ENVIRONMENT Secretary Hilary Benn is to be congratulated on

deciding not to authorise the mass slaughter of badgers in

England – a victory for common sense and science. Farmers must

now face facts.

In their eagerness to blame anyone but themselves for the

bovine TB epidemic they are targeting wildlife when they should

be looking closer to home.

The bottom line is that the intensification of farming

practices and the huge increase in cattle movements are the

real reasons for the spread of this disease. Dairy herd sizes

have more than doubled since the 1970s, when bovine TB was at

its lowest. There is a direct correlation between larger herd

sizes and the spread of disease. The rush to intensify animal

agriculture has led to this disastrous situation. Dairy cows

suffer the dual burden of pregnancy and lactation during much

of their lives. Their immune systems are shot to pieces and

they are physically exhausted and killed at a fraction of their

natural lifespan.

Add unreliable bovine TB testing that is inaccurate in

one-third of cases and you start to see the real causes of the

problem.

But the best way to protect both cattle and badgers is to

remove yourself from the meat and dairy chain – go vegan. Viva!

can help – see www.viva.org.uk/badgers

Justin Kerswell

Campaigns Manager, Viva! Bristol