For thousands of animals raised every day, life begins and ends in a space where moving, exploring and following natural behaviors becomes impossible. Now a popular initiative bill aims to change this scenario: 62,498 citizens have signed to ask Italy to ban the use of cages on farms.
The signatures, certified on the platform of the Ministry of Justice, were officially delivered to the Senate. The collection, which started in March and ended on 14 September, exceeded the quorum required by Italian law to bring a popular proposal to the attention of Parliament.
The initiative was promoted by the Ère Animali association through the “Empty Gabbies” campaign, supported by various animal rights groups including Animal Equality, Animal Law Italia, Animalisti Italiani, CIWF Italia, Enpa, Humane World for Animals Italia, LAV, LNDC Animal Protection, OIPA and The Good Lobby.
Now the proposal will have to be assigned to the competent parliamentary commission, which will have to start the legislative process
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Over 40 million animals raised in cages every year
According to estimates reported by the promoting associations, in Italy every year there are over 40 million animals raised in cage systems, including approximately:
The topic mainly concerns animal welfare: according to associations, animals confined in narrow spaces cannot express fundamental natural behaviors, such as moving freely, nesting, digging or socializing. All conditions that can cause chronic stress, frustration and physical problems, aspects that have also been the subject of scientific evaluations by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The European precedent: the request to overcome cages
The battle to overcome cages does not only concern Italy. Between 2018 and 2020, 1.4 million European citizens signed the European Citizens’ Initiative “End the Cage Age”, calling on the European Commission to introduce a ban on cage farming.
The Commission had announced its intention to present a legislative proposal by 2023, but the path has not yet reached definitive European legislation. According to Simone Montuschi, president ofessereanimali, Italy should intervene without waiting any longer for the European framework, following the example of previous national decisions on animal welfare, such as the ban on fur farming.
The countries that have already started the process
In Europe several states have already introduced or planned restrictions on the use of cages. For sows, for example, Sweden has already introduced a ban, while Denmark, Austria, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands have envisaged transition paths with deadlines between 2035 and 2040.
For laying hens, however, conventional cages have been banned by European legislation since 2012. Some countries have chosen to go further: Austria and Luxembourg have also introduced a ban for enriched cages, while Germany and the Czech Republic have foreseen further restrictions in the coming years.
Meanwhile, in Italy, the delivery of signatures currently represents an important step, but it does not yet equate to a regulatory change. The proposal will now have to face the parliamentary process, during which the contents, timing and methods of any transition will be evaluated.
At the center of the debate there will be a complex question: how to transform farming systems, guaranteeing on the one hand better conditions for the animals and on the other economic sustainability for farmers?
For the associations that promoted the collection of signatures, the message received from citizens is clear: overcoming cage farming is a request that can no longer be ignored.
