The Contribution of Broiler Chicken Welfare Certification at Farm Level to Enhancing Overall Animal Welfare: The Case of Brazil
The intensification of farm animal welfare debate has led to an increasing number of certification schemes covering this issue; however, there are concerns about the contribution of these schemes in improving welfare. The aims of this study were to identify certification schemes for broiler chicken welfare at farm level in Brazil, to investigate the extent […]
Closer to Nature? A Critical Discussion of the Marketing of “Ethical” Animal Products
As public awareness of environmental issues and animal welfare has risen, catering to public concerns and views on these issues has become a potentially profitable strategy for marketing a number of product types, of which animal products such as dairy and meat are obvious examples. Our analysis suggests that specific marketing instruments are used to […]
Sound analysis in dairy cattle vocalisation as a potential welfare monitor
In modem farming there is a growing demand for innovative tools gathering and analysing information concerning the herd, as well as individual animals. In Precision Livestock Farming (PLF), technology continuously measures various variables as activity, food intake or oestrus activity, thereby supporting farmers in monitoring his livestock. Sound analysis has shown to be useful as […]
Citizens, Consumers and Animals: What Role do Experts Assign to Public Values in Establishing Animal Welfare Standards?
The public can influence animal welfare law and regulation. However what constitutes ‘the public’ is not a straightforward matter. A variety of different publics have an interest in animal use and this has implications for the governance of animal welfare. This article presents an ethnographic content analysis of how the concept of a public is […]
Analysis of animal monitoring technologies in Germany from an innovation system perspective
In order to address societal demands (e.g., animal welfare, traceability, environmental aspects), animal monitoring (AM) technologies provide much potential for innovation in animal production. AM means the real time and on-going automatic monitoring by ‘smart’ sensors of physiological, growth and behaviour parameters of individual farming animals, integrated in various areas (e.g., animal milking, feeding, breeding, […]
Show Horse Welfare: Evaluating Stock-Type Show Horse Industry Legitimacy
The purpose of this paper is to use the Social Cognitive Theory and its moral disengagement framework to emphasize the need for stock-type horse associations to minimize potential and actual threats to their legitimacy in an effort to maintain and strengthen self-regulating governance, specifically relating to the occurrence of inhumane treatment to horses. Despite having […]
The Inseparability of Science and Ethics in Animal Welfare
Emotion Evaluation and Response Slowing in a Non-Human Primate: New Directions for Cognitive Bias Measures of Animal Emotion?
The cognitive bias model of animal welfare assessment is informed by studies with humans demonstrating that the interaction between emotion and cognition can be detected using laboratory tasks. A limitation of cognitive bias tasks is the amount of training required by animals prior to testing. A potential solution is to use biologically relevant stimuli that […]
Determinants of Individual Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare-Friendly Food Products
Animal welfare involves societal and human values, ethical concerns and moral considerations since it incorporates the belief of what is right or what is wrong in animal treatment and care. This paper aims to ascertain whether the different dimensions of individual attitudes toward animal welfare in food choices may be characterized by general human values, […]
Perspective: are animal scientists forgetting the scientific method and the essential role of statistics?
Animal scientists and their funding organisations need to ensure investment in research is maximised by strict adherence to the scientific method and the rigorous design and analysis of experiments. Statisticians should be considered as equals in the research process, engaged from the beginning of research projects and appropriately funded. The importance of experimental design that […]