Subject: Ecology / Environment

Animal board invited review: Improving animal health and welfare in the transition of livestock farming systems: Towards social acceptability and sustainability

C. Ducrot, M.B. Barrio, A. Boissy, F. Charrier, S. Even, P. Mormède, S. Petit, M.-H. Pinard-van der laan, F. Schelcher, F. Casabianca, A. Ducos, G. Foucras, R. Guatteo, J.-L. Peyraud, M. Vayssier-Taussat, P. Veysset, N.C. Friggens, X. Fernandez

Published in 2024

The shared views of a group of INRAE researchers on the interdisciplinary research needed to support the transition to sustainable livestock production systems. Animal health and welfare are at the heart of these issues.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Societal issues, Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

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Stress related to wild canid predators near dairy sheep farms associated with increased somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk

Eleni I. Katsarou, Neil Reid , Daphne T. Lianou, George C. Fthenakis

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that the presence of predatory wild canids near sheep farms is associated with poorer milk quality, suggesting stress in ewes.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canines, Sheep

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Biodiversity, Environment, Population management, Lactation, Living environment, , Stress

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Effect of extended heat stress in dairy cows on productive and behavioral traits

Daniela Lovarelli, Giulietta Minozzi, Alon Arazi, Marcella Guarino, Francesco Tiezzi

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that heat stress generated by intense heat waves increases activity in dairy cows and compromises milk production, resting time and milk quality.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Robustness, Stress

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Animal health and welfare: cornerstones of sustainable animal farming

WOAH

Published in 2024

Article describing the environmental challenges of livestock farming, along with its impact on animal welfare and global health. The article underlines the need for farming practices to evolve, with animal health and welfare as key contributors to the sustainability of livestock farming.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords:Biodiversity, Societal issues, Environment, Population management, One Welfare, Pollution, livestock farming system

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Review: Animal husbandry and sustainable agriculture: is animal welfare (only) an issue of sustainability of agricultural production or a separate issue on its own?

Daniel Wawrzyniak

Published in 2024

Scientific article explaining the risks of conflating the concept of animal welfare with that of sustainable farming.Linking them can blur their differences and may result in misguided agricultural political decision-making.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords: Environment, One Welfare, Pollution,Societal issues, livestock farming system

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Pathways towards lower emissions - A global assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation options from livestock agrifood systems

Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations

Published in 2024

FAO prospective study on livestock-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are likely to increase as a result of growing global demand for animal products. The study assesses the GHG emission reduction potential of various livestock farming techniques.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Environment, Pollution

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Routledge Handbook of Animal Welfare

Andrew Knight, Clive Phillips, Paula Sparks

Published in 2022

Book offering a comprehensive review of animal welfare and the law. It explores the biological basis for the consideration of animals within a moral framework and traces changes in how we conceptualize animal welfare. It takes a detailed look at the welfare issues associated with many different uses of animals. It includes recent issues such as climate change, pandemics and antimicrobial resistance.

Document Types: Scientific work

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, All animals

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Enrichment, Environment, Euthanasia, Brain integration, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system, Transport

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Review: The challenge to integrate Animal Welfare indicators into the Life Cycle Assessment

L. Lanzoni, L. Whatford, A. Atzori, M. Chincarini, M. Giammarco, I. Fusaro, G. Vignola

Published in 2023

Scientific literature review of publications that consider the impact of livestock systems on both the environment and animal welfare. It shows that environmental impact assessment using life cycle assessment (LCA) has a much more consistent, standardized and thorough methodology than animal welfare assessments. It concludes that research is needed to integrate animal welfare assessment into LCA.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Environment, Welfare indicators, Modelling, One Welfare

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Review: Connecting circularity to animal welfare calls for a 'novel' conceptual framework based on integrity

M.B.M. Bracke, I.J.M. Boumans, H.J. Nijland, E.A.M. Bokkers

Published in 2023

Scientific review proposing a new conceptual framework it calls the circular welfare economy (CWE), intended to facilitate the transition to sustainable agriculture. The CWE applies the notion of circularity to welfare, defined as the quality of life as it is perceived by the individual animal itself. It also considers human integrity, defined as openness and honesty, to be a prerequisite for sustainability.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords: Environment, One Welfare, Human-animal relationships,Societal issues

Rethinking EU Aquaculture for people, planet and animals

CIWF

Published in 2023

CIWF report promoting greater consideration of farmed fish welfare and sustainable production of aquatic species at the bottom of the food chain in extensive systems to ensure the sustainability of European aquaculture.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories:Molluscs, Fish

Keywords:Biodiversity, Societal issues, Environment, Population management, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Resilience

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