Wakker Dier's mission
a dignified life for all farm animals
Our dream: a dignified life for all animals in livestock farming. An animal is not a lifeless product. But many companies think differently. For them, animals serve only one purpose: making a profit. But producing meat, eggs, and dairy on a mass scale and as cheaply as possible causes a lot of animal suffering.
The farming industry is a global, colossal, and extreme injustice, with billions of animals falling victim to it every year. They are exploited and stripped of their dignity and individuality. Living beings, reduced to worthless products. This appalling treatment of animals is indefensible.
This industry is the largest barrier to a more animal-friendly future – one that is urgently needed. All animals deserve autonomy, proper care, and social contact with others of their kind. A life with minimal stress and ample space for play, relaxation, and other natural behaviours, such as taking dust baths and mud baths. Moreover, the towering levels of production demanded of these animals, day in and day out, must be reduced to healthier levels.
We are not necessarily fighting for a completely plant-based society, but for an animal-inclusive society. A life of dignity for all animals in the livestock sector—a life they are entitled to. That is our dream, and it begins here in the Netherlands.
Curious to know more about how animals live in the farming industry and what we want to change? Keep reading here!
Our mission
We will not stop until every animal has a dignified life . To achieve this, we must change the current broken system, where it’s not every animal that matters, but every penny. We know who is to blame: not the animals, not farmers, not consumers. The culprits are the food industry, the government, and ‘Big Agro’. With their relentless focus on economic interests, they have pushed the livestock sector into crisis. These are the parties that need to implement significant changes – and we will hold them accountable.
We give a voice to the animals in the livestock industry and confront those responsible. This is how we ensure that the number of animals in the Netherlands gradually decreases, while their treatment continues to improve. Only by housing fewer animals can we provide them with the space they deserve.
By 2050, our mission will be complete: the abolition of intensive livestock farming in the Netherlands.
Our 2030 goals
To achieve our mission, we have outlined clear interim steps. Over the next five years, we aim to accomplish three concrete goals:
1. Dutch supermarkets will only sell animal products with at least one Better Life star or a comparable animal welfare certification.
2. Animals will receive the protection they deserve, with at least two legal victories against overbreeding and denying animals their natural behaviours.
3. Dutch supermarkets will not increase protein sales, and will ensure that at least 60% is plant-based.
The Wakker Dier method
Wakker Dier points out the culprits in the supply chain and holds them accountable. We do this publicly, through naming and shaming. That’s the fastest way to change the system. Our method has proven its success time and time again. For instance, the battery cage egg and the plofkip (a fast-growing breed of broiler chicken) have disappeared from Dutch supermarkets.
Our efforts are always focused on the following pillars: improving the lives of the animals in factory farming, better legislation and enforcement of animal welfare standards and reducing meat consumption. Each of these themes contributes in its own way to our dream.
You can read more about our campaigns here.
We'll achieve this together with our supporters
Since our foundation in 1997, Wakker Dier has grown into a social movement. We have become a well-known and influential organization that continuously makes itself heard in the national media. Wakker Dier works independently and without subsidies, with a determined team.
Our relentless dedication and vigilance make Wakker Dier heard and feared. Together with a strong base of supporters, we continue to advocate for animals in the factory farming industry.
Raise your voice and join us.
Want to learn more about our dream?
In our annual report (in Dutch), you’ll find everything about our dream and how we aim to achieve it. Our policy plan for 2025-2029 (in Dutch) outlines our plans for the coming years.
We need perseverance to make a positive impact for the animals. There are so many interests at play in factory farming! But as long as it's necessary, I'll continue to donate to Wakker Dier.