Document type: online dossier from LIT Ouesterel
Author: LIT Ouesterel
Preview : The use of co-construction methods in focus groups bringing together farmers and consumers will help this project to broker an understanding between farming and society at the scale of individual groups of people. Levers to facilitate the willing adoption of an animal welfare approach by poultry farmers have been identified for the particular profile of the Ancenis region.
A growing misunderstanding between farmers and consumers
For some years now, misunderstanding has been growing between farmers and consumers. Tensions over animal welfare alone have developed to a point where farming has found itself at the centre of controversy. On the one hand, the public is asking questions, demanding greater transparency and traceability and a reduction in industrialization. On the other, farmers feel themselves to be misunderstood and criticised, no longer knowing how to respond to the demands of the public while continuing to earn a decent living.
Taking poultry farming for its case study, LIT OUESTEREL is seeking to re-establish dialogue between farmers and local people in the Ancenis region. To do this, it has focused on the co-creation of ways to enhance or encourage welfare initiatives in local poultry farms. [..] Following a series of workshops, participants came up with 35 ideas for actions that would encourage or improve initiatives by farmers to support animal welfare.
Creating dialogue between the actors in the value chain
These 35 ideas were then presented to a larger group of poultry farmers [...] in order to select the ideas they considered most appropriate for implementation in the region. This selection process led to the identification of three priority actions:
- Set up farm visits for consumers;
- Set up discussions between farmers who use particular animal welfare practices and others who don't;
- Set up meetings between farmers, manufacturers and distributors to discuss investment in animal welfare.
Summary of the approach to encourage willing engagement by poultry farmers
List of actions to encourage or enhance farmers' commitment to animal welfare
Report workshop 1
Report workshop 2
Report workshop 3
Report workshop 4
Report workshop 5
