Animal welfare and sustainable farming: promoting positive animal welfare in a context of sustainable farming (EUP AH&W SOA37)
The overall aim is to investigate and further develop innovative husbandry practices with a clear potential to promote positive states of animal welfare practises in the EU while at the same time creating synergies with economic and environmental (GHG emission, pollution and biodiversity) sustainability. Traditionally, animal welfare research and legislation have focused on alleviating animal suffering and promoting good health. However, the absence of poor welfare does not necessarily mean that welfare is good. In recent years, research has increasingly shifted toward positive animal welfare and indicators of positive states.
There is increasing interest in reducing the effect of animal production on the environment to increase sustainability. However, sustainability is not limited to the environment; it also includes economic, social sustainability relating to the quality of life for humans, and animal welfare relating to the quality of life of animal. Thus, promoting positive animal welfare is a way to improve a system’s sustainability. SOA37 aims to investigate and further develop innovative animal husbandry practices with a clear potential to promote animal welfare within the EU while creating synergies with environmental sustainability. SOA37 focuses on five production systems where animal welfare is challenged:
1) crating of farrowing and lactating sows
2) indoor, confined, and barren housing for growing pigs
3) indoor and barren housing for dairy cows and goats
4) early weaning and separation practices for calves
5) net-pen aquaculture farming with low environmental complexity.
Together the 21 involved RPOs, holding competences within Animal Welfare, environment and socioeconomics, will investigate novel PAW promoting practices within each system that affects anmal welfare and the environment. SOA37 will use 3 general methods: First, execute empirical studies within each production system across multiple RPOs using harmonized protocols to assess animal welfare including indicators of EUP AH&W-developed in SOA13, assess components of environmental impact and carry out a multi-criteria sustainability assessment using framework and methodologies developed in SOA17. Second, through focus group interviews and workshops, experts will identify challenges and opportunities for the best animal welfare promoting practices within the EU and create socially, economically and environmentally sustainable paths for their implementation together with dedicated farmers. Third, research dissemination to national and international stakeholders and the public through fact sheets, seminars and press releases will bring the activities of SOA37 closer to implementation.
