Blame it on all those lattes and cappuccinos, but Europeans are the world’s leaders when it comes to the production and consumption of milk. Despite this, Europe’s 23 million dairy cows have no specific legislation protecting them when it comes to standards of housing, health, food, or behavior.

The Supporting Better Dairy Campaign—launched this week by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Ben & Jerry’s, and Compassion in World Farming—seeks to change that by launching the first European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) that addresses animal welfare.

“Getting more milk means more welfare problems,” said Suzi Morris, the UK director of WSPA, “The number of cows is actually decreasing while the amount of milk consumed is increasing so with that, we need to make sure that cows’ welfare is safeguarded.”

The ECI is a new method for public participation in governance which began in the EU in April of this year. It requires one million signatures from citizens residing in at least 7 of the EU’s 27 member states in order to get consideration from the European Commission and to be put into law. While there are some concerns over the difficulty of collecting signatures online using the ECI framework, 89 percent of Europeans polled in a recent survey expressed that they saw a need for legislation protecting dairy cows, with 81 percent saying they would sign a petition to enforce this.

The initiative, if passed, will act as a baseline requirement for all European dairy farmers rather than an opt-in certification scheme like Fair Trade or organic. The specifics of the initiative were modeled after legislation that governs dairy production in Sweden (the only EU country that currently has welfare standards for dairy cows) and includes daily access to pasture for grazing; minimum space allowances; prohibiting “tethering” or the restraint of cows; addressing widespread instances of mastitis and lameness seen in dairy cows; regular checks by veterinarians; and yield expectations that do not exceed the natural limits of a lactating cow.

“At the moment there is no way of knowing where your milk comes from unless you buy organic,” Morris said. “Any other milk that you buy in Europe is just going to mixed up whether its got high welfare standards, low welfare standards or medium standards. So this campaign is about creating a level playing field and having a basic minimum.”

No brand is perhaps more responsible for the public perception of happy dairy cows in an open green field than Ben & Jerry’s itself, which emblazons images of Vermont pastures on all their ice cream tubs. Prior to the current campaign, Ben & Jerry’s launched its Caring Dairy initiative in 2003 in an effort to source its dairy from sustainable farms.

“We came up with our own voluntary standards nine years ago and in consultation with our own farmers,” said Ilaria Ida, the social mission manager for Ben & Jerry’s. “We know that not only is it possible, it’s actually desirable for [farmers]. It’s not only a competitive advantage, but in general, a happy cow makes a happy farmer because you have a healthy animal that you can continue milking for a bit longer.”

Flickr: The Digital Story

The post A Campaign to Make European Cows Happier appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Gentle Barn Foundation needs our help to save 60 malnourished cows – many of which are pregnant – from a dilapidated California dairy farm. Will readers step up to save the day?

In recent weeks, animal lover Ellen DeGeneres has been trying to bring attention to a deplorable situation: Dozens of black-and-white cows, many of them pregnant and sick with pneumonia, pinkeye and skin fungus, are living – barely – on a dilapidated dairy farm in Santa Clarita, Calif.

The farm itself is in the process of being shut down, and the animals would normally be destined for the slaughterhouse. And yet, these gentle animals that have spent their lives providing nourishing milk to so many humans are now so sick and malnourished themselves that even the slaughterhouse won’t take them. The dairy farm’s owner does not have the money to care for the cows, nor to nurture the animals back to health in order to take them to the auction house.

So without intervention, these 60 cows will be left to die of dehydration, starvation and disease.

Click Here to Make a $10 Donation Now.

The tragic scenario was first revealed to the public by The Gentle Barn Foundation on April 26. Since then, the animal rescue and rehabilitation facility, miraculously located in the very same town and already home to 120 rescued farm animals, has successfully negotiated to take the cows off the owners’ hands and nurse them back to health – to give the cows and their calves whole new lives.

There’s just one problem: The Gentle Barn Foundation has no place to house them. The Foundation needs to build two new barns in order to give the cows a proper home. And building barns isn’t cheap.

The Gentle Barn needs funding. They need it now. And readers can make it happen.

Yesterday on her talk show, DeGeneres announced that Tonic is launching a major fundraising initiative in order to build the barns these cows so desperately need.

Tonic has committed to matching your donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000, for a grand total of $100,000 – enough for the Gentle Barn Foundation to build an entire barn.

And as if doubling your donation isn’t enough, there’s another layer of goodness that comes along with giving to save these California cows: A private benefactor has agreed to match every dollar The Gentle Barn earns, up to $100,000. So if Tonic readers accomplish this goal, and donate at least $50,000, the Gentle Barn Foundation will have all the money they need to build both barns!

Before Tonic’s initiative was announced, Ellie Laks, who founded and operates The Gentle Barn with her husband, Jay Weiner, gave an interview to The Signal of Santa Clarita Valley. Of their efforts to save these malnourished cows, Laks said, “This is cool because we can save their lives and give them the opportunity to raise their babies. It’ll be something the community can sink their teeth into – be part of their birth and their lives.”

More than just an animal rescue organization, The Gentle Barn brings at-risk youth and special needs children who have suffered physical, mental or emotional trauma of their own to their facilities to interact with the animals and take a hands-on role in their welfare. As described on their website: “[T]hose who undergo treatment at The Gentle Barn learn empathy, kindness, strength, trust, forgiveness and leadership.”

They’re the human qualities we try to spotlight here on Tonic every day. The qualities we’ve helped DeGeneres celebrate on her talk show, by giving scholarship money to Constance McMillen and helping to cover Alyson Myatt’s health care costs.

They’re the qualities we hope our readers will show by making donations to The Gentle Barn Foundation today.

Click Here to Make a $10 Donation Now!

Editor’s note: Article by Mark Dagostino. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: Dave Young

The post Ellen and Tonic: Giving Dairy Cows a Second Chance at Life appeared first on EcoSalon.