Why Do Farm Animal Welfare Regulations Vary Between EU Member States? A Comparative Analysis of Societal and Party Political Determinants in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette S. Vogeler
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Political Determinants ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Market-Based Governance in Farm Animal Welfare—A Comparative Analysis of Public and Private Policies in Germany and France

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette S. Vogeler
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Animal Protection ◽  
Agricultural Restructuring ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Private Actors ◽  
Different Levels

The intensification of livestock production and the focus on economic gains of agricultural policy have resulted in animal welfare related challenges. In many countries the societal concern for the welfare of farmed animals is increasing. Whereas policymakers on the European Union’s level and in EU member states have passed specific farm animal protection laws, the existing policies do not always guarantee the welfare of farmed animals. At the same time, the engagement of market actors in the field is increasing. This article explores the development of public and private policies in two countries with very different levels of regulation. By conducting a comparative analysis of public and private policies in Germany and France, the findings illustrate that, although they have different starting points, retailers in both countries are getting increasingly involved in farm animal welfare. In addition, there is evidence that governmental policies are shifting from regulatory to voluntary approaches in cooperation with the private sector. Given that in both countries these dynamics are a very recent development, it remains to be seen whether governmental actors will (re-)assume the lead in the field, whether they will engage in cooperation with private actors, or whether they will leave the task of agricultural restructuring to the market.

scholarly journals Benchmarking Farm Animal Welfare—A Novel Tool for Cross-Country Comparison Applied to Pig Production and Pork Consumption

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 955
Author(s):  
Peter Sandøe ◽  
Henning Otte Hansen ◽  
Helle Lottrup Halkjær Rhode ◽  
Hans Houe ◽  
Clare Palmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Market Driven ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The Uk

A pluralist approach to farm animal welfare, combining animal welfare legislation with market-driven initiatives, has developed in many countries. To enable cross-country comparisons of pig welfare, a number of welfare dimensions, covering the features typically modified in legislative and market-driven welfare initiatives aimed at pig production, were defined. Five academic welfare experts valued the different welfare states within each dimension on a 0–10 scale, then assessed the relative contribution of each dimension to overall welfare on a 1–5 scale. By combining these values and weights with an inventory of pig welfare initiatives in five countries, the additional welfare generated by each initiative was calculated. Together with information on the national coverage of each initiative, the Benchmark value for each country’s production and consumption of pork could be calculated on a scale from 0 to 100. Two (Sweden and the UK) had a much higher Benchmark value than the rest. However, there was a drop in the Benchmark for consumption in Sweden and the UK (indicating imports from countries with lower-Benchmark values for production). Even though the experts differed in the values and weights ascribed to different initiatives, they were largely in agreement in their ranking of the countries.

Development of acceptable standards

1999 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 83-87
Author(s):  
W. J. M. Black
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Codes Of Practice ◽  
Basic Set ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Farm Livestock ◽  
The Way

AbstractUK welfare standards have evolved and are continuing to develop, as our knowledge increases and with the greater interest of a larger proportion of the general public. The government issues official ‘codes of practice’ on animal welfare, one for each of the major categories of farm livestock, addressed personally to every registered farmer in the country. UK legislation is continually updated, so that those with responsibility for keeping livestock have a basic set of rules which are relatively specific and which are enforced by random inspection, usually by the State Veterinary Service. The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) is responsible to the Minister and, with an element of independence, is asked to assist with the development of animal welfare standards in the UK FAWC is made up of 23 independent members, with a wide variety of skills, knowledge and experience, who, usually in working groups of about six people (with MAFF advisers and secretariat support), are commissioned to investigate and report on particular areas where farm animal welfare standards require attention or revision. The way in which FAWC operates is described using, as examples, recent reports on sheep and laying hens, to demonstrate how the government makes use of FAWC reports in revising codes of practice and legislation. Reference is also made to the way in which quality assurance schemes are being developed. These add a further dimension to the ‘rules’ which affect UK farm animal welfare standards

Edinburgh Farm Animal Welfare Scale

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Austin ◽  
Ian J. Deary ◽  
Gareth Edwards-Jones ◽  
Dale Arey
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare

scholarly journals Designing an Institutional Network for Improving Farm Animal Welfare in the EU

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1081-1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Jones ◽  
Joop Lensink ◽  
Maria Cecilia Mancini ◽  
Richard Tranter
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Institutional Network ◽  
The Eu

scholarly journals Costs and Benefits of Improving Farm Animal Welfare

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Jill N. Fernandes ◽  
Paul H. Hemsworth ◽  
Grahame J. Coleman ◽  
Alan J. Tilbrook
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Course Of Action

It costs money to improve the welfare of farm animals. For people with animals under their care, there are many factors to consider regarding changes in practice to improve welfare, and the optimal course of action is not always obvious. Decision support systems for animal welfare, such as economic cost–benefit analyses, are lacking. This review attempts to provide clarity around the costs and benefits of improving farm animal welfare, thereby enabling the people with animals under their care to make informed decisions. Many of the costs are obvious. For example, training of stockpeople, reconfiguration of pens, and administration of pain relief can improve welfare, and all incur costs. Other costs are less obvious. For instance, there may be substantial risks to market protection, consumer acceptance, and social licence to farm associated with not ensuring good animal welfare. The benefits of improving farm animal welfare are also difficult to evaluate from a purely economic perspective. Although it is widely recognised that animals with poor welfare are unlikely to produce at optimal levels, there may be benefits of improving animal welfare that extend beyond production gains. These include benefits to the animal, positive effects on the workforce, competitive advantage for businesses, mitigation of risk, and positive social consequences. We summarise these considerations into a decision tool that can assist people with farm animals under their care, and we highlight the need for further empirical evidence to improve decision-making in animal welfare.

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