A new Irish animal rights campaign dedicated to bringing about an eventual end to factory farming has been established. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS—bringing factory farming into the open—will focus solely on the issue of factory farming as this is where the greatest exploitation and abuse of animals occurs worldwide.

“Despite some improvements in animal welfare—brought about after years of tireless lobbying and campaigning by a myriad animal rights and welfare organisations—the situation today for the factory farmed animal is worse than ever,” Gerry Boland, the campaign’s founder and spokesperson says.

“Pig, chickens and hens live out their entire lives in windowless sheds in conditions that not only do not accommodate their natural instincts and needs, but do the exact opposite, forcing these sentient creatures to live indoors, in a crowded and stressful environment, growing at a rate that is driven by genetics, selective breeding, a high-energy diet and absolutely no exercise. These animals suffer from a wide range of illnesses and disease, and are then roughly handled and cargoed to a factory that will slaughter them mercilessly and, not infrequently, inefficiently.

“Factory Farming has become a monster out of control, causing horrific suffering to tens of billions of animals every year, creating serious water shortage and pollution problems, and because of its excessive use of animal and crop feed, is actually a major contributor towards global food poverty. It is also a major contributor to greenhouse gases,” Mr Boland continues.

Factory Farming is a worldwide growth industry, yet the model is unsustainable. The animals have become commodities. They are no longer seen as sentient beings with individual personalities and needs. The race to breed and raise and slaughter as many as possible in any given year has pushed the entire model to the edge. It is only a matter of time before the system collapses.

Gerry Boland concludes: “We need a new model of farming based on old, sustainable, more compassionate practices. The factory farm model appears to require constant expansion, which is not only undesirable but unsustainable. It is a model that is destined to fail, and the sooner the better for the animals that suffer within it.”