A new photo exhibition at the European Parliament shows the cruelty of factory farming in Europe.
The exhibition titled “Factory Farming: Unveiling the Hidden Costs” runs from 24 to 27 March. It features strong and emotional images taken by 12 photojournalists across 13 EU countries.
The photos show animals in cages, dirty and crowded conditions, and the environmental damage caused by industrial farming. Infographics next to the images also highlight the impact on public health, rural communities, and nature.
The European Institute for Animal Law and Policy and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) organized the exhibition. Several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), including Tilly Metz, Manuela Ripa, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Michal Wiezik and Anja Hazekamp, are supporting the event.
Award-winning photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur from We Animals was a guest speaker at the launch event. “People in the EU demand change. These photographs are proof of the inherent cruelty in factory farming.”
“In factory farms, animals are turned into production machines,” Olga Kikou, director of advocacy at The European Institute of Animal Law & Policy, said. “Animals have no contact with the outdoors, are fed human-edible crops and are often sick.”
Isabel Paliotta, policy officer for Sustainable Food Systems at EEB, added: “As this exhibition illustrates, we’re sold a myth about animal farming in Europe. Today’s industrialized model of animal rearing not only imposes needless suffering on billions of animals. But it is also wreaking havoc on our ecosystems and rolling the dice with public health.”
European Institute for Animal Law & Policy
The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy, based in Brussels, is the first think-and-do tank focused on animal law and policy.
The organization works to improve the protection of animals across Europe. It promotes a vision of a world where animals are no longer exploited but recognized and treated as sentient beings deserving care and respect.
The EEB is the largest network of environmental organizations in Europe, bringing together over 185 member groups from 41 countries. Together, they represent around 30 million individual members and supporters.
End the Cage Age
The ‘End the Cage Age‘ European Citizens’ Initiative collected 1.4 million verified signatures from across the EU. It remains the only initiative that led the European Commission to commit to fulfilling all its demands.
However, the Commission did not propose a ban on cages by the 2023 deadline. This prompted Kikou and six other organizers to take legal action against the Commission.
The exhibition calls for a more compassionate and sustainable farming system in Europe.
