Good Farm Animal Welfare in Sustainable Food Systems

Good animal welfare (AW) in an ethically sound animal livestock production system is a basic premise in a sustainable food system. Societal values and attitudes have an important influence on food production and any shift in social attitudes about AW provides both significant risks and opportunities in food production. Food production is operating in a field of tension between the demands of more efficient production, producers’ economic conditions and public perceptions that good AW is potentially compromised by farming intensification. This is evident in changing societal attitudes to intensifying livestock production with attention to AW issues in food production escalating dramatically. The separation between farmers and consumers, urban and rural citizens, and manufacturers and governing authorities is increasing. Therefore, the potential for escalation of public concern over AW, increasing demands on farmers (justified or unjustified) and increasing positioning of decision-making outside the farm itself and into the control of retailers, consumers, civil society organisations, and more distant authorities, combine to provide a compelling subject for research. The current situation raises questions about the content of AW evaluations and whom is getting the power to make them. This session calls for papers that address the changing nature of AW in society and in the food industry and ask what premises exist or enable good farm AW in sustainable food systems; What are the drivers, and where do we go?