Italy has approved its first cage-free fund to support the move away from caged animal farming. The fund will provide €500,000 in 2026 and €1 million each year from 2027.
This is the first time the Italian government has created permanent public funding to help farmers transition to cage-free systems.
Each year, more than 40 million farm animals in Italy are still kept in cages.
Annamaria Pisapia, head of Compassion in World Farming Italy, called the fund a positive step. Speaking on behalf of the Italian End the Cage Age coalition (ETCA), she said: “Citizens don’t want cages. The transition to cage-free systems would significantly improve the lives of millions of animals currently sentenced to an existence of suffering and confinement.”
However, animal groups also say the funding is too low to make real change. “The amount is not enough to help even one farm fully transition,” Pisapia added. “We are disappointed the final amount was reduced and will keep working to increase it in the future.”
The original proposal for the fund had stronger support, but the budget was reduced during the Senate Budget Committee’s review. Senator Domenica Spinelli first signed the proposal, which was supported by senators from several political parties.
According to a Eurobarometer survey, 91% of Italians oppose the use of cages in animal farming. In 2019, more than 1.4 million EU citizens signed the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative.
Animal groups now hope to work with the government to ensure a smooth and well-funded transition away from cages. They are also waiting for EU-wide legislation to ban cages completely.
