Poland is a marginal performer (“D”) under the VACI, on a par with Denmark and France. Although its animal protection legislation is adequate, the country is a high consumer of animal products and heavily reliant on farmed animal production.
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Poland is a major exporter of livestock products. It slaughters 23 land animals per person per year, compared to a world average of 10.1. This includes rabbits, horses, chickens and other farmed birds. The number of animals slaughtered has risen since 2013, with intensive pig farming also rapidly increasing.
The Polish diet is rich in animal products. Land animal protein in the diet is 51.1%, versus a global average of 35.2%. Each person consumes 49.9g of animal protein per day, compared with a global average of 27.2g. Approximately 8% of the population is vegetarian.
Poland is rated as an adequate performer (“C”) under the Animal Protection Index (API), and its farmed animal protection legislation achieved the same rating under the index. The government has introduced detailed legislation to protect the welfare of farmed animals in compliance with EU legal requirements, however specific welfare requirements are vague and incomprehensive and enforcement is limited. Learn more about the quality of Poland’s regulatory frameworks on the API here.