We are traveling on the rural roads of Morocco, following in the footsteps of the countless animals exported from the EU. It has rained a lot recently, which has made the landscape surprisingly green. Tethered by the roadside, we encounter the two “dairy” cows, Lilly and Sindy. Their ear tags reveal that they were born in France. Their condition suggests that they have already endured a lot in their lives. They are very thin, have unkempt, shaggy coats, and deep-set eyes. When we look into their eyes, we feel a connection with them.
Their owner tells us that Lilly and Sindy were transported from France to Morocco a year ago. The farmer purchased them through a cooperative. Even by Moroccan standards, the small-scale farmer invested a lot of money in the animals, hoping that they would provide an income for him and his family through their milk. However, he reports that this decision turned out to be wrong not only for the animals: shortly after their arrival, Lilly and Sindy each had a calf and became very ill. They had to be treated by a veterinarian multiple times, and it was unclear whether they would survive.
By now, they have more or less recovered, but their milk production has not even come close to what the farmer had hoped for — and what the animals likely would have produced if they had been spared the transport and had received the care their highly stressed bodies required.
The example of Lilly and Sindy is not an isolated case, but rather a symbol of the many systemic problems associated with the export of so-called “breeding” animals. These animals require an immense amount of care, especially after giving birth. Very often, this is not possible under the conditions in the destination countries, and the adjustment is difficult for the animals. The hardships of transport add further burdens to what these animals already endure. All of these factors dramatically increase the risk that the animals will become seriously ill.
The export of Lilly and Sindy caused not only extreme suffering for the animals but also put the small-scale farmer in an economic dilemma. This example shows that the argument of many economic stakeholders is not entirely accurate when they claim that the export of “breeding” animals supports the population in the destination countries.
That is why we will not stop being there for animals like Lilly and Sindy, telling their story and advocating to ensure that other animals in the future are spared a similar fate.
