L214

The association L214 (also known as L214 éthique et animaux) is a French law 1901 (non-profit) association for animal protection. It was founded in 2008 by the collective "Stop Gavage" for the abolition of foie gras, which now continues its actions within L214.

It is devoted to the welfare of the animals used to be consumed (meat, milk, eggs, and fish), putting into question the links between society and animals.

History

The name of the association comes from the article L214-1 of the French Rural Code in which animals are referred as "sensitive beings" for the first time in French law: “Any animal, as a sensitive being, must be placed by its owner in compatible conditions with the biological imperatives of its species ". L214 founders have "animal liberation" or "animals rights" opinions. Some have participated in the introduction of these ideas in France through the magazine Cahiers antispécistes.

Focus

L214 wants to document and cover the ordinary conditions of livestock farming, fishing, animals’ transportation and slaughter in order to "fuel public debate on animal welfare" The association leads information campaigns to change animal protection rules as well as consumption pattern. Investigation pictures and association experience are frequently used in reports about agribusiness in media.

Main awareness campaigns

Foie gras

In November 2013, an investigation led by L214 into force-feeding, in buildings of Ernest Soulard company, which supply starred restaurants and Parisian luxury hotels, is published. In light of the controversy, the chef Joël Robuchon, target of the association, suspends his supply from Ernest Soulard, "until there is proof that animals are not abused as in the broadcast video". Alain Ducasse, who was also the target of the L214 campaign, still takes supplies from Ernest Soulard, despite an online petition against him.

In February 2013, after repeated presence in front of retail chain Monoprix stores by L214 activists in many big cities of France, the retailer decided to stop their own brand using eggs from hen grown in battery cages from April 2013, using free-range eggs instead.

Novotel

In February 2010, after negotiations with L214 in the campaign surroundings of the association lead against Novotel, the hotel chain announced that eggs on their breakfast menu will come henceforth from outdoor reared hens.

Charal

In September 2008, L214 investigated Metz (Moselle) Charal slaughterhouse. This hidden camera investigation was led by an activist from the association hired by the firm Charal as a slaughterhouse worker. According to the association, two previous applications for visiting were refused, by an e-mail in which the Charal company declares having “made animal protection a central and specific part of their quality policy”. The filmed investigation shows bovine slaughter which “do not respect the operative regulation and lead to untenable death” according to the association. The Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire is “shocked” by the pictures showing animals seeming to recover consciousness before and during being bled. L214 make complaints against Charal Company on September 2009 about cruelty to animals. Charal wants L214 to remove the video from their websites, complains about violation of their site, and challenges charges by the association, denouncing "an assembly with false and partisan commentaries, whose only aim is to shock and make meat consumers guilty."

Online sources

L214 makes their investigation videos and images available on their website under a Creative Commons license. L214 also manages many websites including:

http://www.viande.info gather several data about ethic, ecological and sanitary issues, raised by production and consumption of animal origin.

http://www.politique-animaux.fr publish positions from political players (elected representative or candidates) about several themes related to animal welfare.

http://www.stopgavage.com www.stopgavage.com is devoted to protection of ducks and gooses used to product foie gras, magret and confit.

http://www.lait-vache.info gather data about consequences of milk production and its drift (cheese, butter, yoghurt…) on animals used to product it.

http://abolir-la-viande.org is launch pad about the claim to prohibit the fact to kill animals to eat them.