Safeguarding and improving animal welfare Harry Blokhuis Department of Animal Environment and Health...

Safeguarding and improving animal welfareSafeguarding and improving animal welfare

Harry Blokhuis

Department of Animal Environment and HealthSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Safeguarding and improving animal welfare

- Why? Who/what are the drivers in the food chain?

- Components in safeguarding and improving welfare

- Points for discussion

Public concerns

Farmers

Retail

Consumers

Legislators

Safeguard and improve

Animal Welfare

’Drivers’ in the food chain

Drivers in the food chain

•Public concerns

Public concerns

•To inform general public

Unni Kjaernes, Mara Miele and Joek Roex (eds) (2007)

How important is farm animal welfare for you?

Many public concerns get scientific support

(c.f. EFSA scientific reports)

E.g. - barren environment- high stocking densities- lighting conditions- air quality- transport- mutilations

Public concerns

Top concerns in Member States (SPECIAL EUROBAROMETER 354 (2010) Food-related risks)

Public concerns

•To inform general publicWould you like to be more informed about the conditions under which animals are farmed in your country? (SPECIAL EUROBAROMETER 354 (2010)

Food-related risks)

Public concerns

Drivers in the food chain

•Public concerns

•Retail

Retail

•In quality food chains and markets, animal welfare is increasingly an important attribute of an overall conception of food quality: business opportunity

A large part of animal products (60% of 300) surveyed in the 10 most popular retailing outlets of each of the six EU countries (UK, Italy, NO, France, NL, SW) were communicating to consumers some aspects of farm animals’ lives or the production methods adopted.

Half of the surveyed products were carrying welfare claims that were not supported by any specific welfare-friendly production standard.

In all cases they were bundled with other quality specifications (e.g. better taste, higher safety, environmental friendliness, and so forth).

Retail

Retail

•In quality food chains and markets, animal welfare is increasingly an important attribute of an overall conception of food quality: business opportunity

•Quality insurance, certification and consumer information

•Harmonisation of welfare assessment

Drivers in the food chain

•Public concerns

•Retail

•Consumers

54% of respondents have difficulties finding proper information on the animal welfare standards applied in producing food

EU special barometer on attitudes of EU citizens (March 2007)

Consumers

Consumersanimal welfare is not at the forefront of consumers when shopping for food

Drivers in the food chain

•Public concerns

•Retail

•Consumers

•Farmers

Farmers

- Farmers want to take good care of their animals

- They recognise the link between good welfare and good economics

- welfare – production costs

- welfare – market demands

Comparison of observed lameness and farmers’ estimation (%)

Šárová et al., 2011

Farmers

Farm managers underestimate lameness prevalence

•Tools to support animal welfare management on farm

FarmersNeeds:

•Tools to support animal welfare management on farm

•Since animal welfare is more and more considered as a quality aspect, farmers need a way to demonstrate this quality

FarmersNeeds:

•Tools to support animal welfare management on farm

•Since animal welfare is more and more considered as a quality aspect, farmers need a way to demonstrate this quality

•Level playing field (in EU and global)

FarmersNeeds:

Drivers in the food chain

•Public concern

•Retail

•Consumers

•Farmers

•Legislators

•’Translate’ public concerns in legislation (’science based’)

Legislators

•’Translate’ public concerns in legislation (’science based’)

•Compliance

Legislators

•’Translate’ public concerns in legislation (’science based’)

•Compliance

•Harmonisation/level playing field (EU)

Legislators

’Drivers’ in the food chain

Public concerns

Farmers

Retail

Consumers

Legislators

Safeguard and improve

Animal Welfare

1. Assess animal welfare

Public concerns

Farmers

Retail

Consumers

Legislators

Safeguard and improve

Animal Welfare

Components in safeguarding and improving welfare

Welfare assessment

Management

Animal welfare

Indicators

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

Until now: Mainly resource based

Resource based

EU Council Directive 1999/74/ECEnriched cages

• From 1 January 2002:

- 750 cm2/hen (600 plus)

- nest

- litter

- 15 cm perch per hen

- 12 cm feedtrough per hen

- 2 nipple drinkers per cage

- claw-shortening devices

Welfare assessment

Management

Animal welfare

Indicators

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

Until now: Mainly resource based

’Conceptual difficulties’

Welfare assessment

Management

Animal welfare

Indicators

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

Until now: Mainly resource based

’Conceptual difficulties’

?

Welfare assessment

Management

Animal welfare

Indicators

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

Until now: Mainly resource based

’Conceptual difficulties’

?

Welfare assessment

Management

Animal welfare

Indicators

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

Until now: Mainly resource based

’Conceptual difficulties’

?/

Welfare assessment

Management

Animal welfare

Indicators

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

Animal basedindicators

Welfare assessment

Management

Animal welfare

Indicators

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

Animal basedindicators

The Welfare Quality® System

Expressing social behaviour

Good human-animal relationship

Expressing other behaviour

Thirst

Thermalcomfort

Comfort around resting

Ease of movement

No disease

Positive emotional state

Hunger

No injuries

No painful management procedures

Four principles and 12 criteria

Absence of prolonged thirst

Absence of prolonged hunger

Animal based measures

Good housing

Good

feeding

Appropriate

behaviourGood

health

Expressing social behaviour

Good human-animal relationship

Expressing other behaviour

Thirst

Thermalcomfort

Comfort around resting

Ease of movement

No disease

Positive emotional state

Hunger

No injuries

No painful management proceduresPhotos: Butterworth and de Jong

Broiler feet

1 20 3 4

Good housing

Good

feeding

Appropriate

behaviourGood

health

Expressing social behaviour

Good human-animal relationship

Expressing other behaviour

Thirst

Thermalcomfort

Comfort around resting

Ease of movement

No disease

Positive emotional state

Hunger

No injuries

No painful management procedures

• Wounds• Scratches• Location

Animal based measures

Good housing

Good

feeding

Appropriate

behaviourGood

health

Expressing social behaviour

Good human-animal relationship

Expressing other behaviour

Thirst

Thermalcomfort

Comfort around resting

Ease of movement

No disease

Positive emotional state

Hunger

No injuries

No painful management procedures

• Wounds• Scratches• Location

0 21

Photos: University of Newcastle

Ears

Animal based measures

Welfare Quality assessment protocols

www.welfarequalitynetwork.net

Resource based or outcome based???

Welfare assessment

Resource based or outcome based???

A clever combination but outcome parameters should be included

Welfare assessment

1. Assess animal welfare2. Feedback and improve

Public concerns

Farmers

Retail

Consumers

Legislators

Safeguard and improve

Animal Welfare

Components in safeguarding and improving welfare

Feedback and improve

Management

Animal welfare

Measures

Resources

Farmer

Society

Product information

Trade

Assessment information

Legislative control

1. Assess animal welfare2. Feedback and improve

3. Legislate

Public concerns

Farmers

Retail

Consumers

Legislators

Safeguard and improve

Animal Welfare

Components in safeguarding and improving welfare

–Some problems:• Too many details complicated and inflexible

• May have different effects under different conditions

• Compliance

–Possible improvements• Ban systems/practices clearly detrimental to welfare

• Harmonise assessment measures and control practices

• Require on-farm welfare management systems

• Include role of private schemes

Legislation

Legislate

Management

Animal welfare

Measures

Resources

Farmer

Product certification

Assessment information

Legislative control

1. Assess animal welfare2. Feedback and improve

3. Legislate4. Communicate

Public concerns

Farmers

Retail

Consumers

Legislators

Safeguard and improve

Animal Welfare

Components in safeguarding and improving welfare

Communicate

Management

Animal welfare

Measures

Resources

Farmer

Product certification

Assessment information

Legislative control

Society Trade

Points for discussion

– Welfare assessment measures and information need to be harmonised

– Legislation and private schemes should complement each other

– Certification schemes should include a welfare improvement component

Thank you for your attention!