GAIA kicks off 30th anniversary summer tour in Brussels
GAIA kicked off its 30th anniversary summer tour today on Place de la Monnaie in Brussels. The GAIA taste truck will be touring the country in the coming weeks. It is an opportunity to thank people for their support of GAIA and their commitment to animal welfare, as well as conduct a survey about their main concerns and wishes concerning animal welfare in Belgium.
GAIA's taste truck offers a 100% plant-based vol-au-vent as a means of drawing attention once again to the inhumane conditions in which broiler chickens are kept. With 300 million broiler chickens ending up in slaughterhouses every year, they are the most slaughtered animals in Belgium. Broiler chickens suffer an extremely short and sad existence, in which they have to grow as fast as possible in appalling conditions. Such extremely fast growing breeds reach their slaughter weight of almost 2.5 kg in 42 days.
Because they grow so fast, they suffer from constant joint pains. Their legs cannot support their abnormal body weight. These crippled chickens, which are in fact abnormally large chicks that can barely move, also suffer from abdominal obesity (accumulated fluid around the organs). It is estimated that 47% of chickens in Flanders are lame.
Tens of thousands of chickens live at 15 to 23 per square metre. That means 1 chicken per A4 page. As the chickens grow, moving around becomes increasingly difficult and painful. Their quality of life deteriorates constantly until they are finally slaughtered.
BETTER CHICKEN COMMITMENT
GAIA succeeded last year in getting the majority of supermarket chains in Belgium to sign the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). With this commitment, the supermarkets have undertaken not to sell battery chickens on their shelves from 2026 onwards, but rather meat from chickens that have been given a better life.
Nevertheless, the Belgian supermarket chains have not yet signed the BCC for the products they sell which contain chicken, e.g. chicken salad, chicken curry, chicken nuggets, etc. GAIA wants to avoid battery chickens being used for these products at all costs.
Between 22 July and 12 August, the GAIA taste truck will stop in twelve Belgian cities:
CITIES AND DATES
Friday 22 July in Brussels, Place de la Monnaie.
Tuesday 26 July in Namur, Place de l'Ange.
Wednesday 27 July in Antwerp, Groenplaats.
Thursday, July 28 in Genk, Stadsplein (market square).
Friday, July 29 in Leuven, Martelarenplein.
Tuesday 2 August in Charleroi, Place Verte.
Thursday 4 August in Ghent, Woodrow Wilsonplein.
Friday 5 August in Blankenberge, Zeedijk/Lippenslaan.
Tuesday 9 August in Tournai, Grote Markt.
Wednesday 10 August in Liège, Place de la Cathédrale.
Thursday 11th August in Eupen, Bergstrasse.
Friday 12 August in Arlon, Place de l'Office du Tourisme (Rue des Faubourgs).
