Improving farm animal welfare : : Science and society working together: the Welfare Quality approach / / edited by H.J. Blokhuis, Mara Miele, Isabelle Veissier, Bryan Jones.

• HerausgeberIn: Blokhuis, Harry J.; Miele, Mara.; Veissier, Isabelle.; Jones, Bryan.
• Place / Publishing House: Wageningen : : Wageningen Academic Publishers :, Imprint: Wageningen Academic Publishers,, 2013.
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Edition: 1st ed. 2013.
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (229 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

How do you define the quality of life of a farmed animal? This timely book addresses the complex and often controversial issues surrounding the assessment and improvement of farm animal welfare. Based on a large, multi-disciplinary EU funded research project called Welfare Quality, it discusses the relevance of science based welfare assessments and the importance of establishing a fruitful dialogue between science and society. An outline is given of the development of a workable welfare assessment system for cattle, pigs and chickens as well as practical ways of improving the animals' quality of life. This book synthesises the huge body of work carried out by the largest ever international network of scientists and stakeholders in Welfare Quality. It describes some of the obstacles encountered and their solution and why particular paths were chosen. It also clearly sets out what still needs to be done and presents selected strategies and technologies (automation, proxy indicators, targeting of risk factors, etc.) designed to ensure the continued improvement of welfare and its assessment. The book provides a valuable source of knowledge on farm animal welfare for social and animal scientists, students, teachers, policy makers, lobby groups and the animal industry.

Table of Contents

""Table of contents""; ""Acknowledgements""; ""Chapter 1. Introduction""; ""References""; ""Chapter 2. Changes in farming and in stakeholder concern for animal welfare""; ""2.1 Introduction""; ""2.2 Changes in animal farming in the post World War II era and the emergence and role of animal welfare science""; ""2.3 Development of animal welfare science""; ""2.4 EU policy and legislation on the protection of farm animal welfare""; ""2.5 Changes in farming and in stakeholders� concerns for animal welfare""; ""2.5.1 Differences between sector: management and regulation""

""2.5.2 Basic and high standard quality assurance schemes versus animal welfare and organic schemes""""2.5.3 Differences between countries: global competition and regulation via market or state""; ""2.6 Public perception of animal welfare in Europe""; ""2.7 Conclusion""; ""References""; ""Chapter 3. Animal welfare: from production to consumption""; ""3.1 Introduction""; ""3.2 Citizens as consumers of welfare""; ""3.2.1 Consumers for whom welfare is a central concern""; ""3.2.2 Consumers for whom welfare is a component of �quality�""; ""3.2.3 Hidden consumers""

""3.2.4 Consumers and ethical proxies""""3.3 The retailer response: creating and managing consumer choice""; ""3.3.1 Assurance""; ""3.3.2 Labelling""; ""3.4 Ways forward""; ""References""; ""Chapter 4. The Welfare Quality® vision""; ""4.1 Introduction""; ""4.2 Accommodating the different animal welfare �drivers�""; ""4.2.1 Public concerns and demands""; ""4.2.2 Product supply chains and markets""; ""4.2.3 Policy making and regulatory bodies""; ""4.3 The Welfare Quality® approach""; ""4.4 Holistic approach""; ""4.5 Science-society dialogue""; ""4.6 Focus on animal-based measures""

""4.7 Welfare improvement strategies and management support""""4.8 Practicality and feasibility""; ""4.9 A European Union and global reach""; ""References""; ""Chapter 5. Welfare Quality® principles and criteria""; ""5.1 Introduction""; ""5.2 Discussion within Welfare Quality® on the principles and criteria""; ""5.2.1 Good feeding""; ""5.2.2 Good housing""; ""5.2.3 Good health""; ""5.2.4 Appropriate behaviour""; ""5.3 Discussion with society""; ""5.3.1 Engaging with public opinion""; ""5.3.2 A brief overview of societal views about farm animal welfare""

""5.3.3 The relative agreement between scientific and societal views""""5.3.4 Responding to societal concerns15""; ""5.4 Future implications""; ""References""; ""Chapter 6. Development of welfare measures and protocols for the collection of data on farms or at slaughter""; ""6.1 Introduction""; ""6.2 How the welfare measures were developed""; ""6.2.1 Selection of measures""; ""6.2.2 Testing promising measures""; ""6.2.3 Choice of measures""; ""6.2.4 Need for clear descriptions of measures and protocols""; ""6.3 How the protocol was developed""

""6.3.1 Construction of the protocol from the measures""