Additionally, in the era now termed the Anthropocene, human impacts are widespread and the way in which these impacts harm animals may be obscure to consumers and producers alike. However, the competing claims of marketing, fashion, industry lobbying and advocacy groups can make discerning and comparing animal welfare criteria problematic for consumers. This interest has become particularly evident in food consumption in recent years, in developed and developing countries. Modern consumers are particularly interested in animal welfare when it comes to the various products they may choose or choose not to purchase. ![]() These groups span food producers, processors, retailers and policy makers, as well as consumers. Many groups in modern societies are interested in the animal welfare consequences of food production. We present this conceptual analysis as a resource for those who want to begin considering the complex animal welfare trade-offs involved in their food choices. We conclude that the food production systems likely to impose the greatest overall breadth of harms to animals are intensive animal agriculture industries (e.g., dairy) that rely on a secondary food production system (e.g., cropping), while harvesting of locally available wild plants, mushrooms or seaweed is likely to impose the least harms. Our analysis suggests that all food production systems harm animals to some degree and that the majority of these harms affect wildlife, not livestock. We described 21 forms of harm and considered how they applied to 16 forms of food production. We considered all harms caused to wild as well as domestic animals, both direct effects and indirect effects. We applied the “harms” model of animal welfare assessment to several common food production systems and provide a framework for assessing the breadth (not intensity) of harms imposed. ![]() This is especially true in the Anthropocene, where impacts on non-human life are almost ubiquitous across all human activities. This approach requires recognition that negative impacts (harms) may be intentional and obvious (e.g., slaughter of livestock) but also include the under-appreciated indirect or unintentional harms that often impact wildlife (e.g., land clearing). However, concepts in animal welfare are rapidly evolving towards consideration of all animals (including wildlife) in contemporary approaches such as “One Welfare”. ![]() Many consumers are particularly interested in the animal welfare implications of the various foods they may choose to consume. Ethical food choices have become an important societal theme in post-industrial countries.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |