfully carried out? What are the background for many EU citizens to support the huge change? What is the current status of the ECI? “End the Cage Age” aims to prohibit the use of: cages for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, quail, ducks and geese; farrowing crates for sows; sow stalls, where not already prohibited; individual calf pens, where not already prohibited.
Animal Welfare Food Community Japan(AWFCJ)
Animal Welfare Food Community Japan
web site
The livestock production in Europe and the United States have been promoting a shift from factory farming style agriculture to a producing system that ensures Animal Welfare, and the Five Freedom of livestock. In response to these changes in the international situation, AWFCJ was established in 2016, as a place to raise the level of animal welfare in Japan and to promote it by bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, including producers, food and distribution companies, researchers, animal advocates, and consumers, to share knowledge and information.