Animal welfare is increasingly important in today's agricultural landscape, not only for ethical reasons but also for practical and economic considerations. Farmers worldwide recognize the benefits of adopting better animal welfare practices, including healthier herds, increased productivity, and access to high-value markets. This guide provides a practical overview of the key steps farmers can take to ensure they meet animal welfare standards, helping them succeed in both domestic and international markets.
Understanding Animal Welfare Standards
Animal welfare standards are essential for ensuring that farm animals are treated in a way that meets their physical and behavioral needs. The goal is to provide animals with an environment where they can thrive, supporting better productivity, marketability, and sustainability for farmers. Animal welfare is not just about preventing harm or cruelty—it is about ensuring livestock are healthy, comfortable, and well-nourished.
These standards generally revolve around the concept of the "Five Freedoms," which include:
- Freedom from hunger, malnutrition, and thirst
- Freedom from fear and distress
- Freedom from heat stress or physical discomfort
- Freedom from pain, injury, and disease
- Freedom to express normal patterns of behavior
These freedoms apply across all livestock species and are key to improving animal welfare and farm profitability. Meeting them requires practical actions in housing, nutrition, health monitoring, and handling.
Why Animal Welfare Matters
Good animal welfare practices bring many benefits beyond the ethical treatment of animals, including improved productivity, better product quality, and enhanced market access. For example:
- Productivity gains: Healthy and comfortable animals are generally more productive. Dairy cows that are given space to move, appropriate feed and bedding, and monitored for health issues like mastitis produce higher-quality milk in greater quantities. Similarly, pigs housed in appropriate conditions have higher feed conversion efficiency, requiring less feed to grow to the desired weight.
- Reduced stress, improved growth: minimizing stress is key to maintaining strong animal immune systems. Animals under constant stress are prone to illness, which negatively impacts their weight gain and fertility. By reducing stress through practices like adequate housing, appropriate handling, and providing environmental enrichment, farmers can improve overall productivity.
- Consumer demand and market access: consumers are increasingly concerned about how their food is produced. Markets such as the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand favor products that uphold high animal welfare standards. By improving welfare, farmers can meet the requirements of premium export markets, leading to better prices and increased profitability.
Navigating International Standards and Regulations
Animal welfare standards are not uniform worldwide. Farmers aiming to export their products must ensure compliance with not only the regulations of their own country but also those of the importing country and, in many cases, the importing buyer, which may have their own additional requirements. Here are some critical considerations for farmers:
- Local legislation: farmers must first adhere to the animal welfare laws in their own country. These regulations can vary widely in their level of detail and enforcement. For instance, Australia has clear and structured welfare standards covering livestock handling, transportation, and housing as part of its national and state-level welfare frameworks.
- Importing country requirements: animal products means meeting the specific requirements of the destination country. For example, the EU has stringent animal welfare regulations, including a ban on traditional battery cages for hens (with a commitment to phase out all forms of caging by 2027), restrictions on the use of sow stalls to early pregnancy, and strict live animal transport rules that enforce shorter travel times and limit transport during extreme heat.
- Buyer-specific requirements: many large retailers and food producers have developed their own animal welfare guidelines that overseas suppliers must follow. These are not legal requirements but additional standards above and beyond local or international regulations. For example, beef imported by some EU supermarkets might require certification from animal welfare organizations like the RSPCA or GLOBALG.A.P. These standards are part of private companies’ commitments to ethical sourcing, often driven by consumer demand and brand positioning.
To succeed in international markets, farmers must proactively understand and comply with these multiple layers of requirements. The key is aligning your farming practices with legal obligations and the expectations of consumers and buyers, who increasingly value high welfare standards.
Practical Tips for Implementing Animal Welfare Standards
- Provide appropriate nutrition: ensure all livestock access sufficient and nutritious feed that meets their species-specific needs. For example, ruminants such as cattle benefit from a diet with adequate fiber to maintain proper digestive function. At the same time, other animals require a balanced diet to meet their particular nutritional requirements. Animals must always have access to clean water.
- Safe and comfortable housing should be spacious, provide good ventilation, and have comfortable bedding. While some animals benefit from outdoor access, it may not be feasible for all production systems. Animals should have enough space to rest comfortably, appropriate nesting or bedding areas, and the ability to engage in natural behaviors appropriate to their species.
- Proper handling and management: handling livestock calmly and in a controlled manner is crucial. Avoid excessive force, and ensure that staff is well-trained in handling techniques that minimize stress. This is particularly important during transport, where animals are most vulnerable to stress and injury.
- Monitor animal health regularly: Conducting regular health checks is essential for early detection of disease or injury. This includes monitoring for common issues such as lameness in cattle or respiratory issues in poultry. Quick action can prevent minor issues from becoming major health problems.
- Compliance with transport standards: Transport is one of the most challenging aspects of animal welfare. Animals must be fit for transport, which means they should be in good health, adequately rested, and prepared for the journey. Inadequate transport conditions can lead to injury or illness, affecting the animal's welfare and the quality of the final product.
Moving Forward
Balancing animal welfare with productivity and market demands is essential for successful farming today. Farmers can improve animal health, productivity, and access to lucrative international markets by adopting welfare standards. These changes require investment, but the long-term benefits—in terms of healthier livestock, improved product quality, and greater marketability—make them worthwhile.
Farmers should seek support from local agricultural bodies, welfare certification programs, and export advisory services to help them align their practices with welfare standards. Remember, investing in animal welfare is investing in the future of your farm, your animals, and your profitability.
References:
Australian Government. Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/animal/welfare/standards-guidelines
European Commission. Animal welfare on the farm. https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-welfare/eu-animal-welfare-legislation/animal-welfare-farm_en
European Food Safety Authority. (2022). More space, lower temperatures, shorter journeys: EFSA recommendations to improve animal welfare during transport. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/more-space-lower-temperatures-shorter-journeys-efsa-recommendations-improve-animal-welfare
Meat & Livestock Australia. (2019). Is the animal fit to load? https://publications.mla.com.au/login/eaccess?elink=1eS6U0SXcpsbs1JNcGSA
WOAH. (2023). Animal Welfare: A Vital Asset for a More Sustainable World. https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2024/01/en-woah-visionpaper-animalwelfare.pdf
WOAH. (2024). Terrestrial Code Online Access: Section 7. Animal welfare. https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/standards/codes-and-manuals/terrestrial-code-online-access/?id=169&L=1&htmfile=titre_1.7.htm
