Ghanaian veterinarian leads campaign against proposed African battery cage standard

A prominent Ghanaian veterinarian is leading a continent-wide campaign against a proposed standard from the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) that would approve battery cages for egg-laying hens. Dr. Daniel Baba Abiliba, founder of the Animal Welfare League (AWL) and a graduate student at the Yale School of the Environment, is speaking out against ARSO’s draft standard, CD-ARS 1241:2025(E), which would formally accept the worst form of battery cages as a housing system for laying hens.

“The battery cage system ARSO is endorsing is horrible, and it runs contrary to African ideals,” Dr. Abiliba said. “Most Africans interact with animals in one way or another, in our homes, on our farms and in our communities. Also, a large number of us know that chickens are sentient beings; they can feel pain, fear, and distress. The battery cage system has been found to contribute a lot of pain and suffering to chickens.

This standard does not reflect who we are.” The Pan-African Campaign Together with coalition partners, AWL launched a campaign in March 2026 at stoparsobatterycages.org . It calls on all 44 African national standards bodies to reject the draft by signing the petition. “Treating animals well is not at odds with productivity,” Dr. Abiliba said. “Ghanaian farmers know that healthy, well-kept animals are productive animals.

We don’t have to choose between caring for animals and feeding our people.” Ghana’s Leadership in Animal Welfare Ghana has demonstrated strong leadership in establishing national poultry welfare standards through the creation of GS 1404:2026 (Farm Animal Welfare – Requirements for Poultry). Dr. Abiliba contributed directly to this effort as part of the technical committee that drafted the standard alongside the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), the Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), and other key stakeholders.

The GSA has officially adopted both the standard and its accompanying inspection manual as national benchmarks. In line with this, the VSD is currently piloting implementation across over 100 farms nationwide. “Good animal husbandry has always been part of the African farming tradition. This standard simply puts it into writing and GS 1404 builds on what our farmers already know.

ARSO should be learning from Ghana, not moving in the opposite direction,” Dr Abiliba said. A veterinarian with a global record Dr. Abiliba is currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Management at the Yale School of the Environment in the United States. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

He was the first Ghanaian to win the MSD/World Veterinary Association Veterinary Student Scholarship and his exemplary work in rabies prevention has been recognised by the World Health Organization. The future of animal welfare in Africa depends on collective action. Readers, farmers, and organizations are urged to join the campaign against battery cages by visiting stoparsobatterycages.org and calling on African national standards bodies to reject draft standard CD-ARS 1241:2025(E).