A cow in a meadow (illustration). - ALLILI MOURAD / SIPA

Some 130 teacher-researchers asked on Tuesday that whistleblowers on the issue of animal welfare be better protected. Their request was made in an open letter to the Keeper of the Seals. Teachers are concerned about the safety of whistleblowers in the face of the “growing influence” of livestock lobbies, who have been carrying out an “active campaign” for several months. With, as a result, a "growing influence in public decisions which takes on a worrying dimension for our democracy".

The researchers are targeting the Demeter gendarmerie cell in particular. Created in October 2019, the structure is responsible for "monitoring attacks on the agricultural world" via advice to breeders, investigation and judicial treatment of attacks. "The deviation [...] of public resources, including those of intelligence responsible for ensuring the protection of civilian populations against murderous acts is worrying," they denounce.

"Confiscation of public debate"

According to the teachers, "the criminalization of whistleblowers would deprive an essential source of information". "If we no longer have videos of whistleblowers, we will be unable to say what is happening inside the farms", according to Romain Espinosa, researcher at CNRS, speaking of "confiscation of the public debate" . “Today the debate on animal welfare has entered the public sphere. "

"It is not a question of criticizing the small farms, but the intensive farming, the sheds with the tens of thousands of chickens", continues the economist. The Rennes 2 University, where he works, launched in October 2019 a university degree in “Animals and society”. The presence of the L214 association among the speakers had created controversy.

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