The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) strongly believes that immunocastration of piglets fits within the conditions for organic farming and its objectives.
The main reasons for this are:
- Immunocastration is better for animal welfare than surgical castration, which is regularly used in organic farming
- Immunocastration is similar to other treatments, widely accepted in organic farming, that work on the immune system such as vaccinations
- Immunocastration is not a hormone treatment and does not carry a risk for hormonal residues
FVE urges the EU Commission’s Standing Committee for Organic Farming to reconsider its opinion and accept that immunocastration complies with the principles of organic farming of pigs.