Discipline: Economics

Impact of ‘hands-free’ rational handling on operational performance and economic losses in beef cattle

Daniela Costa Cotrim Campos, Adriane Lermen Zart, Claudio Vaz Di Mambro Ribeiro

Published in 2025

Scientific study showing that a cattle-handling protocol designed to reduce stress  significantly reduces bruising and loading times. Economic losses are also lower than those for conventional handling practices. The "hands-free" handling strategy improves operational efficiency without compromising carcass quality.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Bovines

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Most common housing systems and practices for keeping turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) in the EU

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Jutta Berk, Joanna Marchewka, Virginie Michel, Nienke van Staaveren, Oana Maria Balmoș, Chiara Fabris, Yves Van der Stede, Cristina Rojo Gimeno, Antonio Velarde, Anja Brinch Riber

Published in 2026

New EFSA technical report describing livestock systems, the turkey production process, and the duration of its various stages. In the European Union, the most common housing systems for fattening turkeys are indoor farming with and without outdoor access and/or covered verandas. Breeding stock are kept indoors. In addition, the report describes the management of turkey poults in hatcheries.

Document types: Technical documents

Animal categories: Poultry

Nouveaux Animaux de Compagnie : état des lieux en France métropolitaine et problématiques liées à leur détention

Blanche Montero

Published in 2023

Veterinary thesis report on exotic pets (new companion animals) in France. The growing popularity of non-traditional pets raises issues of regulation, animal welfare, illegal trade, and health risks, highlighting the key role of veterinarians and the need to raise public awareness.

Document Types: Scientific work

Animal categories:Exotic pets

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A scoping review of (dis-)incentives for animal welfare-improving farming practices

Trevor Woolley, Sharon Pailler, Jonathan McFadden, Zach Raff, Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky, Kevin Kuruc

Published in 2025

Analysis of the literature on economic incentives and barriers to the adoption of animal welfare practices animal welfare the perspective of producers. Costs are a major barrier, while certain improvements to the rearing environment can benefit health and productivity.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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European Parliament: answer to priority question P-003765/2025: Commission response to ongoing animal welfare breaches in transport and the need to ban live animal transport to safeguard animal welfare

Question: Anja Hazekamp (The Left). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

In response to a parliamentary question on the ban on the transport of live animals, the European Commission acknowledges serious animal welfare problems during transport, particularly at borders, and emphasizes Member States' responsibility to effectively enforce existing rules. It highlights immediate operational measures, such as cooperation with Turkey and Bulgaria and the improvement of procedures via TRACES, along with an ongoing legislative review to strengthen animal protection. While supporting the increased use of trade in meat and genetic materials, the Commission takes the view  that the transport of live animals remains, in certain cases, necessary for the functioning of the relevant sectors.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Provision of a method for the economic valuation of animal welfare benefits suitable for use in policy appraisal

Richard Bennett, Kelvin Balcombe, Heather Maggs

Published in 2025

A new tool developed by the University of Reading that assigns well-being scores (0–100) to farming systems and links them to British households' willingness to pay to improve farming conditions.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Incorporating Animal Welfare into Cost-Benefit Analysis

Marc David Davidson

Published in 2025

Scientific article presenting a conceptual and theoretical analysis of the appropriate way to integrate animal welfare into cost-benefit analysis while adhering to the principles of positive welfare economics.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

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Aligning agricultural policy: discrepancies between public and farmer priorities

Nadja El Benni, Robert Finger, Jeanine Ammann, Judith Irek, Antonia Kaiser, Christian Ritzel, Yanbing Wang, Gabriele Mack

Published in 2025

Study comparing the preferences and levels of consensus of non-farmers and farmers on a set of agricultural policy objectives using surveys conducted in Switzerland. Farmers and non-farmers agree on the importance of food production and farm incomes, but non-farmers place more importance on low food prices and agri-environmental objectives than farmers.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Willingness to pay for animal welfare across labels, products, consumers, and time

Malte Oehlmann, Irina Dolgopolova, Christina M. Neubig, Jutta Roosen

Published in 2025

Survey of 6,000 German consumers showing that multi-level animal welfare labels allow better product differentiation and greater willingness to pay. The latter varied according to meat type, income and gender, being notably higher for beef and chicken, as well as among women and affluent households.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002603/2025: Finland's derogation for mink fur farming and the ban on fur farming throughout the EU

Question: Maria Ohisalo (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

Answer to a question on a request by Finland for a derogation to continue mink farming despite the addition of mink to the EU list of invasive species and the fact that most Member States have already banned the farming of fur. In its answer, the European Commission states that it will grant any such derogation according to its published criteria and that it intends to follow up on the Fur Free Europe Citizen's Initiative by March 2026. It will conduct an impact assessment before deciding on a possible EU-wide ban.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Mammals

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