Italians are increasingly attentive to issues related to animal welfare. This is what emerges from the new survey conducted by Youtrend/Quorum for Essere Animali, Animal Law Italia, CIWF Italia, LAV and the other 7 main national animal protection associations participating in the “Vote for Animals 2024” campaign ahead of the European elections in June 2024.
A Growing Interest
The survey results confirm the growing interest among citizens in a topic that, until a few years ago, had a decidedly smaller impact on the everyday lives of millions of people: Italians are proving to be more aware of the real conditions of animals in farms, circuses, laboratories, etc., and for this reason they are not only loudly calling for rapid and concrete change, but above all declaring that the responses they receive from politicians influence their choices at the ballot box.
Politics Is the Great Absentee
The survey highlights that 85% of Italians believe that politicians should do more for animals, while 57% of voters express a preference for candidates who place animal protection at the centre of their programme.
These figures are a reflection of a cross-cutting attention to animal protection issues that goes beyond political or demographic divides. Consider that 76% of voters surveyed want the elimination of cruel practices in farming, 63% advocate restrictions on the production and trade of fur, 73% call for clear standards on the traceability and transfer of dogs and cats, while 70% would like greater protections for wildlife.
Thanks in part to the greater amount of information available through the web, Italian (and European) citizens have gained a high level of awareness, which offers political forces a clear opportunity to finally take a firm stance and act concretely.
This is not just a matter of empathy or ethics, but also — and we can now say this with a wide margin of certainty and without fear of being contradicted — of the planet’s survival: the intensive farming system, as it is structured today, is no longer sustainable. It has not been for some time; we have known this for some time, yet politicians have always preferred to turn a blind eye and defend the interests of lobbies, indefinitely postponing any intervention to overcome a system that has long outlived its usefulness.
We saw this in Giulia Innocenzi’s documentary, Food For Profit, which not coincidentally has been topping the charts of most-watched films for over two months and which led two MEPs to withdraw from standing in the upcoming European elections due to their disturbing statements regarding the conditions of animals inside intensive farms. Such attitudes from those in power can and must no longer be tolerated.
Citizens Expect Answers
The associations involved in the “Vote for Animals – Ancheglianimalivotano” campaign are calling on parties and candidates to do their duty by heeding the unequivocal will of the majority of citizens to promote animal rights in Europe. The campaign puts forward a list of 10 policy points covering issues such as the abolition of cages in farming, the reform of European animal welfare legislation and the ban on long-distance transport of animals for farming and slaughter.
This is a call to action for anyone involved in politics who wishes to gain the support of a broad majority of voters. The hope is that candidates and parties will recognise the importance of animal protection for Italian society and for the European Union as a whole.
This time, we are confident. They can no longer turn a blind eye and a deaf ear: the will of the citizens has never been clearer than this.
FIND OUT MORE about the Vote For Animals campaign by reading the 10 demands we have made to politicians.
Take part in the mail bombing and share your message with the most important political parties.
The organisations coordinating the Vote for Animals campaign in Italy are Animal Law Italia, CIWF Italia, Essere Animali and LAV. Also participating are Animal Equality Italia, Animalisti Italiani, ENPA, LAC, Leidaa, LNDC – Animal Protection, Save the Dogs.
Methodological note: survey conducted using CATI, CAMI and CAWI methodology between 4 and 9 April 2024 on a sample of 1,500 respondents representative of the adult population residing in Italy, surveyed by cross-referenced gender and age quotas, stratified by level of education. The margin of error is +/- 2.5% with a confidence interval of 95%.