Animal Welfare In Animal Agriculture

What constitutes animal welfare? With animals being used for companionship, service, research, food, fiber, and by-products, animal welfare is a topic of great interest and importance to society. As the world's population continues to increase, a major challenge for society is the maintenance of a strong and viable food system, which is linked to t

What constitutes animal welfare? With animals being used for companionship, service, research, food, fiber, and by-products, animal welfare is a topic of great interest and importance to society. As the world’s population continues to increase, a major challenge for society is the maintenance of a strong and viable food system, which is linked to the well-being and comfort of food animals. Animal Welfare in Animal Agriculture: Husbandry, Stewardship, and Sustainability in Animal Production explores the pressing issue of farm animal welfare in animal production systems in the United States and globally. A framework for open discussion on animal welfare, this multidisciplinary book brings together the perspectives of 40 highly qualified and recognized experts in their respective fields. Fourteen chapters address a range of topics that includes ethics, sociology, food safety, ecology, feed resources, biotechnology, government regulations, and sustainability, as well as animal comfort, health, and contributions to society. The book also offers a historical perspective on the growth of animal agriculture from family farms to industrial animal agriculture—and the impact this has had on society. Illustrating the diversity of viewpoints, the concept of animal welfare is defined from the perspectives of an ethicist and philosopher, a research scientist, a veterinarian, an industrialist, and an activist, as well as from the perspective of sustainability and product quality. Written primarily for students, but also highly relevant for professionals in varying fields of academia and industry, this timely book reveals important insights into animal welfare and animal agriculture. Unique in its depth, breadth, and balance, it underscores the need for dialogue on wide-ranging and often contentious issues related to animal production systems.

Advances in Agricultural Animal Welfare fully explores developments in the key areas of agricultural animal welfare assessment and improvement. Analyzing current topical issues, as well as reviewing the historical welfare issues, the volume is a comprehensive review of the field. Divided into five sections, the book opens in Part One by reviewing advances in animal welfare science, examining cognitive psychology, genetics and genomics. Part Two then looks at transdisciplinary research in animal welfare, with coverage of bioethics, welfare and sustainability from both environmental and food safety perspectives. Part Three explores the process of translating science into policy and practice, followed by discussion on the global achievability of welfare standards in Part Four. Finally, Part Five highlights some emerging issues in agricultural animal welfare. This book is an essential part of the wider ranging series Advances in Farm Animal Welfare, with coverage of cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and aquaculture. With its expert editor and international team of contributors, Advances in Agricultural Animal Welfare is a key reference tool for welfare research scientists and students, practicing vets involved in welfare assessment, and indeed anyone with a professional interest in the welfare of agricultural animals. Provides in-depth reviews of emerging topics, research and applications in agricultural animal welfare Provides coverage of topics important to all agricultural animals and complements the wider series, Agricultural Animal Welfare, which will provide comprehensive coverage of animal welfare of the world’s major farmed animals Edited by a world leading animal welfare academic, with contributions from a writing team of both leading academics and practitioners

"It is essential reading for students and practitioners in animal welfare and animal science, and will also be of interest to readers in meat, veterinary and food sciences, and applied ethology."--BOOK JACKET.

This essay explores key features of the intensification of animal production in relation to animal welfare and animal ethics. It looks at some traditional ethical ideas about animal care in order to help explain why the intensification of animal production has become such a prominent social and ethical issue. It suggests that some of the standard claims made by critics of intensive animal production are seriously flawed, and proposes an alternative interpretation to account for some of the key developments in the intensification of animal production. Finally, it explores how this interpretation, if correct, leads us to a different set of actions to address animal welfare concerns in intensive production systems.

There has been a lot written about animal welfare in intensive farming systems, but very little about animals reared in extensive agricultural systems. Yet these animals make up a significant proportion of the world’s farm animal population, covering a large portion of the globe. Animals kept in extensive conditions face a unique set of challenges that are vital for anyone with an interest in farm animal welfare to understand. Animal Welfare in Extensive Production Systems presents those challenges in a practical way, backed up with thoroughly referenced research. Topics covered include heat stress, water quality and availability, nutrition, predation, poisonous plants, transport, human-animal interactions, and neonatal mortality. This book is ideal for animal welfare academics, students and researchers. It can also be beneficial to students in animal science, veterinary science and agriculture and to farm industry producers and personnel. The Animal Welfare Series covers current topics in animal welfare, to further research and inform the scientific, policy-making and farming communities. 5m Books

“Peter J. Li’s pathbreaking new book, Animal Welfare in China, is timely and valuable.” ANTHROZOÖS The plight of animals in China has attracted intense interest in recent times. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, speculation about the origins of the virus have sparked global curiosity Speculation about the origins of COVID-19 has sparked curiosity about how animals are treated, traded and consumed in China today. In Animal Welfare in China, Peter Li explores the key animal welfare challenges facing China now, including animal agriculture, bear farming, and the trade and consumption of exotic wildlife, dog meat, and other controversial products. He considers how Chinese policymakers have approached these issues and speaks with activists from China’s growing animal rights movement. Li also offers an overview of the history of animal welfare in China, from ancient times through the enormous changes of the 20th and 21st centuries. Some practices that are today described as “traditional,” he argues, are in fact quite recent developments, reflecting the contemporary pursuit of economic growth rather than long-standing cultural traditions. Based on years of fieldwork and analysis, Animal Welfare in China makes a compelling case for a more nuanced and evidence-based approach to these complex issues.