Agriculture. Animal welfare, a major issue for livestock farming

The notion of animal welfare appears to be one of the many influences of society on the world of livestock farming. It also represents the consideration of consumer expectations by the legislator, but also and above all, by farmers and the food industry.

5 criteria that define well-being

What is animal welfare? It is based on the so-called '5 freedoms' which were set out by the Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1979 and are included in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) definition of animal welfare. They are now the benchmark for animal welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express the natural behaviours of the species and freedom from fear and distress. "According to Anses, "The well-being of an animal is the positive mental and physical state linked to the satisfaction of its physiological and behavioural needs and expectations", explains Marylise Le Guénic, who is in charge of animal health and welfare for the (dairy) cattle industry at the Brittany Chamber of Agriculture. To determine this well-being, it is necessary to check that the animals are in good shape, that they have enough water and food, the possibility of exercising, etc. This mission is, of course, the responsibility of the breeder. Treating animals well is a necessity for the farmer "to have good production", continues Marylise Le Guénic.

 

 

The need to treat animals well

This kind of care goes hand in hand with the welfare of the breeder. According to the American researcher and epidemiologist David W. Fraiser, you can't do one without the other. "You can't have animal welfare with people who aren't well, just as you can't have farmers who feel good about themselves with animals who aren't well. That doesn't work either," she continues. “The farming system means that the two concepts go together and cannot be separated".

 

 

Agricultural sectors committed to improving animal husbandry practices

An idea shared by Yannick Ramonet, who is in charge of the pig industry at the Brittany Chamber of Agriculture. "For better performance, the herd must not be stressed. The work on animal welfare is done in conjunction with the farmer's welfare".

 

In practical terms, how can animal welfare be improved? "We can note, for example, the creation of liberty boxes (birth space for piglets) in the maternity facilities where the sows are no longer blocked as was traditionally the case. Farmers are pioneers in these matters. Of course, there are regulations, but farmers are creating their own standards and becoming more organised. We are seeing progress through the construction of brighter buildings, for example, the introduction of connected tools for warnings and monitoring, and technologies that are being developed to detect diseases better," he explains. "There is a real movement emerging".

In the poultry industry, too, things are moving forward, according to Félicie Aulanier, head of animal welfare studies at the Brittany Chamber of Agriculture. "For example, it is compulsory to provide perches for laying hens. In addition to the regulations, some breeders use enrichment to meet the animals' needs, such as pitting blocks or bales of alfalfa”. The end of cage rearing for laying hens and the end of the culling of male chicks are also major steps forward in terms of animal welfare. "In the meat sector, there have also been clear improvements, for example in the control of the environment in buildings (temperature, humidity, etc.) and the quality of bedding, thanks to the development of management tools and the work of breeders", she continues.

 

Common bases, charters of good practice

"The basis of the breeder's profession is good treatment, continues Marylise Le Guénic. "New specifications are often proposed by the sectors themselves, driven by consumer demand". The creation of common bases, charters and guides to good practice, local initiatives, the creation of assessment tools, the commitment of sector plans, etc. are all elements that show the involvement of farmers in animal welfare.

 

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