The right of grazing was introduced in 1988 after a campaign in which the popular writer Astrid Lindgren played an important role. According to the regulations, dairy cows, but not bulls, must have access to outdoor pasture for at least six hours per day during the summer.
The issue of relaxing the regulations has been discussed for several years but has been brought up again due to the government’s investigation “Strong competitiveness for food producers and strong animal protection”, scheduled to be presented on 30 June.
Right of grazing is already mentioned in the directives as an example of how Sweden stands out internationally.
In parallel, a study of how cattle are affected by not being let out in the summer is underway, which farms in several counties tried last year. The result will be published later this year.
The professor critical
According to information to DN, discussions within the framework of the investigation are now about removing grazing rights for dairy cows that roam freely indoors, something that has drawn criticism from both researchers and activists.
– This is part of the Swedish Animal Welfare Act, which is quite central. We know from a lot of research that cows feel good from going out to pasture, says Per Jensen, professor of ethology at Linköping University.
The minister ducks
Agriculture Minister Peter Kullgren (KD) does not want to comment on DN’s information.
“The investigation is still ongoing and I do not want to speculate on what proposals the investigator will make. The assignment from the government is to propose measures to strengthen Swedish farmers’ competitive conditions, while maintaining high animal husbandry requirements,” he writes to SVT Nyheter.
There are also those who look positively on a change. Hear farmer Joakim Borg’s view on the matter in the clip above.