| | |  |  | | |  | @start-1@The project is working on the construction of a prototype labelling and information system to identify welfare-friendly products. It is tasked with creating an outline document describing the route towards a technical product information standard. Teams are addressing issues regarding labelling and information about the level of ‘detail’ requested by consumers regarding animal welfare. The preferred format for information transfer – such as information on the product, in the shop, via mass media, internet, etc. – is being addressed. Two important questions - which welfare issues are of interest?, should welfare issues stand alone or be bundled together with other issues such as ‘organics’ or ’local food’ or nutritional information? – are also being addressed. Practical problems are being explored, including the size, space and time taken to read materials, the impact of the use of images, and the potential for misleading messages. The organisation of the information system is also being examined – who may wish to use the label and information, what will be their expectations for transparency, and how easy will it be to audit the use of symbols and marks? At another level, the Welfare Quality® teams are exploring @end-1@@start-2@the links that label and information will NGO interests. Information derived from the welfare assessment can also be used in a supportive framework, where farmers use assessment to monitor welfare over time, and receive advice and support to address observed welfare issues. Some systems used for other legislation or certification purposes may also be used as an advisory/management tool, e.g. farmers and advisors may wish to use assessment to identify areas of potential improvement in welfare. Welfare assessment results can be reported back to the farmer with a comparison of their performance with farmers using similar systems (“benchmarking”). A benchmarking system that informs farmers on their own performance and encourages them to improve is an appropriate mechanism for ensuring husbandry improvements. Many existing farm standards promote the use of a health plan to enable the farmer to make planned improvements in disease, health and welfare – and assessments carried out in a uniform and repeatable way may be of real value in this supportive role for farming.
Dr Andy Butterworth, Andy.Butterworth@bristol.ac.uk @end-2@ | | |
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