In 2007, the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming) introduced the Beter Leven Label to gradually enhance animal welfare in livestock farming, following the principle of "less and better." In 2009, a significant collaboration began among the Animal Protection Society, the Ministry of Agriculture, the livestock industry, and retail. Through the "Covenant for Market Development and Sustainability of Animal Products, 2009 through 2011", the parties committed to further developing and promoting the Beter Leven Label to a wide audience. ^[1]

An animal welfare label in service of government and industry

According to the final evaluation of the Covenant, the industry views the Beter Leven Label as a tool "that allows the market sector to distinguish itself" and "instill trust in consumers". The Animal Protection Society benefited from government subsidies due to the Covenant, which helped make its label prominent and successful. Annual reports indicate that the Animal Protection Society has received over one million euros in government funding since 2010 for the development and promotion of its label. ^[2] In addition to the Animal Protection Society, retail chains like Albert Heijn received subsidies to promote the label to consumers. Major meat producers such as Vion and Van Rooi Meat also received funding for research into the feasibility of producing Beter Leven meat. ^[3]

Between 2010 and 2012, the Ministry of Agriculture spent 323,000 euros on promoting the Beter Leven label, 170,000 euros to professionalize the label, and 279,000 euros on marketing techniques, media, and setting up the "Beter Leven Label Foundation." This foundation manages practical activities related to the label. Its responsibilities include evaluating new applications, signing contracts with companies, communicating with those companies, and organizing inspections. The Animal Protection Society owns the Beter Leven label and, in collaboration with participating companies, sets the animal welfare criteria that these companies must meet.

The 2015 annual report mentions government subsidies aimed at expanding the Beter Leven label to include environmental criteria and to create a Beter Leven label for dairy. However, the report does not specify the amounts of these subsidies.

Thanks to government support, the Animal Protection Society experienced significant growth in its label over just a few years, along with an increase in income from contributions made by a rising number of participants. All affiliated companies, except for livestock farmers, are required to pay a one-time entry fee and annual fixed contributions. The annual contribution ranges from 351 euros to 3,514 euros, depending on the type and size of the company. Slaughterhouses, egg packing stations, and dairy producers also pay a variable fee based on the number of animals slaughtered, the quantity of eggs produced, and the total kilos of dairy. ^[5]

According to the annual reports, the revenues from the Beter Leven label were:

According to the Animal Protection Society, the revenues are used to cover the operating costs of the Beter Leven Foundation. However, this cannot be verified because the Animal Protection Society's annual reports do not provide details about the Foundation's expenses. The Beter Leven Label Foundation, as a private label organization, does not disclose any financial figures. When asked by the FD (Financial Daily, 2021) why it does not submit financial annual reports to the Chamber of Commerce, the Beter Leven Label Foundation responded: "The label market is very complicated, and a significant amount of money is involved; 'Angry farmers and other forces' make it 'not desirable in all cases' for the finances to be easily accessible." ^[6]

Control by Certification institutions

Inspections of companies participating in the Beter Leven Label program are carried out by accredited Certification Institutions (CIs). The Beter Leven Foundation collaborates with five CIs: Vinçotte Nederland, Kiwa VERIN, SGS Nederland, Producert, and Qlip. Companies with the Beter Leven label are required to enter into a contract with one of these five CIs and cover the inspection costs themselves. The five CIs are overseen by the Beter Leven Foundation and the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA). ^[7]

Each year, companies undergo a scheduled inspection by the CI they finance. If the company meets the Beter Leven criteria or has received no more than five warnings, a new annual certificate is granted. Regular inspections are conducted under the oversight of the CI. In addition to regular inspections, the CIs may perform unannounced inspections at the request of the Beter Leven Foundation. ^[8]

Certification institutions are portrayed as "independent parties" that evaluate companies based on the standards of various quality systems. However, CIs are not consumer advocacy organizations; instead, they provide a service to companies for a fee. Their aim is to assist their clients in building trust with consumers. While accredited CIs are overseen by the Accreditation Council (yet another "independent party" that derives its revenue from payments by affiliated CIs ^[9] ), this system raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

CIs, the Beter Leven Foundation, and the Animal Protection Society lack transparency regarding inspections. They do not share details about the inspection process, reports, violations, or any actions taken against companies. Consumers only find out that companies are "approved and certified" and are expected to trust that information.

Chicken slaughterer W. van der Meer: years of postponement to comply with criteria

Beter Leven participants are given years to meet the 'requirements' of the label. For instance, slaughterhouse W. van der Meer, where Ongehoord filmed the rough treatment of Beter Leven slaughter chickens in 2019 ^[10] , is still permitted to electrocute chickens in a water bath. This is notable because the electric water bath is banned for the Beter Leven Label: hanging chickens on slaughter hooks causes stress and pain, and hanging them upside down leads to breathing difficulties as the organs press on the lungs, significantly increasing the risk of failed stunning. ^[11]

Already in 2016, the Animal Protection Society announced that the (inexpensive) electric water bath would be banned in mid-2017 for Beter Leven chicken slaughterhouses. However, in 2017, we were informed that the ban on the water bath was postponed: "The Animal Protection Society is in discussions with the participating slaughterhouses. They indicate they need more time... The new plan is now to exclude the water bath method by mid-2018... Until the new criteria are implemented, the water bath method may still be used." ^{[12] [13]}

In November 2020, Ongehoord emailed the Animal Protection Society to inquire whether W. van der Meer was still using the water bath method. On November 23, 2020, the Animal Protection Society responded that water bath stunning is no longer permitted. However, they noted: "already participating slaughterhouses, who at the time of the entry into force of the new criteria (May 6, 2020) were still using electric stunning, have been given the possibility of a standard transition period of 12 months... The renovation, the purchase of new equipment and applying for a permit from the municipality takes time... For that reason, water bath stunning at W. van der Meer is accepted until May 6, 2021 at the latest."

In August 2021, after four years of discussions with the Animal Protection Society, slaughterhouses were given "more time" until the new criteria would take effect. They also received an additional 12-month transition period. However, the deadline of May 6, 2021, was missed, and chickens at W. Van der Meer still go through the water bath. There has been no suspension from the Beter Leven label.

Ongehoord received a new email from the Animal Protection Society, stating that W. Van der Meer could not upgrade its stunning installation on time due to "force majeure." Ongehoord questions this claim since the slaughterhouse managed to completely renovate its office and shop in 2020. Despite this, the Animal Protection Society approved W. Van der Meer to continue using the water bath. The new deadline is set for January 2022.

Slaughterhouse Gosschalk: Beter Leven chain coordinator

The Beter Leven Label is a chain label, meaning that not only livestock farmers but also all other participants in the sales chain—such as slaughterhouses, packing stations, processors, packers, shops, and supermarkets—must be affiliated with the label. At the top of each sales chain is a chain coordinator. The chain coordinator is the entity "that registers livestock farms with the Beter Leven Label Foundation and oversees the livestock farms affiliated with its chain. Additionally, the chain coordinator connects the various links within the chain, from the primary business to the processor/seller and all intermediary links." According to the Animal Protection Society, operating within fixed chains with a chain coordinator ensures "higher quality companies and entrepreneurs who are committed to the welfare of the animals, the label, and the chain." ^[16]

Slaughterhouse Gosschalk in Epe, where Varkens in Nood filmed disturbing footage of animal abuse in 2021, serves as a chain coordinator for the Beter Leven Label. The serious violations have resulted in the (temporary) suspension of slaughter activities by NVWA. However, the Animal Protection Society believes this is not enough reason to immediately terminate its partnership with Gosschalk. The company was permitted to continue its role as 'chain coordinator' for the Beter Leven Label. ^[17] Excluding a chain coordinator would, according to the Beter Leven Label regulations, mean that livestock farmers in the chain cannot temporarily deliver animals under the label until a new chain coordinator is found. This would result in financial losses for the industry.

Ten years of abuses in Beter Leven companies

The recent undercover investigations at Gosschalk and W. van der Meer reveal just the tip of the iceberg. Since 2011, Ongehoord has repeatedly filmed abuses involving pigs, laying hens, broiler chickens, and rabbits at Beter Leven certified companies with 1, 2, and 3 stars. Here’s an overview of the investigations.

2020 - Pig farm van den Oever, St. Hubert (North Brabant)

1 star Beter Leven Label

In July 2020, Ongehoord shared images of pigs with the Beter Leven label at the farm owned by FDF chairman Mark van den Oever. These pigs are housed in bare pens with slatted floors. Their only form of 'entertainment' is a chain with a ball attached to the pen wall. Many pigs show signs of distress, including red, inflamed eyes and necrotic wounds on their ears caused by ear biting. Out of frustration and boredom, pigs bite each other's ears. The resulting wounds can become infected with bacteria, leading to the death of the ear tips.

2020 - Chicken slaughterer W. van der Meer, Dronryp (Friesland)

1, 2 and 3 stars (organic) Beter Leven Label

This investigation was published in January 2020 and revealed how employees entertain themselves with still-living chickens. The industry roughly removes the animals from transport crates and hangs them on the slaughter line. We hear the animals making fearful sounds and see chickens flapping their wings in panic. One chicken emerges unstunned from the water bath, indicating that the animal experienced a painful electric shock and is cut while conscious. According to the Beter Leven criteria for poultry slaughterhouses, "the animals must be slaughtered as quickly as possible but in any case within 4 hours." However, at W. Van der Meer, the average waiting time is 8 hours.

For more information, check out our investigation about chicken slaughterhouses.

2020 - Pig slaughterer Westfort, IJsselstein (Utrecht)

1 and 3 stars (organic) Beter Leven Label

In January 2020, Ongehoord published an undercover investigation at Westfort, a pig slaughterhouse that processes 50,000 pigs each week. The investigation revealed distressing images of pigs arriving under stressful conditions. Daily, the slaughterhouse receives animals with serious health issues, including abscesses, umbilical hernias, tail bite wounds, leg defects, heat stress, and exhaustion. Workers routinely beat the pigs and handle them roughly by their ears and tails. During gassing and emergency slaughters, mistakes often occur, leading to pigs regaining consciousness with their throats cut open.

For more information, check out our investigation about slaughterhouses.

2017 - Investigation Laying Hens

Beekmans, Oirschot (North Brabant), 1 star Beter Leven Label

Rondeel, Barneveld (Gelderland), 3 stars Beter Leven Label

Geijtenbeek, Terschuur (Gelderland), organic (3 stars Beter Leven Label)

In 2017, Ongehoord conducted an investigation in companies within the Dutch egg industry. This included three laying hen barns that had the Beter Leven label. In each of these barns, investigators found dead laying hens, sometimes in advanced stages of decomposition, among living hens. In the barn located in Oirschot (1 star), a wheelbarrow filled with dead animals was discovered. In the Rondeel barn (3 stars), many hens were bald due to feather pecking, a stress-related behavior commonly seen in chickens across the egg industry, from conventional to organic. This pecking often leads to the premature death of animals in the barns.

For more information, check out our investigation about laying hens.

2013 - Investigation Broiler Chickens

De Kort, Hulten (North Brabant), 1 star Beter Leven Label

Glas, Loppersum (Groningen), 1 star Beter Leven Label

Van Voorthuizen, Terschuur (Gelderland), 2 stars Beter Leven Label

Vink, Dreumel (Gelderland), organic (3 stars Beter Leven Label)

Polderhoenhof, Lelystad (Flevoland), organic (3 stars Beter Leven Label)

In 2013, Ongehoord conducted an investigation in the barns of five Beter Leven broiler chicken farmers. The investigation team filmed chicks suffering from paralysis, deformed legs, breathing problems, and other issues linked to their rapid growth rate, which reached about 2.3 kg in just 8 weeks. In both farms, they found carcasses in a state of decomposition lying in the barn.

In the 2-star barn in Terschuur, investigators found a chick in terrible condition. Its back was pecked open, blood flowed from the gaping wound, and the chick couldn't move. Many other chickens had wounds on their foot pads and hocks, making it hard for them to walk or preventing them from walking altogether.

In both organic barns (3 stars), investigators observed sick and dead chicks. At the De Polderhoenderhof farm in Lelystad, they found many dead and dying chickens. Multiple chicks were filmed struggling to walk, while others showed signs of brain infections, dirty bottoms, inflamed eyes, and various other health issues. The catching process for slaughter also appeared to be rough.

For more information, check out our investigation about broiler chickens.

2011 - Meat rabbits, Kohlen, Kelpen-Oler (Limburg), 1 star Beter Leven Label

During Ongehoord's investigation into rabbit farming in December 2011, Kohlen was the only rabbit farmer in the Netherlands with the Beter Leven label. The Animal Protection Society awarded the company 1 star for its housing of mother rabbits. However, most of the rabbits were kept in standard barns. Young meat rabbits were confined to wire mesh cages, some equipped with plastic mats, while many others had none. Dead rabbits, gnawed at by their companions, lay among the living. Some rabbits suffered from ear conditions, and one rabbit was missing an entire ear.

Two years later, the industry revoked Kohlen's Label, confirming Ongehoord's claim from 2011 that Kohlen had committed fraud.

For more information, check out our investigation about rabbits.

2011 - Investigation Pigs

Van Leeuwen, Buren (Gelderland), organic (3 stars Beter Leven Label)

Van Wagenberg, Esch (North Brabant), organic (3 stars Beter Leven label)

Ten Have - Mellema, Beerta (Groningen), Comfort Class (1 star Beter Leven Label)

In July 2011, Ongehoord published its investigation into the Dutch pig industry, which included two organic companies with a 3-star Beter Leven label. In Buren, pigs live in an environment dominated by metal and concrete, with only a thin layer of bedding on the barn floor. One mother pig struggles with leg problems and walks with great difficulty. In Esch, the investigation team filmed the insemination department, where female pigs are confined between bars for several days during artificial insemination. These animals stand and lie in their own excrement and show stereotypical behaviors, such as bar biting.

At Ten Have-Mellema's company, investigators filmed 'Comfort Class' pigs with 1 Beter Leven star. The pigs displayed scratches, wounds, and signs of stereotypical and disturbed behavior. One piglet was paralyzed, and two animals had protrusions on their hindquarters. Many dead piglets were found lying with the sows.

For more information, check out our investigation about pigs.

Evolution of the livestock population since the establishment of the Beter Leven Label (2007)

The Animal Protection Society claims its label leads to livestock farming that produces "less and better." However, government figures reveal that the Dutch livestock population has increased since the Beter Leven Label was established in 2007.

The industry will not reduce the number of animals it breeds simply due to a label, as this contradicts its financial interests. Articles in agricultural trade journals frequently showcase livestock farmers who leverage the transition to the Beter Leven Label to enlarge their current barns. For instance, a broiler chicken farmer in Uitwijk constructed a new barn alongside his three existing barns. ^[18]

In Balkbrug, a pig farmer constructed an additional section to his barn, enabling him to house 1,100 more pigs. The farmer expressed his desire to produce under the Beter Leven Label (which allows for a higher sales price), but he did not find it practical to reduce the number of animals: "With the expansion of the barn, we have addressed that issue. We are keeping more pigs, even though the occupancy per square meter has decreased". ^[19]

Dutch livestock population (source: CBS Statline)

Animal numbers in organic farms, which is equated with 3 stars Beter Leven (Source: CBS Statline)

Since 2007, the pig population has grown by 287,590 animals. In 2020, 3.7 million pigs were living under the Beter Leven Label. ^[20] There are 102,112 pigs raised organically (3 stars), and only 1 pig farm has received 2 stars. ^[21] This indicates that most Beter Leven pigs have only 1 star, which is only slightly better than standard production: pigs with 1 star receive an extra toy in their pen but have minimal additional space, lack access to fresh outdoor air, mother pigs are confined in farrowing crates, piglets stay with their mothers for a maximum of 4 weeks (similar to conventional piglets), pig tails are docked, and corner teeth are filed. ^[22]

In broiler chicken barns rated with 1 star, 12 broiler chickens are housed per square meter, without access to outdoor air. There is a covered outdoor run where the chickens rest on a paved surface, similar to the conditions inside the barn, without any vegetation. These chickens are raised for slaughter over a period of 8 weeks, compared to 6 weeks for standard chickens. In addition to the broiler chickens raised for consumption, there are 7,794,300 broiler chicken parent stock in the Netherlands. The Beter Leven criteria apply to broiler chickens intended for consumption. The parents of Beter Leven broiler chickens are kept in standard barns. ^[24]

The number of laying hens has grown by 1,941,200 since 2007. In 2020, 4.7 million laying hens lived under the Beter Leven label. Additionally, there are 3.69 million organically kept laying hens, which automatically receive 3 Beter Leven stars.

We don't have specific figures on the number of laying hens with 2 or 1 stars. However, we can infer from the data on the organic laying hen population that many Beter Leven laying hens likely have 3 stars. The Beter Leven label hasn't improved the living conditions for organic hens because organic production was already in place before the label was introduced.