There is nothing wrong with a mega stable

A mega stable sounds scary, but it's not. At least, not on a modern dairy farm with new techniques, sound management, tight processes and attention to the animal. Depressing the clutch with the political left foot and switching back to the "nostalgic" livestock farming of the sixties is a big misconception.

Last week I was on a trade mission for manure disposal in East Germany, more specifically in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Here we visited several farms. This includes the largest dairy farm in Germany, with most animals in one location. We also visited one of the most modern arable farmers in the field of precision farming. In general, ambitious entrepreneurs are farmers here who combine scale with smart technology.

The German dairy farm has one of the largest stables in Europe. The barn measures no less than 17 meters high and offers space for 1780 cows. The cows are not at all packed, but in accordance with the guidelines of the law. Not unlike in a non-mega stable. When you walk in this stable, you do not imagine yourself in a mega stable at all. There is a lot of light, a lot of ventilation and the cows have enough room to move. Actually an ideal picture to provide "humanity" with dairy in an efficient way.

Efficiency not a dirty word 
A livestock farm needs scale to produce efficiently. This is not only important in agriculture, but it is no different in the transport sector and aviation. KLM, for example, also does not fly sports planes to the US, because this would be so nostalgic. Large Boeings, with a relatively high level of comfort, are used to move hundreds of people at once. From an environmental point of view, this is the least harmful solution.

Livestock farming is not a sustainable system in itself. When nostalgic hobby farmers muddle on a large scale, major problems are bound to arise with regard to manure, soil and emissions. Being a farmer is often a hobby, but producing good and safe food is not without obligation. It requires a professional working method and a sound system. Scale is necessary to be able to organize and finance this professionalism. This is, of course, the theoretical reality.

Also disadvantages 
In practice, there are also disadvantages to a large, professional barn system. Popularly: a "mega stable". For local residents, for example, it can be more than annoying. In addition, some large stables are already outdated. The fact that organizations such as Wakker Dier have their reservations about large-scale livestock farming should not be ignored. In any case, this provides food for innovation. A barn system is never fully developed.

However, it is a misconception to label scaling as the culprit. It is also a misconception that animals in a mega stall by definition have a bad life. 

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness and Food Business. He also closely follows the raw materials markets and focuses on animal proteins such as dairy and meat. He regularly interviews leaders from the agricultural sector and the food world.

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