Update on animal welfare perception by Italian consumers: A descriptive survey

The aim of this study was to evaluate if and how the perception of animal welfare by Italian consumers and their purchasing behavior of animal-friendly foods have evolved in recent years. The research was carried out through a survey on a representative sample of Italian consumers (n=969). Responses showed that 69% of consumers declared to pay attention to animal welfare at time of purchasing, and they mostly acquired information about animal welfare through the mass media. In accordance with previous surveys, the categories perceived as having the highest welfare level were fish and dairy cows, whereas the lowest welfare level was attributed to broilers and pigs. Compared to previous surveys, Italian consumers seem to have improved their knowledge about the legislation on animal protection and increased their interest toward animal welfare issues. However, they still find it difficult to identify animalfriendly labels, together with a lack of knowledge about non-conventional (e.g. extensive and organic) farming systems.

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Animal welfare in organic farming systems

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture ◽

10.1002/jsfa.2999 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 87 (15) ◽

pp. 2741-2746 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Hans AM Spoolder

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Organic Farming Systems

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Welfare parameters in dairy cows reared in tie-stall and open-stall farming systems: pilot study

Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society ◽

10.12681/jhvms.16430 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 809

Author(s):

M. N. BENVENUTI ◽

L. GIULIOTTI ◽

C. LOTTI ◽

P. A. ACCORSI ◽

C. A. PETRULLI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Management Practices ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Housing System ◽

Mean Values ◽

Multiple Indicators ◽

Lactating Cows ◽

Condition Score

Animals can experience pain or distress as a result of widely accepted management practices. In dairy cattle, housing system can affect animal welfare. The assessment of animal welfare requires the use of multiple indicators in order to analyse the heterogeneity of the aspects involved. The aim of this study was to compare the welfare of dairy cows reared in a tie-stall (TS) and open-stall (OS) system by metabolic, immunological and stress related parameters. The study involved 80 pluriparous lactating cows belonging to eight dairy farms located in the area of Mugello (Florence, Italy) reared in TS and OS systems. Ten blood samples were collected at morning time to measure alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), creatinine (Creat), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), total proteins (TP), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), serum lisozyme (SL), bactericidal activity (SBA), haptoglobin (Hp), oxygen free radicals (OFR), and hair cortisol levels. At the same time a body condition score (BCS) was recorded. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA. The experiment was carried out in accordance with European Commission regulations (Directive 2010/63/EC and Directive 98/58/EC). The results showed that the housing system affected various parameters such as ALT, BHBA, OFR, cortisol (P≤0.01) and AST, BUN (P≤0.05). Most of these parameters showed mean values within the range of reference without revealing any signs of suffering. An interesting outcome regarded the OFR levels, which was higher in the OS system (68.2±34.51 U.Carr. vs 36.1±21.39 U.Carr.), probably as a consequence of the high productive effort. In conclusion, it is possible to state that TS did not show a comparable overall situation with serious signs of welfare impairment.

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Animal Welfare and Covid-19 in Indonesia: A Neglected Legal Issue

Hasanuddin Law Review ◽

10.20956/halrev.v7i1.2502 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Myrna Asnawati Safitri ◽

Firman Firman

Keyword(s):

Mass Media ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Legal Issue ◽

World Population ◽

Legal Analysis ◽

National Program ◽

Animal Protection ◽

Legal Norms ◽

Protection Policy ◽

The World

The Covid-19 pandemic currently infecting the world population comes from the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) transmitted initially from animals to humans, then between humans. This disease is referred to as zoonosis. Covid-19 discourse is generally about zoonotic transmission from animals to humans. Not much attention has been given to the potential transmission from humans to animals. In several countries, cases indicating the exposures of animals with the Coronavirus have been found. Thus, a discussion on the vulnerability of exposure to animals with the Coronavirus is significant to scientifically discussed. Unfortunately, concerns about this problem are still voiced by the mass media. Limited studies have been found, especially in Legal Science. In Indonesia, the Covid-19 incidence has hit more than 200 thousand people, one of the highest in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, animal protection policy is not part of the national program of Covid-19 Control. Indonesia has several laws and regulations concerning animal welfare and zoonosis control. This article presents our study's findings investigating how the animal welfare law is applicable to protect the animals from Covid-19. Using the method of normative legal analysis, we found several weaknesses in the legal norms. We also observed how the ethics of anthro-pocentrism and ecocentrism compete in animal welfare laws.

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Relationships between Knowledge of Chicken Production Systems and Advocacy by Animal Protection Workers

Society and Animals ◽

10.1163/15685306-12341463 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 73-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tara Ross ◽

Clive J.C. Phillips

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Production Systems ◽

Animal Production ◽

Chicken Meat ◽

Farmers Markets ◽

Social Setting ◽

Purchasing Behavior ◽

Animal Protection ◽

Free Range ◽

High Welfare

Abstract Animal protection organizations expect their staff to understand and support high welfare standards in animal production. Relationships between Australian animal protection organization workers’ knowledge of chicken production systems, purchasing behavior, and opinion-leading behavior were investigated. Forty-five percent of knowledge questions were answered correctly. Knowledge was mostly gained from animal protection organizations and online literature. Knowledgeable respondents were more critical of both conventional and free range/organic chicken systems and were more likely to avoid eating chicken meat, but not eggs. They were more likely to approach those responsible, in government or industry, about welfare issues and were more likely to discuss animal welfare issues at work and in a social setting. They were also more likely to ask questions about animal welfare standards of food provided at butchers, farmers’ markets, social meals, and restaurants/cafés. Therefore, knowledge was linked to advocacy for improved animal welfare by animal protection organization workers.

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Comparison of Invasive Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata) Behaviors in Different Water Temperature Gradients

Water ◽

10.3390/w13091149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 1149

Author(s):

Mi-Jung Bae ◽

Eui-Jin Kim ◽

Young-Seuk Park

Keyword(s):

Water Temperature ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Freshwater Snail ◽

Freshwater Ecosystems ◽

Pomacea Canaliculata ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Self Organizing Map ◽

Apple Snail ◽

Temperature Changes ◽

Organic Farming Systems

Pomacea canaliculata (known as invasive apple snail) is a freshwater snail native to South America that was introduced into many countries (including Asia and North America) as a food source or for organic farming systems. However, it has invaded freshwater ecosystems and become a serious agricultural pest in paddy fields. Water temperature is an important factor determining behavior and successful establishment in new areas. We examined the behavioral responses of P. canaliculata with water temperature changes from 25 °C to 30 °C, 20 °C, and 15 °C by quantifying changes in nine behaviors. At the acclimated temperature (25 °C), the mobility of P. canaliculata was low during the day, but high at night. Clinging behavior increased as the water temperature decreased from 25 °C to 20 °C or 15 °C. Conversely, ventilation and food consumption increased when the water temperature increased from 25 °C to 30 °C. A self-organizing map (an unsupervised artificial neural network) was used to classify the behavioral patterns into seven clusters at different water temperatures. These results suggest that the activity levels or certain behaviors of P. canaliculata vary with the water temperature conditions. Understanding the thermal biology of P. canaliculata may be crucial for managing this invasive snail.

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Stable Characteristics of Cover Crops for Weed Suppression in Organic Farming Systems

Plant Production Science ◽

10.1626/pps.14.75 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 75-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Hiroshi Uchino ◽

Kazuto Iwama ◽

Yutaka Jitsuyama ◽

Keiko Ichiyama ◽

Eri Sugiura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

Organic Farming Systems

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Interspecies Sustainability to Ensure Animal Protection: Lessons from the Thoroughbred Racing Industry

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11195539 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (19) ◽

pp. 5539 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bergmann

Keyword(s):

Great Britain ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Protection ◽

Sustainability Transition ◽

Animal Advocacy ◽

The Us ◽

Original Contribution ◽

Industry Sustainability ◽

Thoroughbred Racing

There is a disconnect between dominant conceptions of sustainability and the protection of animals arising from the anthropocentric orientation of most conceptualisations of sustainability, including sustainable development. Critiques of this disconnect are primarily based in the context of industrial animal agriculture and a general model of a species-inclusive conception of sustainability has yet to emerge. The original contribution of this article is two-fold: First, it develops a theoretical framework for interspecies sustainability. Second, it applies this to a case study of the thoroughbred racing industry. Interviews were conducted with thoroughbred industry and animal advocacy informants in the US, Australia and Great Britain. While industry informants claim thoroughbred welfare is seminal for industry sustainability, they adopt a market-oriented anthropocentric conception of sustainability and do not consider animal welfare a sustainability domain in its own right. Animal advocacy informants demonstrate a deeper understanding of welfare but some express discomfort about linking sustainability, welfare and racing. Eight analytical layers have been identified in the discourse in the interface of sustainability and animal protection, of which two have transformational potential to advance interspecies sustainability. Interspecies sustainability urgently needs to be advanced to ensure animal protection in the sustainability transition, and to not leave the defining of animal welfare and sustainability to animal industries.

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