PMAF – Protection Mondiale des Animaux de Ferme – World Protection for Farm Animals – was set up in 1994 in France by its director Ghislain Zuccolo and president Charles Notin, who, well before that, had been concerned about the consequences of industrial farming for the welfare of the animals and were working at the heart of different animal protection organisations and supporting their work on the issue.
At the age of 22, Ghislain was awarded a prize by Fondation de France for his work and with this, was able to spend a year in Britain training with Compassion In World Farming.
It was with Compassion’s help that PMAF was established, with the objective of providing France with an effective, powerful and professional organisation to sensitise the French public to the abuses suffered by farm animals at different stages of their lives, from transportation to slaughter.
Billboards, aimed at sensitising the French public to the intelligence and cleanliness of pigs, and their qualities as sociable and maternal creatures, are now on display in the cities of Paris and Metz. Pigs are our friends!
Since July 23, seventy-five of these billboards have gone up on main roads in Paris, and since July 26, thirty-five in Metz, where PMAF is based.
www.pmaf.org (in French)
Project Pig – the current issue of Farm Animal Voice features the Compassion on World Farming campaign against the sow stall. From January 2013, a ban on this cruel practice will take effect across the entire EU.
Some nations are reporting they will be in full compliance – however, as with those countries which still have not brought about an end to the battery cage for laying hens, the pressure is on to persuade the others to do so.
The sow stall was banned in Britain in 1999.
www.ciwf.org/ProjectPig – where action can be taken.