1. It is unnecessary for human health, well-being and gourmet pleasure to eat animals or animal products. Indeed it is often detrimental to one's health to do so. For details of the detrimental effects to human health and the environment from animal farming refer attached: NZAVS Submission in Support of NZAVS Petition to Abolish Vivisection (1989), pages 18-19.
2. Thousands of animals are experimented on in New Zealand every year in an attempt to sustain the commercial farming of animals and profits for the chemical companies.
3. Animals are experimented on:
• in attempts to make them more productive (eg attempts to increase the milk yield from cows);
• to test and produce agricultural chemicals and animal remedies;
• in toxicological testing to try and provide 'safety' levels of these chemicals for humans;
• and in nutritional testing to try and 'show' that eating animal products is beneficial for the human diet.

In the last two cases the differences between species is exploited by the experimenters and their backers as they are able to market chemicals hazardous to human health as 'safe' and potentially harmful food as a 'nutritional necessity' for humans - based on misleading results of animal tests.

4. With the detrimental effects of the unnecessary consumption of animals and animal products and the farming of animals being inextricably linked to vivisection it is clear that the farming of animals must be phased out.
5. The Codes of Welfare appear to be designed to protect the financial welfare of animal farmers and those who profit from animal exploitation. They seem to be designed as a public pacifier, in order to convince the public to continue to consume corpses and animal products (despite the detriment to human health, environment and animal welfare). For instance if it is the animals' welfare that is paramount then sow stalls (pigs: 5.1.3.1) should be banned immediately. As at present most sows in New Zealand are not kept in sow stalls, and that sows kept in stalls can suffer from many negative impacts on their welfare such as lameness, skin abrasions or chronic stress.
6. The broiler chickens' Code contains a minimum standard to stop "unauthorised" entry to sheds (broiler: min standard 3). Yet it has been such "unauthorised" entry that has rescued many sick and suffering animals and exposed the horrors and abuse that occurs on intensive animal farms. To take steps to prevent such "unauthorised" entry will result in further cover-ups and a decline in animal welfare.
7. Those who oppose vivisection and strive for its abolition are not necessarily against scientific research but against "animal" research. We consider that research and technology should focus on phasing out the farming of animals and replacing it with more efficient and sustainable production of alternative and superior foods in the form of organic or veganic cropping.

Phil Clayton
National Secretary
New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society Incorporated
12 December 2001