TURKEY FACTORY FARMING CLIPREEL

Clipreel about the scandalous conditions in turkey-fattening factories and against factory animal farming produced as background material for the 'ROUND' table talks with UNILEVER, largest food producer in Europe. Contains Greenpeace protest actions, research footage as well as comments of veterinarian Dr. Boers:

1. Garrel/Lower Saxony, August 3, 2001(01099) Some 20 Greenpeace activists protested against factory animal farming / intensive farming (Massentierhaltung) in a turkey-fattening factory (Putenmast /Putenmastbetrieb) owned by HEIDEMARK. Greenpeace studies have shown that the largest food producer in Europe, UNILEVER, processes turkey meat from Heidemark factories for its 'Du darfst' diet products ('Du darfst' is advertised as low-fat food 'you may allow' yourself to eat.). The turkeys (Puten / Truthähne) in the shed / coop (Stall) are in poor condition and have probably been receiving antibiotics over several weeks. The activists have opened the wooden door of the turkey shed and replaced it with a plexiglas pane. On a banner above the entrance and on warning signs the words: 'This is how 'Du darfst' is produced. 'Stop FACTORY farming!' are written.

Wieglitz/Brücke, Sachsen-Anhalt, August 14, 2001 (01101): Greenpeace discovers another cooperation where turkeys are fed with antibiotics. The meat is produced for UNILEVER. Some 20 activists have been protesting against factory animal farming in a turkey-fattening factory / unit (Putenmastbetrieb) owned by HEIDEMARK at Wieglitz/Brücke. The activists have installed a 4,5 times 3,5 meter big poster of a turkey with deformed legs. With a huge stamp they lable the poster with the message 'So produziert Du Darfst' (This is how 'Du darfst' produces its meat'). On a banner they demand 'Stopp Massentierhaltung' (Stop factory animal farming).
In addition to the action footage there are interial shots from turkeys inside the fattening factory at Wieglitz/Brücke, some dead or with damages and ill. Veterinarian Dr. Johannes Boers describes the deformations of turkeys shown on video screen and gives reasons why he thinks the shed should be closed immediately.

3.Hamburg, August 30, 2001 (01104, 01105): Some forty Greenpeace activists wearing masks over their mouths unload dead turkeys in front of the head office of the UNILEVER corporation in Hamburg. The animals, which died in their shed, were raised to be fattened by HEIDEMARK. The activists mount a billboard with a factory-farmed turkey with its legs crippled from being fattened. The words on the poster, 'I don't want to stay how I am', are an allusion to 'Du darfst's' advertising slogan. Greenpeace demands Unilever to call on its meat suppliers to apply stricter minimum standards in consumer, animal and environmental protection and moreover to stop using meat produced by factory animal farming and discusses the issue with Rüdiger Ziegler, Unilever Germany press officer.

18 Oct, 2001

11m54s