@start-1@Welfare Quality conducted a case-study among 360 cattle farmers, focusing on the viewpoint of farmers engaged in dairy production, beef production or veal production in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The sample of cattle farmers was stratified according to the type of quality assurance scheme the farmers participated in.
Cattle farmers who participated in the basic and top quality assurance schemes differed in their definition of ‘good animal welfare’ from cattle farmers who participated in specific animal welfare and organic schemes. Farmers in the first group described animal welfare in terms of animal health, comfortable housing conditions and the absence of stress. Farmers in the second group defined animal welfare as the possibility for the animals to express natural behaviour.
The cattle farmers who decided to enter specific animal welfare schemes did so because it improved their market position or because they agreed with the animal welfare specifications of the scheme. Cattle farmers who chose organic production referred to ethical concerns about @end-1@@start-2@the environment and food safety and not to worries about animal welfare problems in cattle farming.
Apart from the Italian and Swedish farmers, most farmers thought that retailers could play a major role in the development of animal-friendly production; but farmers were sceptical about whether retailers really wanted to play this role.In order to understand the differences in farmers’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviour towards animal welfare, differences between cattle sub sectors are more important than differences between countries or quality assurance schemes. How farmers thought about animal welfare was affected by the type of production system that they were involved in. This can be explained by differences in farming practices, in farmers’ contacts and relations with animals, but also by different experiences with public concern about animal welfare.The most importance difference between veal, beef and dairy farmers was regarding their perception of animals and their relations with them. Read more…
Dr Bettina Bock, Bettina.Bock@wur.nl @end-2@