The elections in Lombardy are approaching and yesterday 5 candidates from the main lists met with some of the Italian associations working on animal protection and environmental safeguarding to discuss the future of animal welfare in what is the region with the highest number of farmed animals and the highest number of industrial slaughterhouses in our country.
The round table on animal welfare
The round table was organized in Milan by Animal Law Italia and Essere Animali with the participation of Compassion in World Farming, LAV, LNDC-Animal Protection, Earth odv, Animal Save, and Extinction Rebellion Italia. The candidates who took part in the debate are Paolo Cova (former member of parliament and candidate for the Democratic Party), Lucia Galeone (councillor at the Municipality of Rozzano and candidate for Forza Italia), Aldo Guastafierro (regional co-spokesperson of the Greens and candidate for Verdi SI), Gregorio Mammì (regional councillor and candidate for the Five Star Movement) and Luce Meola (sustainability consultant and candidate for Fratelli D’Italia). The meeting was moderated by Alessandro Ricciuti, president of ALI, and Chiara Caprio, media and institutional relations manager at Essere Animali.
Animal welfare on the candidates’ agenda
Among the topics discussed were regional policies to encourage the transition to cage-free farming systems, possible actions for the reduction and conversion of farms, lowering the permitted levels of slurry spreading, expanding the staff of veterinary ATS, incentives for the introduction of plant-based menus in public canteens, and the development of regional guidelines for the welfare of fish and crustaceans.
All candidates said they were willing to work on the requests put forward and to bring animal welfare into the political debate over the next 5 years.
They also showed great attention to activities that could lead to a cultural paradigm shift in Italy: educational projects in schools and public canteens aimed at reducing and replacing animal proteins.
Is something changing in politics too?
Yesterday’s meeting also left many issues unresolved, as highlighted by the questions raised by the audience during the event, regarding, for example, the protection of wild animals, hunting, and the management of invasive species. However, from the candidates’ words, one can sense a willingness to finally include animals in public discussion and on the political agenda.
«Attention towards animals is making its way into society and it is time for it to be reflected in politics at every level. — comments Alessandro Ricciuti, the president of our association — We are therefore very pleased that an increasingly large part of our representatives at the national and local level is receptive to our issues and willing to put them forward in political discussion. For our part, we will continue to work towards regulatory progress at the regional level, as we have already been doing for over a year with the Liberi dalle catene campaign».