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The Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare the Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare

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The Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare the Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare The Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare The Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare In This Report • About the Animal Welfare Institute • 1 INTRODUCTION Since its founding in 1951, the Animal Welfare Institute 1 ANIMAL WELFARE IS A WELL ESTABLISHED (AWI) has been alleviating suffering inflicted on animals SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT by people. AWI works to improve conditions for 3 ANIMAL HEALTH AND ANIMAL WELFARE ARE the billions of animals raised and slaughtered each INEXTRICABLY LINKED year for food in the United States. Major goals of 4 THE LINK BETWEEN ANIMAL HEALTH AND ANIMAL WELFARE HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN the organization include eliminating factory farms, 5 THE LINK HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY supporting higher-welfare family farms, and achieving SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITIES humane transport and slaughter for all farm animals. 6 STRONG ANIMAL WELFARE STANDARDS SERVE TO PROTECT ANIMAL HEALTH This report was prepared by Dena Jones, MS, of AWI, 12 CONCLUSION with the assistance of veterinary consultant Kenneth 13 APPENDIX Litwak, DVM, PhD. AWI wishes to thank Sara Shields, EXAMPLES OF THE LINK BETWEEN THE HEALTH PhD, of Humane Society International and Suzanne AND WELFARE OF MAMMALS McMillan of the American Society for the Prevention of EXAMPLES OF THE LINK BETWEEN THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF BIRDS Cruelty to Animals for their contributions to the report. 18 REFERENCES April 2018 pigs and cows: Mike Suarez pigs and cows: Mike 1 Summary • Introduction • This report describes the establishment of a While a relationship likely exists between health critical link between the health and welfare of and welfare within all animal species, the focus farm animals, and how this relationship has been of this report is the nature of that relationship in accepted by scientific authorities worldwide. The animals raised for food or fiber (referred to in this report begins with the internationally recognized report as “farm animals”). Historically, the primary definition of animal welfare from the World concern of the animal agriculture industry in the Organisation for Animal Health (“OIE”), and its United States, and of federal and state agricultural association with the “Five Freedoms,” a concept officials, has been animal production and food originating with the United Kingdom‘s 1965 safety. It has long been understood that the Brambell Committee report on the welfare of health of farm animals affects the productivity of farm animals in intensive rearing systems. those animals, as well as the safety and quality of animal products. In recent years, it has become The OIE has declared that “a critical relationship” generally accepted that poor health affects an exists between animal health and animal welfare. animal‘s mental state and their ability to perform This relationship has been extensively documented natural behaviors (commonly referred to as by the findings of hundreds of scientific studies “animal welfare” or “animal well-being”). There conducted over the past half century. is also increasing recognition of the impact of poor animal welfare on animal health, and, In recent years, the link between animal health consequently, on food safety and meat quality. and animal welfare has been recognized by various animal health authorities, including national and international veterinary associations. Animal Welfare is a Well-Established The link has also been acknowledged by animal Scientific Concept • agriculture associations, including the Food and The American Veterinary Medical Association Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, (AVMA) defines animal welfare as follows: and by food safety associations, such as the European Food Safety Authority. Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. The impact of animal welfare on animal health has An animal is in a good state of welfare if led the animal agriculture industry in the United (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is States to voluntarily limit or eliminate entirely healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, certain previously common animal husbandry able to express innate behavior, and if it practices. This report presents four such is not suffering from unpleasant states examples: 1) administration of growth hormones such as pain, fear, and distress. Good to dairy cattle, 2) extreme confinement of calves animal welfare requires disease prevention raised for veal, 3) tailing docking of dairy cattle, and veterinary treatment, appropriate and 4) forced molting of egg-laying hens. More shelter, management, nutrition, humane than one dozen additional examples of the critical handling and humane slaughter. Animal link between farm animal health and welfare are welfare refers to the state of the animal; offered in the report‘s Appendix. As illustrated in the treatment that an animal receives is the examples, the US Department of Agriculture, covered by other terms such as animal care, through its Agricultural Research Service, has animal husbandry, and humane treatment. played an essential role in documenting the Protecting an animal‘s welfare means link between animal health and welfare. providing for its physical and mental needs.1 The Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare 2 The AVMA derived its definition of animal and slaughter for human consumption, as well welfare from the World Organisation for Animal as for on-farm production systems for various Health (also known as “OIE”—an initialism of its animals, including beef cattle, dairy cattle, and original French name, Office of International broiler chickens (see Figure 1).3 The OIE‘s welfare des Epizooties). With 181 member countries, standards for farm animals are contained in including the United States, the OIE is the Chapter 7 of its Terrestrial Animal Health Code. intergovernmental organization that coordinates, supports, and promotes animal disease control The OIE code recognizes the “Five Freedoms” worldwide. The OIE has set international animal (see Figure 2) as providing valuable guidance health standards since its founding in 1924. in animal welfare.4 The Five Freedoms concept The World Trade Organization (WTO), upon originated with the United Kingdom‘s Brambell its creation in 1995, recognized the OIE as the Committee report on the welfare of farm animals WTO reference organization for standards in in intensive rearing systems (1965) and later the the category of sanitary (health) measures.2 UK Farm Animal Advisory Committee (now the Farm Animal Welfare Council).5 Originally drafted In 2002, the OIE broadened its mandate to as merely the freedom to stand up, lie down, include animal welfare, and it began drafting turn around, stretch their limbs, and groom all and publishing comprehensive sets of welfare parts of the body, the Freedoms were eventually standards three years later. To date, the OIE has extended to other aspects of animal welfare established animal welfare standards for animal and paired with Five Provisions that broadly transport, killing for disease control purposes, delineate proactive steps necessary to achieve the Figure 1. International Standards on Farm Animal Welfare • TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL HEALTH CODE Chapter 7.1 Introduction to the recommendations for animal welfare Chapter 7.2 Transport of animals by sea Chapter 7.3 Transport of animals by land Chapter 7.4 Transport of animals by air Chapter 7.5 Slaughter of animals Chapter 7.6 Killing of animals for disease control purposes Chapter 7.9 Animal welfare and beef cattle production systems Chapter 7.10 Animal welfare and broiler chicken production systems Chapter 7.11 Animal welfare and dairy cattle production systems Chapter 7.X Animal welfare and pig production systems (draft) AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH CODE Chapter 7.1 Introduction to recommendations for the welfare of farmed fish Chapter 7.2 Welfare of farmed fish during transport Chapter 7.3 Welfare aspects of stunning and killing of farmed fish Chapter 7.4 Killing of farmed fish for disease control purposes The Critical Relationship Between Farm Animal Health and Welfare 3 goals.6 The Five Freedoms concept is utilized by Freedoms focus on four physical domains related various animal welfare standards and assessment to the raising and handling of farm animals: programs, including the European Welfare Quality feeding/nutrition, housing/environment, health, assessment system for farm animals.7 The Five and behavior. Figure 2. The Five Freedoms • FREEDOMS PROVISIONS 1. Freedom from thirst, hunger, Good nutrition: By providing ready access to fresh water and a and malnutrition diet to maintain full health and vigor 2. Freedom from discomfort Good environment: By providing an appropriate environment and exposure including shelter and a comfortable resting area 3. Freedom from pain, injury, Good health: By prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment and disease 4. Freedom from fear Appropriate behavior: By ensuring conditions and treatment that and distress avoid mental suffering 5. Freedom to express Positive mental experiences: By providing sufficient space, proper normal behavior facilities, and company of the animal‘s own kind Animal Health and Animal Welfare trading partners, have adopted national organic Are Inextricably Linked • regulations that recognize the significance of According to the OIE, animal welfare standards animal welfare to animal health. The United States should be science-based and “should always has entered into organic equivalency agreements seek to maintain health as
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