Welfare Quality research programme backs EU action plan

More than 50 percent of European consumers consider animal welfare when purchasing meat
More than 50 percent of
European consumers consider
animal welfare when
purchasing meat

By Dr Lindsay Matthews

The European Union (EU) is intensifying its activities in the animal welfare arena, partly as a result of a 2005 survey which "noted a seismic shift in consumer opinion towards promoting animal welfare" (Eurobarometer, 2005).

The survey results showed that, for an animal welfare conscious (e.g., northern EU) consumer, more than 50 percent consider animal welfare when purchasing meat, 56–72 percent identify the production system on the label, and 70–94 percent believe animal welfare on farms can be influenced by purchasing behaviour. Further, the Eurobarometer report identified several significant barriers for consumers in exercising their choice of products, namely, lack of information, lack of availability and lack of trust in the food production systems. It was considered that labelling would be one effective way to overcome the lack of information and help consumers choose between "minimum" and "higher" welfare standards.

In addition to the Eurobarometer studies, the EU has developed a Five Year Action Plan (2006–2010) (EU, 2006) with the broad aim of developing mechanisms to prevent differences in animal welfare standards internationally from undermining higher animal welfare elsewhere. One of the key actions centres on the introduction of standardised animal welfare indicators. These would:

  • assist consumers in making ethically based food purchases by providing them with the means to differentiate products based on animal welfare standards in the market place
  • serve as the basis for an animal welfare label
  • help in improving animal welfare (and its transparency to consumers) in production systems.

The EU's aspirations in animal welfare are supported by its "Welfare Quality®: Integration of Animal Welfare in the Food Quality Chain" research programme. Not including national contributions, the project has a budget of about €14 million over five years.

The aims of the research programme are unique internationally, in that they involve working across the supply chain (producers, processors, retailers, food service sector and consumers) to promote the application of animal welfare measurement at all stages of the process, from consumption right back to production. Their success in developing the partnerships and research is described in their latest newsletter (Welfare Quality, 2007).

The monitoring system being developed involves assessments under four key areas: nutrition, health, housing and behaviour. For example, in the nutrition area, proposed measurable indicators include body condition score and accessibility of water (Keeling and Veissier, 2005). Where possible, the focus is on outcome-based measures like body condition score, rather than on resource-based measures (e.g., food availability) as these usually provide a better indication of the impacts on the animal.

From a measurement perspective, several key elements must be addressed before a monitoring scheme can be used with confidence in practice. It must be reliable (have good agreement both between independent observers and with the same observer on separate occasions) and valid (correspond with the actual welfare status of the animal).

Over the first two years of the programme, Welfare Quality has developed a draft set of monitoring tools and is currently evaluating the feasibility and reliability of using these in commercial production systems for intensively reared cattle, pigs and poultry. The scientific validity of the some of the indicators is likely to require further research. For example, while it is possible to score the body condition of livestock reliably, there is little evidence in the scientific literature that can be used in setting appropriate levels of body condition to satisfy the animal welfare requirements of all species.

Lindsay Matthews
Lindsay Matthews

As mentioned above, the EU and Welfare Quality aim to develop and apply a monitoring scheme that can differentiate between different levels of welfare. Clearly, such a system will require a validated process for setting thresholds and for defining boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable welfare. As part of this process, Welfare Quality is holding a one-day workshop in Berlin this May (in conjunction with their second Welfare Quality conference) with their advisory committee and scientific board. The aim of the workshop is to obtain expert scientific opinion on the proposed welfare assessment system, weightings of welfare outcome areas, and thresholds for acceptable welfare.

The Welfare Quality research programme also seeks to improve animal welfare by assessing animal management practices in current (mainly intensively housed) production systems and, where necessary, developing or recommending improved alternatives. In New Zealand, AgResearch and Dexcel are collaborating with livestock industries and international research groups to identify appropriate, validated, objective measures of welfare relevant to our pastoral production systems.

See future issues of Biosecurity for updates on the Welfare Quality project and reports on the second Welfare Quality conference and workshop.

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Page last updated: 30 April 2008