Skip to main content
Cognition-Emotions

Costs and benefits of good animal welfare – for animals, farmers and society

By March 8th 2022March 22nd, 2022No Comments

Document type: Briefing note from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

Authors: Haseeb Ahmed, Karin Alvåsen, Charlotte Berg, Ulf Emanuelson, Helena Hansson, Jan Hultgren and Helena Röcklinsberg

   

Preview: Animal welfare is how the animal feels and thrives. It matters to the animal, the owner and society.
Animal welfare efforts can reduce financial returns in cattle operations. However, marketable product attributes or public policies and subsidies can maintain or even improve profitability, without sacrificing animal welfare.
More research is needed to understand the relationship between farm animal welfare and farm profitability. Secondary and long-term effects of animal welfare strategies and the perceived value of animal welfare must be considered.
Through policy and regulation, it might be possible to convert functional animal welfare values to monetary terms without losing respect for intrinsic values (for the animal itself).

Published on the SLU website on 8 March 2022: Animal welfare measures affect the profitability of Swedish milk and beef production

From the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences website