Uruguay is an adequate performer (“C”) under the VACI, on par with Algeria and Germany. The country has high levels of animal consumption, production and dependence, and inadequate legislative protection for farmed animals.
Uruguay is an adequate performer (“C”) under the VACI, on par with Algeria and Germany. The country has high levels of animal consumption, production and dependence, and inadequate legislative protection for farmed animals.
Uruguay is a major producer of animals and animal products. It exported over one million calves from 2016-2018 so that the inventory available for slaughter declined to 10 land-based animals per person per year, about the world average. However, the dependence on farmed animals, is still very high – around 14.7 farmed animals per person, versus a global average of 4.1. This is the most out of all the countries surveyed. Cattle outnumber people 4 to 1.
While meat consumption is declining, the Uruguayan diet still contains a high proportion of animal products, around 52% of the average person’s diet made up of land-based animal protein, compared with a global average of 35.2%. Each person consumes around 42.5g of land-based animal protein per day, versus a global average of 27.2g.
Uruguay is rated as a marginal performer (“D”) under the Animal Protection Index (API), and its farmed animal protection legislation achieved a very poor (“F”) performance rating under the same index. While there is extensive legislation concerning transport and slaughter of animals, there are no species-specific regulations for the rearing of farmed animals. Farrowing crates, sow stalls, cages and cruel surgical procedures for piglets/egg-laying hens are still permitted. Learn more about the quality of Uruguay’s legislative protections on the API here.