Abstract
Egg production is an important economic activity in Brazil, with about 697 million eggs produced annually. The conventional cage system is commonly used for egg production. However, there has been a growing concern for the welfare of laying hens around the world. In this context, many countries have issued laws, protocols, and other normative technical specifications to ensure the welfare of layers. This study aims at identifying similarities and differences between international standards and Brazilian protocols using the Comparative Law perspective. This article reports an analytical study of selected protocols, performing three analyses using the Comparative Law method. The research concludes that some items of the Brazilian protocols of good egg production practices, such as farm inspection, treatment of diseases, temperature, ventilation, beak trimming, feed and water supply, correspond to international specifications, whereas others, such as housing, freedom movement, use of equipment, and transport, are less strict.
Highlights
Egg production in an important segment of agribusiness
Guideline comparison (Table 1) shows that Brazilian protocols, similar to international standards, include requirements relative to labor training, traceability, bird inspection, temperature and ventilation, beak trimming, and feeding and water supply. Both Brazilian and national and international standards establish requirements on these topics, this does not mean that they are identical, as commercial egg production practices may be specific to each country
Brazilian welfare protocols for laying chickens are less advanced than the international norms in terms of housing and freedom of movement, use and installation of equipment, and transportation, as they do not provide any requirements on these matters
Summary
Egg production in an important segment of agribusiness. This economic activity is regulated by the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988, its primary objective is to eradicate hunger in the country, according to the agrarian structure, as determined by Article 3 of the Constitution.There is no specific animal welfare legislation in Brazil. Egg production in an important segment of agribusiness. This economic activity is regulated by the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988, its primary objective is to eradicate hunger in the country, according to the agrarian structure, as determined by Article 3 of the Constitution. There is no specific animal welfare legislation in Brazil. 9.605/98 provides for criminal and administrative sanctions for attitudes and activities that harm the environment, but it does not explicitly address the use of animals in livestock production activities. 215/07 proposes the establishment of a Federal Animal Welfare Code. This bill includes several provisions for the protection of pets and livestock; it is waiting for consideration by the House of Representatives since 2012
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