Animal welfare and consumer organisations have repeatedly uncovered the fact that dairy products (including) well-known brands that advertise pasture farming actually come from tethered cows. And people don't want to admit it, but even chain farming is commonplace in Germany. It is therefore difficult to evaluate information on the stated form of husbandry, as there is usually no other information available to the public apart from the manufacturer's labelling.
Andechs nature:
In January 2024, SOKO Tierschutz and foodwatch revealed that the organic producer Andechser Natur sources milk from farms that keep their cows in tethers. This contradicts the company's organic certification and advertising claims 1Foodwatch, 2024 Investigative research: Exquisa, Weihenstephan, MinusL and Andechser Natur source milk from animal cruel tethering. Available at: https://www.foodwatch.org/de/investigativ-recherche-exquisa-weihenstephan-minus-l-und-andechser-natur-beziehen-milch-aus-tierquaelerischer-anbindehaltung .
Weihenstephan:
The same research showed that the Weihenstephan brand also obtains milk from farms with tethered husbandry, although the advertising often shows pictures of free-range cows on pastures 2Foodwatch, 2024 Investigative research: Exquisa, Weihenstephan, MinusL and Andechser Natur source milk from animal cruel tethering. Available at: https://www.foodwatch.org/de/investigativ-recherche-exquisa-weihenstephan-minus-l-und-andechser-natur-beziehen-milch-aus-tierquaelerischer-anbindehaltung .
Exquisa:
Exquisa was also criticised in the aforementioned research for sourcing milk from farms with tethered husbandry, despite advertising claims to the contrary 3Foodwatch, 2024 Investigative research: Exquisa, Weihenstephan, MinusL and Andechser Natur source milk from animal cruel tethering. Available at: https://www.foodwatch.org/de/investigativ-recherche-exquisa-weihenstephan-minus-l-und-andechser-natur-beziehen-milch-aus-tierquaelerischer-anbindehaltung .
MinusL:
The MinusL brand, known for lactose-free dairy products, has also been criticised for sourcing milk from farms with tethered dairy herds 4Foodwatch, 2024 Investigative research: Exquisa, Weihenstephan, MinusL and Andechser Natur source milk from animal cruel tethering. Available at: https://www.foodwatch.org/de/investigativ-recherche-exquisa-weihenstephan-minus-l-und-andechser-natur-beziehen-milch-aus-tierquaelerischer-anbindehaltung .
Berchtesgadener Land:
In May 2023, Animal Rights Watch (ARIWA) published video footage from four Bavarian farms that supply the Berchtesgadener Land dairy. The footage showed chained cows and calves, even though the dairy advertises pasture grazing 5Image, 2023. animal husbandry near Berchtesgadener Land. Available at: https://www.bild.de/cmsid/665adae6c34cbc2d431befe6 .
Ehrmann:
In June 2023, the animal rights organisation Aninova revealed that Ehrmann dairy suppliers keep cows in year-round tethered housing. This contradicts the company's advertising, which shows happy cows in pastures 6Image, 2023: Animal cruelty video at Ehrmann's milk supplier. Available at: https://www.bild.de/regional/bayern/tierquaeler-video-milch-zulieferer-von-ehrmann-haben-kuehe-gequaelt-6673e55763f34705fb65e6fe .
"Small and large companies":
The Albert Schweitzer Foundation criticises the fact that tethering does not only occur on small farms, but also on farms that supply milk for well-known brands. It is calling for an end to this practice, as it is not compatible with modern animal welfare standards 7Albert Schweitzer Foundation, 2023 Criticism of tethering. Available at: https://albert-schweitzer-stiftung.de/aktuell/anbindehaltung .
"Brands that advertise with pasture farming":
The organisation FOUR PAWS has documented in several cases that cows advertised as pasture-raised actually live in tethered husbandry. It is calling for a ban on this form of husbandry and transparent labelling for consumers8Four Paws, 2023: Amendment to the Animal Welfare Act still provides for tethering. Available at: https://www.vier-pfoten.de/unseregeschichten/presse/mai-2023/tierschutzgesetz-novelle-sieht-weiterhin-anbindehaltung-vor .
You want to do something?
On the foodwatch website you can enter your postcode and your MP will be automatically selected. You then enter your name and e-mail address and Foodwatch writes to your MP on your behalf asking them to ban chain farming.
Click here to go to foodwatch: https://www.foodwatch.org/de/mitmachen/abgeordnete-kettenhaltung-stoppen
