Arla has suspended one of its farmer owners following an undercover exposé by activist group the Animal Justice Project, which alleged a series of animal welfare rule breaches.
The probe by the group, published today, revealed what appeared to be “routine cruelty to cows and calves”, coupled with unsanitary conditions and a lack of enforcement to animal welfare regulations at Lowfields Farm (also known as Miresdale Dairy Holding Limited) – based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.
AJP said footage filmed in late 2024 at the farm, which housed 2,400 cows indoor, revealed the “shocking mistreatment of animals”.
Cows were violently kicked, punched, and struck with pipes and electric goads, the group claimed.
Additionally, newborn calves were force-fed, slapped, and separated from their mothers within minutes of birth.
Dead calves were “left in plain sight” of other cows and their calves, AJP alleged, while lame cows, struggling to walk, were “forced on to transport trucks in apparent violation of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997”.
The investigation also uncovered overcrowding, with sheds designed for 125 cows crammed with up to 214, forcing animals to stand in their own waste.
“These disturbing conditions expose the reality behind industrial dairy farming – even in farms certified by a reputable company like Arla,” the campaign group said.
“This investigation exposes not only the shocking cruelty inflicted on cows and calves at this Arla farm – marketed as a leader in UK dairy – but also the brutal, hidden reality these animals face daily in milk production,” said Claire Palmer, director of the Animal Justice Project.
“Crucially, this was not the misconduct of a single worker: abuse was systemic, involving all staff, including the farm manager,” she claimed. “This indicates that mistreatment was not only routine but also tolerated and ingrained within the farm’s operations, raising serious concerns about Arla’s standards and oversight.”
In the wake of the probe, AJP cited recent research by the Social Market Foundation, which found that just 2.3% of UK animal welfare breaches resulted in prosecution, as a key hurdle to tackling animal welfare abuses.
Local authority inspections had plummeted due to budget cuts, leaving farms largely self-regulated, it added.
The exposé marks the latest challenge to befall dairy giant Arla, after it was embroiled in controversy and boycott calls over its use of methane-inhibiting feed additive Bovaer in November and accused of greenwashing by Greenpeace in February.
A spokesperson for the dairy giant said animal welfare was of “the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach”.
Arla took any matters relating to this extremely seriously, they added.
“The actions that are shown in this footage are completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers.
“The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm. However, Arla has taken the decision to suspend the farmer whilst we investigate this further. While the investigation is still ongoing, we have already put a number of measures in place alongside independent auditors and external standards organisations.”
Red Tractor has also launched an investigation into the farm.
A spokesman said: “We will always act decisively to ensure our standards are upheld. Within eight hours of Red Tractor receiving the footage an independent assessor was on the farm to investigate this unacceptable behaviour by farm workers.
“This inspection confirmed all individuals identified mistreating animals no longer work on the farm. To ensure the future welfare of animals, Red Tractor will require all those still working on the farm to complete additional training. Depending on the outcome of further investigation, the farm may also face other sanctions.”
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