AGtivist report says Spain saw the largest expansion of mega-farms in the EU in 10 years

Brussels, June 12 (EFEverde).- Spain is leading the rise of mega-farms in the European Union, with 1,237 new industrial facilities opened in the last decade out of the 3,000 that opened in the EU, according to research by the AGtivist organization, which warns of the rapid growth of this model and its environmental, social, and animal welfare consequences.

Spain leads the way in new mega-farms

Nearly 3,000 new farms with industrial capacity began operations in the European Union (EU) in the last decade, 1,237 of which were established in Spain, according to a report published Thursday based on data collected by the organization AGtivist.

Furthermore, of the 5,517 farm expansion permits granted in the EU between 2014 and 2023, Spain also recorded the highest number with 1,385 permits—186 for chicken farms and 1,199 for pig farms—according to data provided by the organization.

These figures make Spain the European country with the greatest growth in the number of mega-farms over the last ten years.

Researchers, who have mapped all mega-farms in the EU and UK for the first time, classify poultry farms with at least 40,000 birds and pig farms with at least 2,000 pigs as industrial farms.

On the other hand, France has the largest number of industrial poultry farms (2,342 farms), and Italy is among the top five countries in terms of industrial pig and chicken farms.

Researchers noted they also encountered farms "much larger than the thresholds required for permitting," with more than 1.4 million chickens at a time or 30,000 pigs.

Fewer small farms, more exports

The Spanish pork sector now has the largest number of industrial farms in the European Union, with 2,580 fattening farms and 821 breeding farms, making it the leading pork producer in Europe and the second largest exporter worldwide behind the United States.

According to the Interprofessional Agri-Food Association of White-Layer Pork (Interporc), the sector represents 85% of Spanish meat exports and 2.2% of the national total.

On the other hand, over the last 15 years, Spain has seen a significant decline in the number of small farms, while the number of large livestock farms has increased.

A European Commission report analyzing the state of the European agri-food sector in 2023 highlighted that the number of farms has decreased by 4.6 million over the past 20 years and that, in 2020, more than half of EU farmland was managed by farms larger than 100 hectares.

The European Executive also emphasized that "productivity-driven production growth" is not only satisfying European consumption but also boosting exports, which more than doubled between 2012 and 2022.

Animal welfare alerts

However, the industrial livestock farming model puts the well-being and physical integrity of the animals living on these farms at risk, the organization points out.

Together with the Italian NGO Essere Animali, the activists denounced a farm in Bergamo where chickens were living in their own excrement and were unable to stand due to their abnormal growth.

In another Italian city, Brescia, birds were seen crammed into small spaces, one on top of the other, while the carcasses were left to decompose for up to three weeks.

Similar scandals have been reported in Spain through local investigations, including the concentration of pigs in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, as well as untreated injuries and illnesses.

One of the most well-known cases was that of a farm with 5,000 pigs in Quintanilla del Coco (Burgos), where in 2023 seriously injured pigs, contaminated food, and even cannibalistic behavior were discovered due to the level of anxiety the animals suffered.

Legislative review on hold

The previous European Commission intended to review its more than 20-year-old animal welfare legislation by the end of 2023, but only proposed new animal transport regulations, which are still being reviewed by Member States.

“This research shows that the number of mega-farms in the EU is growing rapidly, contradicting promises to improve animal welfare and move towards more sustainable agriculture,” said Reineke Hameleers, director general of the European organization Eurogroup for the Animals. “This should be a wake-up call for policymakers in Brussels.”

The current Hungarian Animal Welfare Commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi, pledged at the end of 2024 to move forward with the remaining parts of the review starting in 2026. These include new rules for the maintenance and care of animals on farms and at slaughter, as well as a European animal welfare label. par/cat/vh/ads