Consumers across five European countries prioritise animal welfare above environmental sustainability when buying meat and dairy products

Food Quality and Preference, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 117, P. 105179 - 105179

Published: March 28, 2024

Food production systems, especially meat and dairy supply chains, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. An important question emerges as whether consumers care about environmental sustainability when buying food products, this can determine their consumption practices. Further, if labels are available, identifying information that is relevant important. This research therefore aimed identify the attributes most for or products perceived helpfulness of label properties. online survey was conducted in five European countries (i.e. Czechia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK). Consumers valued similar across all countries. Freshness, quality/taste animal welfare emerged attributes, while such miles, carbon footprint, organic were least Sustainability helpful. Regression analysis identified patterns within regarding predictors labels. Attitudes towards sustainable consumption, attitudes, policies significant positive models. Most importantly, welfare, safety, health nutrition being more than sustainability. suggests choice decisions unlikely be made based on a product's alone.

Language: Английский

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Refinement of personality measures in European minks: effect of sex, age and maternal factors

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 106520 - 106520

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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A framework for a comprehensive animal welfare label: scientific, logistic, and ethical challenges

Animal Frontiers, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(2), P. 61 - 68

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Consumers’ meat commitment and the importance of animal welfare as agricultural policy goal

Food Quality and Preference, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 112, P. 105010 - 105010

Published: Oct. 6, 2023

Animal welfare is one of the key agricultural policy goals and considered extremely important by consumers. With increasing urgency for a sustainable healthy dietary shift, it could be motivators behaviour change. Therefore, we investigate how consumers perceive importance animal not only as an goal but also in comparison to conflicting goals, such domestic food production, farmers' income, consumer prices. We weighing related individual (i.e. meat consumption), values attitudes, commitment, perceptions farmers Ecological Welfare scale (which includes environment protection). Thus, conducted online survey October 2022, recruiting final sample 1542 participants (51.5% women) equal parts from German-, French-, Italian-speaking Switzerland. Participants were asked evaluate increased three situations with following goals: (1) (2) reducing prices, (3) farm incomes. Regression analysis revealed that influential predictors all models similar. Being woman, politically left leaning, less committed eating, having more negative perception farmers, assigning ethical consumption probability putting weight on conflicts described above. The finding who eating tended assign when well-aligned current literature. Implications are discussed.

Language: Английский

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A scoping review of the use of bioacoustics to assess various components of farm animal welfare

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 275, P. 106286 - 106286

Published: May 11, 2024

Recording and analyzing animal sounds, including vocal non-vocal cues, is a relevant tool to access monitor different aspects of physiology, behaviour general welfare in remote, non-invasive continuous fashion. This field, known as bioacoustics, considerably growing, notably due the development machine learning techniques. Yet, applications these methods husbandry remain limited, their potential may not be fully acknowledged. review aims present bioacoustic tools various farm animals, focuses on studies published since 2010. The first section introduces concept describes parameters that can extracted from sounds explains how they analysed. measures inform about physical characteristics, individuality, health, behaviour, affective states species animals are then presented, through contemporary overview research field. Although this analysis identifies variety bioacoustics relation assessment monitoring welfare, it also points out current scarcity implemented practice available management. Barriers conventional farming discussed, future directions for field suggested.

Language: Английский

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Understanding the feeding strategies of growing-finishing pigs: Exploring links with pig characteristics and behaviour

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 272, P. 106208 - 106208

Published: Feb. 28, 2024

A large variation in feeding patterns between pigs and over time hampers the use of data from electronic stations continuous monitoring growing-finishing pig welfare. Individual strategies (i.e. differences that are consistent within a across time) likely explain part this variation, both at daily level - based on components intake, frequency rate – diurnal circadian rhythms night feeding. It is, however, not known exactly which display, nor types display strategies. This study aimed to 1) test (combinations of) contribute independent strategies; 2) see whether with different also differ other physical behavioural characteristics. To identify strategies, we calculated intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for each day-level component, reflects proportion explained by an individual effect (n=98 pigs). Subsequently, high ICC were correlated diurnal-level contain assess possible overlap. Pigs then characterised (n=52) (home pen play tests, n=22-27) variables ages, using (generalised) linear mixed models. Four dimensions emerged: nibbling/meal eating, fast/slow day/day-night eating consistent/inconsistent day day, sustaining after correction sex or body weight. All except partially overlapped beginning phase, but became more distinct time. differed their general activity, activity possibly dominance rank. Feeding did relate behaviours indicative positive negative emotional states pigs. Our results demonstrate showed behaviour time, along continua four dimensions. These went beyond weight sex, related characteristics The presence suggests should be corrected

Language: Английский

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Exploring individual responses to welfare issues in growing-finishing pig feeding behaviour

animal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 18(6), P. 101192 - 101192

Published: May 17, 2024

The feeding behaviour of individual growing-finishing pigs can be continuously monitored using sensors such as electronic stations (EFSs), and this could further used to monitor pig welfare. To make accurate conclusions about welfare, however, it is important know whether deviations in response welfare issues are shown only on average or by each pig. Therefore, study aimed (1) quantify the variation changes a range issues, (2) explain quantifying responses for specific subgroups pigs. We four rounds 110 (3-4 months per round). collected data IVOG® EFSs identified health heat stress climate twice-weekly observations. For pig, generalised additive model was fitted, which modelled through time estimated effect issue that had suffered from. these estimates compared between responses. Subsequently, were repeatedly grouped physical characteristics, and, with meta-subset analysis, determined group deviation (i.e. their combined estimates) present. found very large, approaching normal distributions most combinations variables. This indicates did not show during issue, while those both increases reductions. One exception stress, almost all showed reductions feed intake, duration frequency. When looking at pigs, seen especially lameness tail damage certain characteristics strategies consistently deviate some components (e.g. relatively heavier reduced frequency lameness). In conclusion, detection suffering from variables should feasible, (mild) would difficult due responding differently, if all, given issue. behavioural nevertheless, damage, may possible.

Language: Английский

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Human-computer interactions with farm animals—enhancing welfare through precision livestock farming and artificial intelligence

Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11

Published: Nov. 14, 2024

While user-centered design approaches stemming from the human-computer interaction (HCI) field have notably improved welfare of companion, service, and zoo animals, their application in farm animal settings remains limited. This shortfall has catalyzed emergence animal-computer (ACI), a discipline extending technology’s reach to multispecies user base involving both animals humans. Despite significant strides other sectors, adaptation HCI ACI (collectively HACI) welfare—particularly for dairy cows, swine, poultry—lags behind. Our paper explores potential HACI within precision livestock farming (PLF) artificial intelligence (AI) enhance individual address unique challenges these settings. It underscores necessity transitioning productivity-focused animal-centered methods, advocating paradigm shift that emphasizes as integral sustainable practices. Emphasizing ‘One Welfare’ approach, this discussion highlights how integrating technologies not only benefits health, productivity, overall well-being but also aligns with broader societal, environmental, economic benefits, considering pressures farmers face. perspective is based on insights one-day workshop held June 24, 2024, which focused advancing welfare.

Language: Английский

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Assessing and Improving Animal Welfare Using Applied Ethology

Animals, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(2), P. 213 - 213

Published: Jan. 14, 2025

The papers in this Special Issue, entitled "Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Behaviour, Applied Ethology and Welfare of Farmed Animals", bring to the forefront empirical data theoretical discussions that contribute discussion contemporary issues, from environmental enrichment improvements animal welfare, intensification rearing systems, innovations like virtual fencing dietary adjustments improve health welfare organic systems [...].

Language: Английский

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Graduate student literature review: Integrating concepts of animal welfare and health-related quality of life for pre-weaned dairy calves

Journal of Dairy Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Dairy calf welfare assessment tools focusing on the pre-weaning period have been proposed in recent research. Despite existence of these tools, assessing and health-related quality life (HRQoL) dairy calves remains challenging. These difficulties may stem from complexity all dimensions validity, reliability, feasibility indicators used tools. This review aims to discuss HRQoL concepts integrate them into a framework facilitate understanding HRQoL. The also identifies on-farm explores how their evaluated. HRQoL, as component concept, is determine an animal feels during illness using behavioral expressions affective states. In this review, we adapted human for calves, illustrating interconnection 3 domains (behavior, mental state health) calves' It worth noting that limited number developed there no standard way assess pre-weaned calves. Some studies focus specific aspects welfare, while others address concept more broadly. While explored science, they often remain disconnected After reviewing various 44 were selected. Considering selected indicators, observed not extensively explored. contributes highlights opportunities enhance animals.

Language: Английский

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