Abstract

Ethics is about what people think, productivity relates to what useful output animals can provide, while economics is the framework within which these human and technical values get sorted out in food production and consumption. This paper offers a deliberately non-specialist overview of these issues as they relate to farm animal welfare, in an attempt to show a social science approach to what is otherwise regarded as a matter predominantly of animal science. It discusses how ethical positions concerning animal welfare link to consumer preferences, which are the driving force of economic activity, and suggests that in this context science may be informative, but not necessarily influential in determining how livestock production methods are determined. The essential conflict in livestock farming between human benefit and the animals’ wellbeing is analysed using a simple model reflecting the choices associated with different preference patterns in society. The simplistic argument that high welfare standards will raise food prices is shown to be technically correct, but the likely magnitudes are very minor. In relation to trade in livestock products, whether in domestic or international markets, the issue of animal welfare standards has ultimately to be considered in the context of satisfying consumer preferences; it should not be overly confused by emphasis on comparative costs or agricultural protection.

JP, McInerney

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 62, Palmerston North, 340-347, 2002