Animal rights group Project Calf has defended its decision to publish the names and addresses of dairy farms across England and Wales, and urging members of the public to access the farms via footpaths.
The group advocated trespassing on farms to film conditions for dairy calves in the belief that the “majority of people are unaware of dairy industry practices” while “assurance schemes are in no way sufficient” to protect calf welfare.
Addresses published were taken from a freely available government document and would otherwise be easy to find online, said a spokesman for the group, Jamie Turner. Those behind the campaign have previously been involved with groups protesting badger culls and hunt sabotage. They also have links to The Save Movement and Anonymous for the Voiceless.
Project Calf’s advice tells potential activists that it is ’not a criminal offence to accidentally be on somebody’s land’ and there is no law preventing people from filming on public or private land.
The group’s first protest took place two weeks ago, during which activists spoke for more than an hour with farm workers in a bid to encourage an “honest and open dialogue”. However, the group decided not to publish its footage of conditions after finding out a particular calf had been segregated due to illness.
“We hope that when people realise cows don’t just eat grass and produce milk, but go through a constant cycle of pregnancies with each pregnancy resulting in their calf being taken from them, that people will choose plant-based opinions over dairy,” said Turner.
NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes hit back at the accusations, maintaining that British farming had some of the highest production standards in the world.
“Our farmers are proud of the safe, traceable food we produce,” he said. “Many dairy farms are run by families who live on farm.
“We respect the right of people to choose whatever diet they wish. The NFU has no issue with lawful peaceful protesting but such protests should not turn into the harassment and intimidation of our farmer members; there should be no place in society for that.”
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