Summary: Describing the Valle de Odieta S.C.L. factory farm in Northeast Spain (Caparroso, Navarra) as a “biofarm” is clearly a “greenwashing” tactic. First of all, the use of the word “bio” in the context of farm production in the EU must only be used according to the EU law on certified organic production. The Department of Rural Development and Environment of the Government of Navarre has reportedly warned the company that it cannot use the term “bio” to refer to these facilities, but the company keeps using it. Certified organic production in the EU has clear rules that this giant factory farm certainly do not comply with. With at around 8,000 animals, it is one of the biggest dairy factory farm in Spain.
This company also has a long history of violating rules – from environmental to animal welfare – with at least 19 disciplinary proceedings since they started their activities in 2010. In 2021, a huge spill of residues from their biogas plant affected many protected sites. The spill is currently under investigation for allegedly violating environmental law. In the aftermath of this episode, and several civil society campaigns, Valle de Odieta started their “greenwashing” campaign in earnest. They created a webpage, a video), put advertisements in the newspapers, and produced glossy leaflets in an apparent campaign to clean up their tarnished image.
As if 8000 cows was not enough, in 2017, Valle de Odieta started a new project for an even bigger factory farm, capable of exploiting over 20,000 animals! After more than five years of vigorous campaigning against this project, the Spanish government approved a law forbidding factory farms of this size in December 2022. Now, the maximum number of cattle that any farm can raise is limited to 850 animals at a time. But the company is unhappy that their toxic business model has been blocked and, together with other two companies, is challenging the law.
In addition, the company launched a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) against the activists that ran the successful campaign to stop the zoning of the mega dairy farm in March 2022. 15 members of 14 organizations from Navarra were named in the suit, including Greenpeace Spain livestock campaigner, Luís Ferreirim in an individual process against him. While they were able to silence a few small organizations from Navarra, they could not shut down the movement as a whole. Instead, the movement consolidated, forming the Navarra Platform Against Factory Farms. The legal case brought against the activists eventually expired and none of the activists were fined.
See this video by Greenpeace Spain that shows the impact of the company’s waste in the surroundings.