In the political agreement “Together for the Animals” dated February 9, 2024, an initiative was launched to establish a representative group of citizens tasked with making recommendations on animal welfare.
In collaboration with We Do Democracy, we at Democracy x have facilitated a a citizen engagement process, which has been supported by stakeholder engagement and a knowledge-building process involving Denmark’s leading researchers in animal welfare.
The final outcome of the citizen engagement process is a report containing 8 specific recommendations. The report is the result of the members’ joint discussions during a deliberative process spanning five meetings. They have been introduced to the latest research on animal welfare, the current state of pig production, and possible paths for development.
They have drawn on their own experiences and reflections to arrive at the report’s recommendations. On that basis, the members endorse this report, which provides a clear direction for the future of animal welfare in Danish pig production.
“We’ve brought together a group of ordinary Danes and made sure they have the most up-to-date knowledge about pig farming. And the group has come up with some recommendations that are relatively extensive. This shows that there are actually plenty of things we can do in this area that have broad, public support,” says Rasmus B. Mikkelsen, who is the technical director at Democracy x.
The Citizens’ Panel’s recommendations were presented to Christian Rabjerg Madsen, Minister of Nature and Animal Welfare, on September 2, 2026.
