Moral Convictions and Meat Consumption—A Comparative Study of the Animal Ethics Orientations of Consumers of Pork in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden

Background: The relationship between animal ethics orientations and consumer demand for meat with high standards of animal welfare, and the way this relationship plays out in different countries, is not well understood. Using pork as a case study, this comparative study aims to identify the animal ethics orientations that drive purchases of welfare meat in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire data from representative samples of approximately 1600 consumers in each country were collected. A segmentation of pork consumers (using latent profile analysis) was carried out. Results: In all three countries, two subgroups were concerned about farm animal welfare: the first subgroup was driven by animal rights values; the second subgroup by animal protection values, where the main principle was that “it is all right to use animals as long as they are treated well”. Other consumer groups are less concerned about farm animal welfare and display little or no preference for welfare pork. Conclusions: In all three countries, dual demand for welfare pork exists. The findings of this study can be used, among others, to understand the marketability of enhanced welfare animal products and the potential for market-driven animal welfare improvements.

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Market-Based Governance in Farm Animal Welfare—A Comparative Analysis of Public and Private Policies in Germany and France

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9050267 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 267 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Colette S. Vogeler

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Farm Animal ◽

Farm Animal Welfare ◽

Public And Private ◽

Animal Protection ◽

Agricultural Restructuring ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Private Actors ◽

Different Levels

The intensification of livestock production and the focus on economic gains of agricultural policy have resulted in animal welfare related challenges. In many countries the societal concern for the welfare of farmed animals is increasing. Whereas policymakers on the European Union’s level and in EU member states have passed specific farm animal protection laws, the existing policies do not always guarantee the welfare of farmed animals. At the same time, the engagement of market actors in the field is increasing. This article explores the development of public and private policies in two countries with very different levels of regulation. By conducting a comparative analysis of public and private policies in Germany and France, the findings illustrate that, although they have different starting points, retailers in both countries are getting increasingly involved in farm animal welfare. In addition, there is evidence that governmental policies are shifting from regulatory to voluntary approaches in cooperation with the private sector. Given that in both countries these dynamics are a very recent development, it remains to be seen whether governmental actors will (re-)assume the lead in the field, whether they will engage in cooperation with private actors, or whether they will leave the task of agricultural restructuring to the market.

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Ethics and Australian mammalogy: reflections on 15 years (1991 - 2006) on an Animal Ethics Committee

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am10010 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Daniel Lunney

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Rights ◽

Animal Ethics ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Ethics Committees ◽

Ethics Committee ◽

Animal Research ◽

Animal Protection ◽

South Wales

This essay on field mammalogy and research ethics presents my reflections on 15 years as a researcher sitting on an Animal Ethics Committee in New South Wales. It outlines the community debate on animal welfare and the ethics of research on animals, how government has responded, and how wildlife researchers can move forward in this arena. Three schools are identified within the animal protection movement: ‘animal welfare’ holds that it is legitimate to use animals as a resource, so long as that use is ‘necessary’ and the animal’s suffering ‘minimised’; ‘animal liberationists’ are likely to oppose most animal research; the ‘animal rights’ position is firmly abolitionist. The instruments that regulate research involving animals are examined, in particular the New South Wales Animal Research Act 1985, the Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, and Animal Ethics Committees. Examples of ethical dilemmas involving both native and non-native animals are discussed. The debate over animals in research will continue, and it is clear that far more can be gained by engaging in the debate than avoiding it. It is in researchers’ interests to publicly defend the essential role of science in conserving our native fauna, and to conduct our work within a well managed welfare framework.

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State Legislators’ Roll-Call Votes on Farm Animal Protection Bills: The Agricultural Connection

Society and Animals ◽

10.1163/15685306-12341313 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 501-522

Author(s):

Steven Tauber

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Political Party ◽

Animal Studies ◽

Interaction Model ◽

State Legislators ◽

Farm Animal ◽

Farm Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Protection ◽

Independent Variable ◽

On Farm

AbstractNonhuman animal studies scholars have extensively investigated attitudes on animal welfare in general and farm animal welfare in particular. Thus far, this research has focused mainly on public opinion, but there has been minimal research seeking to explain the influences on actual policymakers when they vote on farm animal welfare legislation. This paper contributes to this literature by quantitatively analyzing 216 state legislators’ votes on two farm animal welfare bills. It hypothesizes that the representatives’ personal and representational connections with agriculture best explain their votes on these farm animal protection bills. This research also includes three control variables: each legislator’s gender, race/ethnicity, and political party. Logistic regression revealed that the legislators’ personal and representational connections with agriculture are significant, but political party is the strongest independent variable explaining state legislators’ farm animal welfare votes. An interaction model revealed mixed evidence that political party moderates the influence of agriculture.

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Role of Joy in Farm Animal Welfare Legislation

Society and Animals ◽

10.1163/15685306-12341444 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 163-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Philipp von Gall ◽

Mickey Gjerris

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Farm Animal ◽

Farm Animal Welfare ◽

Ethical Perspective ◽

Animal Protection ◽

Legal Provisions ◽

The Relationship ◽

Animal Welfare Legislation

While animal welfare is commonly invoked in legal debates regarding non-human animals kept for food purposes, the concept of animal joy is rarely mentioned in such contexts. This paper analyzes the relationship between welfare and joy in the German animal protection law (gapl) and in the eu directive 98/58/ec. Based on a review of scientific and philosophical approaches towards animal welfare, joy is argued to be a part of welfare. Nevertheless, joy is ignored in the German and eu legal provisions. While there may be economic disadvantages of legally protecting animal joy, it is argued that overlooking elements of joy cannot be justified from any ethical perspective that claims to take animal welfare into consideration. In order to clarify the aims of the legal provisions, decision-makers need to define the role joy ought to play in welfare legislation.

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Politicizing Farm Animal Welfare: A Comparative Study of Policy Change in the United States of America

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis Research and Practice ◽

10.1080/13876988.2020.1742069 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Colette S. Vogeler

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Policy Change ◽

United States Of America ◽

The United States ◽

Farm Animal ◽

Farm Animal Welfare

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Identifying Suicide Typologies Among Trauma-Exposed Veterans

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000637 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 288-295 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nadia Bounoua ◽

Jasmeet P. Hayes ◽

Naomi Sadeh

Keyword(s):

Latent Profile Analysis ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Risky Behaviors ◽

Self Report ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Research Priority ◽

Self Harm ◽

And Behaviors

Abstract. Background: Suicide among veterans has increased in recent years, making the identification of those at greatest risk for self-injurious behavior a high research priority. Aims: We investigated whether affective impulsivity and risky behaviors distinguished typologies of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in a sample of trauma-exposed veterans. Method: A total of 95 trauma-exposed veterans (ages 21–55; 87% men) completed self-report measures of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, impulsivity, and clinical symptoms. Results: A latent profile analysis produced three classes that differed in suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI): A low class that reported little to no self-injurious thoughts or behaviors; a self-injurious thoughts (ST) class that endorsed high levels of ideation but no self-harm behaviors; and a self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (STaB) class that reported ideation, suicide attempts and NSSI. Membership in the STaB class was associated with greater affective impulsivity, disinhibition, and distress/arousal than the other two classes. Limitations: Limitations include an overrepresentation of males in our sample, the cross-sectional nature of the data, and reliance on self-report measures. Conclusion: Findings point to affective impulsivity and risky behaviors as important characteristics of veterans who engage in self-injurious behaviors.

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