Apart from being entertaining and delicious, some 23 million dairy cows also provide milk for everyone in the EU (contributing to your cereal this morning, your tea at lunch and that Ben & Jerry's winking at you in the supermarket, demanding to be brought home for dessert).

Unfortunately, unlike other farm animals, these cows don't have any specific laws in place to ensure that they are kept humanely and happily, and Ben & Jerry's and Joanna Lumley (bff's apparently) are getting together with NGOs to influence EU policy in the 'Supporting Better Dairy' campaign.

Cow-lovers Ben & Jerry's "believe that only happy cows make great ice-cream", so if you want to make sure that every spoon of it you slurp down is top notch, you can throw your John Hancock on the petition at https://www.happycows.eu/

Now if you'll excuse us, we're off to gorge until we're lactose intolerant.

Words:  David O'Shaughnessy