Compared to other Europeans the Maltese have little knowledge how animals are reared in farms they rarely visit. But while Malta falls within the top four European nations in giving importance to animal welfare, we are also among the most tolerant of intensive farming methods. By JAMES DEBONO
Every child knows that ‘Old MacDonald had a farm’. Most children will also know what animals he had on this farm, and what sort of noises they all made. But how many people would visit Old MacDonald’s farm to hear them all in person, if they had the chance?
The answer depends on which part of Europe the farm is located. In Scandinavia, the chances are that around 90% of the population will have paid at least one visit during their lifetime. In Malta, the corresponding statistic drops to slightly less than 50%.
Similar variations will also be registered with regard to how the farmyard animals – especially those destined to end up on our plates – are treated.
According to a Eurobarometer survey, nearly half the Maltese have never been to a local farm where animals are reared. Unsurprisingly, the percentage to claim some knowledge about the conditions of farm animals in their country is also roughly half: 51%.
Frequency of farm visits is lowest in Mediterranean and southern countries. The least likely to visit a farm once in their lives are the Portuguese, followed by the Greeks, the Cypriots, the Spaniards and the Maltese.
In contrast, Nordic countries exhibit the highest levels of claimed knowledge. As already stated, 90% of Scandinavians have been to a farm at least once. Almost nine out of every 10 Danes (88%) said they possessed at least some knowledge about the treatment of farm animals, with the corresponding figures for Swedes (86%) and Finns (84%) nearly as high.
Knowledge is at its lowest in Spain and Malta, where almost half of the population say they know nothing at all about conditions of animals in their own country. Yet despite their lack of familiarity with farms, the Maltese come in fourth among European nations when it comes to giving importance to animal welfare.
With some exceptions, the countries where a relatively high proportion said they had visited a farm where animals are reared also registered high levels of claimed knowledge on the conditions of farm animals.
Again, safeguarding welfare during production takes on the greatest importance in the Scandinavian countries. Strangely, however, the same sentiment is also shared by several Mediterranean countries with Cypriot (9.1), Maltese (8.7) and Greek (8.6) respondents also giving strong personal endorsement to the principle of animal welfare.
Yet the high level of importance given by the Maltese to animal welfare is not always reflected in actual behaviour.
While 38% of Europeans buy eggs produced by free range chickens, only 13% of the Maltese do likewise. The French (29%), Finns (26%), Lithuanians (23%) and Maltese (24%) are the most likely to buy eggs from battery cage production systems.
And despite relying on caged chickens for most of their egg supply, most Maltese have a positive view on how chickens are reared in their country, with 68% responding favourably when asked about the welfare and protection of these birds.
This contrasts starkly with most member states, where the vast majority responded negatively on the welfare of laying hens. The Dutch and the Danes (77%), followed by the Germans and Belgians (73%), are the most critical in this respect.
Furthermore, a high number of Maltese have no idea how the eggs they eat are produced. In fact, 27% of the Maltese could not reply when asked about the source of the eggs they buy.
Maltese consumers are less willing than Scandinavians to pay more for their eggs in order to guarantee a better welfare for laying hens. But this could also be a reflection of the disparity in living standards between different countries.
Elsewhere, the Maltese (62%) and Finns (61%) appear to be the most optimistic Europeans about the welfare of pigs in their country.
Eating habits
A slight majority of citizens of the European Union (52%) state that they never or very rarely think about the welfare and protection of animals when they buy meat, compared to 43% who state that they consider animal welfare most or some of the time. Only 37% of the Maltese consider animal welfare when they buy meat.
In contrast, nearly two thirds of Swedes (67%), Greeks (66%) and Luxembourgers (64%) claim to be concerned by the conditions under which these animals are reared and slaughtered, and that they pay consideration to this issue when choosing meat.
Most Maltese (66%) would like to be better informed about the conditions under which animals are farmed in their country.
This desire to be more informed is particularly strong in many of the Mediterranean states, with 85% of surveyed Greeks, for example, saying they would probably or definitely like more information.
However, such information is not very high in demand in other European countries. Leading the “rather not know” category are the Dutch – of whom 69% say that they would “probably” or “certainly” not like to be better informed about the meat they purchase – followed by Hungary (60%).
Countries where respondents have seen an improvement in animal welfare standards in the past 10 years include Sweden (79%), Cyprus (77%), Malta (73%) and the Netherlands (71%).
Almost eight out of 10 Europeans (77%) believe there is a need for further improvements to be made in their own country. In Malta this opinion was expressed by a slightly higher percentage, 83%.
But if Old MacDonald was still debating where in Europe to set up his farm, there is an important consideration to take into account. While 72% of the EU public believes that farmers should be remunerated for the higher costs incurred by improving animal welfare standards, this view is expressed by a staggering 91% of Maltese respondents.
All together now: “Ee i ee i o...”
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