Farmland

In an effort to raise awareness among children about the importance of treating farmed animals in a respectful and humane way, the European Commission has launched "Farmland", the European children's website on animal welfare.

Farmland is an interactive and informative web tool targeting children aged between 9 and 12, which also aims to help tomorrow's consumers to be in a position to make informed choices about the food they will be buying. On the basis of the five freedoms, Farmland attempts to explain to children that although we farm, transport and slaughter animals for our needs, we should do so humanely and taking into account their basic needs.

Farmland consists of an illustrative part, with specific texts on the needs of farmed animals, and of simulation games. By playing the games, the children can apply the main welfare messages of these texts. These games concern farming, animal transport and the supermarket and aim to reproduce the different moments in the animals' life along the food production chain. The children play the role of the farmer or that of the supermarket shopper. The former aims to introduce the concept of animal welfare to the children, whilst the latter the knowledge of how to recognise the origin of animal products, which will help them make informed choices as future consumers.

The Commission is also developing a teacher's toolbox containing exercises that can be used in class or as homework to help children better understand the issue of animal welfare.

Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou, said: "Information and communication play an important role in helping us to understand the value of animals in our society. We have a duty to inform our children about the origin and production of food and to raise awareness about animals and how they should be handled and treated. With 'Farmland' we believe we achieve these objectives in a way that is also interesting and entertaining for our children."

If you want to enter "Farmland", please click here: http://www.farmland-thegame.eu/

Press release