Exclusive:
WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: An investigation carried out by welfare group Animal Justice Project found cruelty to cows and their calves at the farm which homes over 2,000 animals
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Animal Justice Project go undercover for dairy farm investigation
Cows have been violently kicked, punched and struck, while calves were slapped after being separated from their mothers on a dairy farm supplying the UK’s biggest milk producer.
As a result of the undercover investigation, Arla has suspended the farmer calling the abuse towards the animals captured as “completely unacceptable”. The footage was obtained by an undercover worker for the Animal Justice Project at the US-style mega farm, which houses over 2,000 cows. Arla supplies milk to a number of retailers including Aldi and Asda, as well as Starbucks.
It shows what appears to be cruelty to cows and calves, unsanitary conditions, and a lack of enforcement, raising urgent concerns about animal welfare standards. As a result they have filed a formal complaint to Trading Standards with their findings which they described as ‘illegal and immoral’ animal abuse that exposes systemic failings within the UK dairy industry.
“This investigation exposes systemic cruelty at an Arla farm, a so-called leader in UK dairy,” said Claire Palmer, Director of Animal Justice Project. “Farms like this are governed by industry-run assurance schemes that fail to protect animals. We demand legal action and corporate accountability from supermarkets and brands that profit from this suffering.”
During the investigation cows were seen being kicked, punched, and struck with pipes and electric goads, including immediately after giving birth, according to footage.
Lame cows were forced onto transport trucks, violating UK transport laws, while sheds housed nearly double the intended number of animals, leaving them standing in filth, say the Animal Justice Project. Workers were also filmed whipping cows with hoses “exhibiting blatant cruelty toward distressed animals”, added the welfare organisation.
Former UK Government’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons, who viewed the footage, said: “On a large dairy farm such as this, there will be events where the routine handling and movement of cows will be challenging. But there is little that could be said in mitigation of the events shown in this video. The repeated and unconstrained use of sticks and electric goads is gratuitous and excessive. This is particularly notable during the loading of cows onto a cattle transporter. On a number of occasions, offences against the Animal Welfare Act 20061 appear to have been committed.”
A recent YouGov poll commissioned by AJP found that over 50% of Brits don’t know that cows must give birth to produce milk, with 83% unaware that calves are routinely separated from their mothers within 24 hours. Only 17% knew that dairy cows are typically slaughtered at just 5–7 years old, despite a natural lifespan of over 20 years.
Animal Justice Project is calling on supermarkets like Asda and Aldi to cut ties with farms linked to abuse.
According to the US definition, a mega-farm, officially known as a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), holds more than 125,000 birds reared for meat, or 82,000 egg-laying hens, 2,500 pigs, 700 dairy cows or 1,000 beef cattle.
Edie Bowles, managing director for legal firm Advocates for Animals, said: “The deliberate cruelty shown in the footage my client gathered is nothing short of shocking. Legal protections are in place to protect farmed animals from exactly this, so why does the footage indicate that the keepers of these dairy cows are able to behave this way on a seemingly regular basis in front of one another.
“Is it the case that the laws that protect animals are not taken seriously? This is supported by the Animal Sentience Committee, which released a report last week that confirmed that the enforcement of laws that protect farmed animals is lacking. This is unacceptable, animals must receive the legal protections they are entitled to.”
A Red Tractor spokesperson said: “We take animal welfare extremely seriously. Within eight hours of Red Tractor receiving this footage from the Daily Mirror an independent assessor was on the farm to investigate this unacceptable behaviour by farm workers.
“This inspection confirmed all individuals identified as 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.”
A spokesperson for Arla said: “Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach. We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously. 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.”
Starbucks said it was committed to the highest animal welfare standards, while Aldi said: “We take matters like this extremely seriously.” A spokesman added: ”We welcome the prompt actions taken at this farm to restore the high standards that our customers expect.
“We will remain in contact with the supplier and Red Tractor to monitor the ongoing steps being taken in response to these allegations.”
Asda said: “We welcome the quick response, investigation, and actions taken by Arla and Red Tractor to ensure the future welfare of animals on this farm.”
