This petition is dear to my heart, having two older sheep (Josette and Zina) whom I am keeping "for the duration". We would never dream of sending them to an abattoir (they are part of the family!) to become sausage meat or pet food - which is what, however, may happen to 750 older but healthy sheep in Bergundy, France.
For those reading this thread who don't know about sheep, are meat eaters and/or don't understand what the protest is about: sheep in commercial farms are not used for "ordinary" meat once they become seniors, as the flesh is considered too tough. Ewes are, sadly, used year after year to produce lamb for the meat market (that's another topic), but once their loyal service is finished, instead of a well deserved retirement they get sent to the abattoir to be sliced up for sausages. This is the same fate as for milk cows.
The petition is in French, but you can do a "Google translate" if you wish. But the gist of the petition is this:
There is a charity which saved 750 "retired" sheep on a 90 hectare plot. The owner of the land, who was letting it to the charity, went backrupt and the land has been sold. There is an acceptable buyer: the president of "La Fondation pour une Terre Humaine". This would allow the charity to continue to do its work on the land. In theory, everything should be fine: the price is agreed, and the buyer will continue to let the land to the charity. But not under French law: a buyer can lose his/her right to buy if SAFER (an organisation acting for farmers' interests) wishes it to be sold to a farmer on its list. This is in danger of happening. The petition asks SAFER not to exercise its right to overrule the sale and to allow the sale to go through with the originally agreed buyer, who will allow the charity to continue its work.
Please sign the petition here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/m-le-pr%...e_petition
For those reading this thread who don't know about sheep, are meat eaters and/or don't understand what the protest is about: sheep in commercial farms are not used for "ordinary" meat once they become seniors, as the flesh is considered too tough. Ewes are, sadly, used year after year to produce lamb for the meat market (that's another topic), but once their loyal service is finished, instead of a well deserved retirement they get sent to the abattoir to be sliced up for sausages. This is the same fate as for milk cows.
The petition is in French, but you can do a "Google translate" if you wish. But the gist of the petition is this:
There is a charity which saved 750 "retired" sheep on a 90 hectare plot. The owner of the land, who was letting it to the charity, went backrupt and the land has been sold. There is an acceptable buyer: the president of "La Fondation pour une Terre Humaine". This would allow the charity to continue to do its work on the land. In theory, everything should be fine: the price is agreed, and the buyer will continue to let the land to the charity. But not under French law: a buyer can lose his/her right to buy if SAFER (an organisation acting for farmers' interests) wishes it to be sold to a farmer on its list. This is in danger of happening. The petition asks SAFER not to exercise its right to overrule the sale and to allow the sale to go through with the originally agreed buyer, who will allow the charity to continue its work.
Please sign the petition here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/m-le-pr%...e_petition
