Animal Advocacy & Food Transition and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE)  have published a joint report on the human and animal cost of disease outbreaks in EU livestock, following an event the two organisations co-hosted at the European Parliament on 1 July.

Mass culling has become the default response to outbreaks like avian flu and African Swine Fever, rather than a genuine last resort. More than 50 million birds were culled across Europe in the 2021–22 season alone due to HPAI, often even when no infection had been confirmed in the flock, or where DIVA-compatible vaccines had been successfully piloted, allowing vaccinated flocks to be distinguished from infected ones. The report, drawn from testimony at the event, sets out the toll this takes on farmers and veterinarians too, many report depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress from carrying out culls they never wanted to do.

“We cull, we move on, and then it happens again,” said AAFT Director Olga Kikou. “You don’t break out of it by culling faster. You break it by stepping out of it, fewer animals in better conditions.”

FVE and AAFT are calling on the EU to put prevention and welfare at the centre of the next EU Livestock Strategy, and to invest in veterinary capacity accordingly.