Miguel Ángel Higuera, director of Anprogapor, participated in a round table on animal welfare and economic profitability within an event held in Brussels
Yesterday the event organized by the Belgian Presidency on animal welfare “Call to care for animal welfare” took place in Brussels, where Miguel Ángel Higuera, director of Anprogapor, represented the Cogeca Cup (Brussels) as Chair of the Animal Health and Welfare Working Group. The round table was titled “Animal welfare and economic profitability”, and in addition to Miguel Ángel Higuera, Andrea Gavinelli, head of the Animal Welfare Unit, Directorate of Preparedness for Food, Animal and Plant Crises, DG SANTE; Reineke Hameleers, CEO of Eurogroup for Animals; Andrea Rusman, Head of Food Transition at The Impact Institute; and Nadine Buys, Vice President of the Flemish Council AW – Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven. The event focused on how improving animal welfare in the EU can be balanced with the profitability of farms.
The research institute “Food Transition at the impact Institute” has been hired by Eurogroup for Animals for its own study on the economic impact of future welfare regulations in Europe. Although Copa Cogeca also has an in-depth study on the matter, carried out by three prestigious European universities, none of them were invited to the round table to evaluate the economic impact of animal welfare.
Miguel Ángel Higuera commented on the impact of animal welfare on EU livestock production and the cost of production, highlighting that excessive legislative pressure could lead to a loss of European production, which would then be replaced by imports with lower standards. He also emphasized that an increase in animal welfare standards directly affects the cost of production, potentially impacting farmers’ decision to continue with their activities.
On the topic of increasing meat prices, the director of Eurogroup for Animals clarified that while meat prices need to rise, the aim should be to provide high-quality protein to the population without making it unaffordable for consumers. Miguel Ángel Higuera echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of ensuring food affordability for all social categories and advocating against policies that would make meat or dairy products unaffordable for many.
One of the key challenges highlighted during the event was the need for the population to have a better understanding of the care for farm animals and the daily efforts made by farmers. The latest Eurobarometer revealed that while 84% of European citizens want more welfare for farm animals, only 6% have been in contact with them. This emphasizes the need for better communication about the daily efforts and hard work made for animal welfare, biosecurity, and environmental and economic sustainability.
The round table in Brussels provided valuable insights into the complex interplay between animal welfare and economic profitability, shedding light on the challenges and potential solutions in this domain.