Farm animal welfare concept: From beginnings to integration in modern production systems

Dusica Ostojic-Andric,Radica Djedovic,Dragan Niksic,Blagoje Dimitrijevic,Vlada Pantelic,Natasa Tolimir,Slavca Hristov

doi:10.2298/bah1803269o

Dusica Ostojic-Andric, Radica Djedovic + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2298/bah1803269o

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Abstract

The farm animal welfare science has undergone a thorny path of development, often disputed because of its lack of measurability and the purpose of existence. At the very beginning, primarily based on moral and ethical attitudes, over time it pointed to the importance of meeting the needs of animals and the consequences of their neglect and exhaustion in the conditions of intensive livestock production. An important segment of its development was the definition and development of methodologies for the assessment of welfare indicators, which made it measurable and accepted as a scientific discipline with the knowledge applicable and useful in modern production systems. This paper is a concise review of the evolution of the animal welfare science, but also an indication of its future in the context of the development of "symbiotic" connections with the concepts of sustainable agriculture and food safety as integral parts of the modern ecological movement arose from a unified concern for the welfare of people and animals, a care for planetary welfare in general.

Highlights

Moral origin and subject of animal welfareProviding animal welfare has always been important, but people's knowledge of it has changed over time, especially since recently
As Haynes (2008) points out, with this view there is a danger of neglecting or inadequately considering the ethical question: is it or is it not acceptable to kill animals? scientific research on the welfare of animals should not be based solely on ethics, scientific knowledge cannot be gained without understanding ethical attitudes
Many developing countries have extensive agriculture and low labour costs that give them an edge in the agricultural market, especially if they are oriented towards highly valued organic foods and the market for products deriving from production based on respect of basic welfare principles, the so called animal-welfare market

Summary

Moral origin and subject of animal welfare

Providing animal welfare has always been important, but people's knowledge of it has changed over time, especially since recently. It is morally acceptable for humans to use animals for the production of food, work, entertainment and company, for the production of natural fibres and clothing and footwear materials and for scientific purposes in a way that does not cause animal suffering This view is contrary to the attitudes of the advocates for animal rights, who consider it ethically unacceptable for humans to exploit animals as their property (Vučinić, 2006). Philosophers and the public are often concerned with the issue of killing animals for human consumption and clothing as well as for research purposes (Fraser, 2008) These are important ethical issues, but according to Broom (2011), not the essential issues of animal welfare. As Haynes (2008) points out, with this view there is a danger of neglecting or inadequately considering the ethical question: is it or is it not acceptable to kill animals? scientific research on the welfare of animals should not be based solely on ethics, scientific knowledge cannot be gained without understanding ethical attitudes

The significance of welfare

The history and definitions of welfare

The concept and methods of welfare assessment

Conclusion