Veal calves are a by-product of the dairy industry. How they are raised has enormous welfare implications — from the extreme confinement of white veal systems to the higher welfare of rose or pasture veal alternatives.
The welfare of veal calves is inseparable from the dairy system that produces them. Male dairy calves have little commercial value — they are either shot at birth, exported live, or raised for veal. White veal production — anemia-inducing iron restriction in barren individual pens — has been progressively banned as a welfare atrocity. Rose veal, raised in social groups with forage and appropriate diet, represents a significantly better welfare outcome and provides a market for calves that would otherwise be shot. Supporting rose veal as a higher welfare option for dairy by-products encourages both better calf welfare and reduced waste of male animals.