Document type: published on the website of LIT OUESTEREL
Author: LIT OUESTEREL
Preview: " Animal welfare is all very well, but what will it cost, and above all, how will I benefit from it?". IN January 2025, to provide answers to these typical questions from farmers, LIT OUESTEREL launched an 18-month project to assess the profitability of Animal Health and Welfare practices. The objective was to develop a method of cost-benefit analysis that included economic, zootechnical and social factors. The methodology will be field-tested using three animal welfare practices.
Genesis of the project
In their empirical study of farmers' attitudes to animal welfare, Bock and Van Huik (2007) concluded that the main obstacle to farmer participation in particular animal welfare programs was the lack of confidence among farmers in the economic benefits of participation. This was also one of the findings of LIT OUESTEREL's 2021 study of farmers' commitment to animal welfare certification. To find a way round this obstacle, the LIT worked on the provision of technical support for farmers who wanted to introduce animal welfare measures, notably through the creation of the multi-criteria evaluation tools MULTIPORC, MULTIBOV and MULTIPOUL. These tools can be used to assess the effects of animal welfare practices on the entire livestock production system, taking into account economic, environmental and social criteria (working conditions, etc.). They compare a control system with alternative scenarios, providing an overall view of the advantages and disadvantages of the practices in the scenarios. To take this a step further, an analysis tool is now under development by LIT OUESTEREL that will quantify the actual contributions of animal welfare at farm level, regardless of the nature of these contributions.
Methodology for diagnosing the costs and benefits of animal welfare practices
The methodology currently being deployed takes into account the direct (inputs, investments, etc.), indirect (labor, dependence on suppliers, etc.) and intangible (work demands, skills requirements, etc.) costs associated with the farmer's implementation of animal welfare practices. Similarly, direct (productivity, input savings), indirect (time savings, long-term animal longevity, etc.) and intangible (moral satisfaction, intangible value of the farm) benefits are assessed. This method is tested in the field through three "proofs of concept": socialization of piglets, feeder cows for dairy calves and winter gardens for poultry. Partner farmers take part in interviews to express their perception of the practices, their advantages and limitations, in relation to data from the literature. Visual indicators, such as radars, complete this assessment. With their agreement, a quantitative follow-up is then set up. This is based on data collection in six areas: buildings, feed, animal health, animal welfare, labor, and technical and economic performance. This makes it possible to compare, in concrete terms, the costs and benefits of a livestock operation with or without the animal welfare practice under study.
What next?
If you would like to hear how this study is progressing, you can catch up with us at the end of the year at the Journées LIT EXPERT 2025, where we'll be giving a brief presentation.
