Dossier

Do we have a welfare friendly animal husbandry?

Angela Bergschmidt | 01.07.2022

BW Institute of Farm Economics

MA Institute of Market Analysis OL Institute of Organic Farming FI Institute of Fisheries Ecology

How can we measure whether animals feel well? What options exist to evaluate animal welfare in livestock farming? Which political measures are effective in achieving improvements?

Animal welfare combines the concepts of well-being and welfare. This refers to the feelings of the animals, which depend, among other things, on the exercise of species-specific behaviors and the state of health. Animal welfare expresses striving for a positive state.

Animal welfare implies "doing justice" to the demands of the animal with its husbandry, housing, care, feeding. The term describes to what extent the animal is given the conditions to behave normally in order to maintain its health, i.e. negative emotions such as fear are avoided or positive emotions such as joy can be experienced. Animal welfare is closely linked to the measurement and evaluation of animal husbandry systems and, where appropriate, transport and killing. It therefore plays a role not only in farm animals, but also in aquaculture as well as zoo, circus, experimental, pet and companion animals.

The use of animal based indicators with subjective scoring systems requires substantial training and regular checks inter-observer reliability.

Several Thünen Institutes do research on animal welfare. The Institute of Farm Economics evaluates the effectiveness of animal welfare measures of the rural development programmes (RDP) and develops new instruments such as results-oriented animal welfare payments. The Institute for Market Analysis examines the societal expectations on livestock farming and the acceptance of animal husbandry. The Institute of Organic Farming reviews animal based indicators on agricultural holdings (on-farm research) and examines approaches to improve animal welfare. In addition, scientists work on investigational questions at the experimental station of the Institute of Organic Farming in Trenthorst, for example on alternative calf rearing systems, the renunciation of dehorning in dairy cows or castration of piglets. The Institute of Fisheries Ecology works on the scientific principles for the assessment of animal welfare in aquaculture and advises aquaculture enterprises in the process of implementing new knowledge to improve animal welfare.

Expertise

How can we measure animal welfare?

Animal welfare can be measured – using a variety of indicators. But a generally accepted set of indicators is not available yet.

Finding adequate policy measures

Policy has different options to achieve improvements in animal welfare of livestock farming. What can be done to make these measures effective?

Violations of animal protection laws: what are the consequences?

Official veterinarians regularly complain that judicial authorities do not recognize clear violations of the animal protection laws and thus do not prosecute them. The Thünen Institute took a closer look at the charges, the problems and possible solutions.

Thünen explains

The Animal Welfare Payment

More light, more air, more freedom of movement: More animal welfare is to be ensured in German barns. The Borchert Commission has proposed the introduction of an animal welfare surcharge. The infographic explains how it works.

The National Animal Welfare Monitoring

Animal welfare in Germany is to improve fundamentally. In order to measure progress and identify the need for change, certain animal welfare indicators must be verifiable. The National Animal Welfare Monitoring (NaTiMon) project is developing the basis for this.

Podcast

Episode 3: To each animal its own pleasure?

German livestock farming is under pressure: international competition here, demands for higher animal welfare and environmental standards there. Every form of animal husbandry is associated with environmental impacts. Are there options for making animal welfare, environmental and climate protection an integral part of agriculture?

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