For decades, Danish pig farming has seemed untouchable. The country of 6 million people produces approximately 28 million pigs per year, and its pork industry is deeply embedded in the economy, politics and national identity.
But this spring, animal welfare was a defining issue in what became known as the “pig election.” After Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen secured a third term, the government coalition announced a historic program aimed at shifting the industry away from ultra-intensive, export-driven factory farming.
The campaign’s success offers a case study for advocates elsewhere. In the United States, where more than 70 million pigs are raised annually and animal welfare is rarely a major electoral issue, advocates have long struggled to build political momentum on farm animal welfare issues. Yet one of the biggest lessons from Denmark’s campaign has little to do with money, politics or policy: Keep the message focused on the animal.
“We thought we would have to make really complicated arguments,” says Britta Riis, chief executive officer of Animal Protection Denmark, the country’s largest animal welfare organization. “Suddenly, it was just about the pig.”
It was also about the water. Polling in Denmark found 95% of respondents wanted “urgent action to protect the country’s drinking water.” Similarly, the fight for clean water is a rising political issue in parts of the U.S. where factory farms are fueling water pollution. In Iowa, a poll conducted by the advocacy group Food and Water Action found 82% of Iowa voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who makes clean water protection a “top priority.”
