It’s all too easy to fool ourselves when we think about where our food comes from. Say the word “farm” and the average person may think of open fields, animals roaming freely, and harmony between nature and agriculture.
But the reality is starkly different for millions of animals across Europe.
To uncover the true face of intensive farming, the European Institute for Animal Law and Policy and the European Environmental Bureau are presenting a compelling photography exhibition at the European Parliament, “Factory Farming: Unveiling the Hidden Costs”, on 24th-27th March 2025.
Hosted by MEPs Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA), Manuela Ripa (EPP), Krzysztof Śmiszek (S&D), Michal Wiezik (Renew), and Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL), the exhibition showcases powerful images capturing the stark realities of this cruel and unsustainable farming model.
From extreme confinement to environmental devastation, these works from photojournalists including the award-winning Jo-Anne McArthur – who is guest speaker at the exhibition’s launch event – reveal the true cost of factory farming on animals, human health, and ecosystems.
Alongside the images, eye-opening infographics offer data-driven insights into the scale of these problems and the urgent need for a transition towards a more ethical and environmentally responsible agricultural model.
Olga Kikou, Director of Advocacy at The European Institute of Animal Law & Policy and one of the organizers of the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative, stated:
“In factory farms, animals are turned into production machines. Being forced to live in high concentrations in unnatural social groups leads to behavioural problems and the spread of disease. Animals have no contact with the outdoors, are fed human-edible crops and are often sick. The physiological and psychological issues stemming from these systems lead the industry to adopt ‘quick fixes’, such as cages or mutilations. We urge policy makers to act against the immense cruelty pervasive in EU farming.”
Isabel Paliotta, Policy Officer for Sustainable Food Systems at EEB, stated:
“As this exhibition illustrates, we’re sold a myth about animal farming in Europe. Today’s industrialised model of animal rearing not only imposes needless suffering on billions of animals – it is also wreaking havoc on our ecosystems and rolling the dice with public health. We need this Commission to deliver a concrete strategy to support farmers towards a just system that works for them, while ensuring high animal welfare standards, and protecting neighbouring communities and nature.”
This is not just an exhibition; it’s a call to action for a more ethical future.
Our newly published White Paper, “Reforming Pig Welfare in the European Union: The Case for a Cage-Free Future,” made the news in Vegconomist, the vegan business magazine, today.
Our latest publication is a White Paper advocating for stronger protection of pigs under EU law through a prohibition of caged farming. “Reforming Pig Welfare in the European Union: The Case for a Cage-Free Future,” by Gabriela Kubíková, Artūrs Kaņepājs, Griffin Carpenter and Marietheres Reinke, presents a compelling argument for a transition to free farrowing in the pig sector, with the aim of informing the Commission’s ongoing modernization of animal welfare legislation.
Our Legislative Advocacy Manager, Gabriela Kubíková, has been quoted in an article by Zach Boren, “Inside Big Ag’s plot to kill the EU Green Deal”. The article reveals how Copa Cogeca, the federation of European farming interests, undermined and pushed back against the EU’s green farming commitments – including by using delay tactics to slow the lawmaking process.
