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Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

M.M. van Huik and B.B. Bock

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the rationale of Dutch pig farmers concerning animal welfare and animal‐friendly production. It aims to show the…

1275

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the rationale of Dutch pig farmers concerning animal welfare and animal‐friendly production. It aims to show the interrelations between farmers' production logic, their ideas about good farming and animal welfare and the characteristics of Dutch pig production.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 62 Dutch pig farmers, participating in quality assurance schemes with different focuses on animal welfare, were interviewed about animal welfare, legislation, quality assurance schemes, and possibilities for animal‐friendly production.

Findings

Farmers' attitudes towards animal welfare and the implementation of animal welfare measures follow their understanding of good farming practices, which in turn are strongly influenced by the rationale of the market in which they operate. Two groups can be distinguished. Farmers operating in markets that focus on price and production‐efficiency tend to define animal welfare in terms of animal health and optimal zoo‐technical performance. Farmers operating in markets with a broader sense of quality, which incorporates values such as naturalness, animal welfare and care for the environment, define animal welfare in terms of the room the animals have to express natural behaviour.

Originality/value

This article provides insights into the perception of Dutch pig farmers about animal welfare and their readiness to change towards more animal‐friendly production methods. It points to the interrelations between animal welfare attitudes and behaviour, farmers' perception of good farming and the production logic of the farm. These interrelated influences should be borne in mind by policy makers and researchers seeking to raise welfare levels in pig production.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 109 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

B.B. Bock and M.M. van Huik

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the behaviour and attitudes of European pig producers towards animal welfare. It looks at the relationship of these factors…

4416

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the behaviour and attitudes of European pig producers towards animal welfare. It looks at the relationship of these factors with farmers' understanding of good farming and production logic, together with national characteristics of production, and market and policy arrangements.

Design/methodology/approach

This article synthesises the results of six national studies in which circa 360 pig farmers were interviewed. It compares the differences in attitudes and behaviour of farmers across different countries forming quality‐assurance schemes. This allows for an understanding of how participation in different types of schemes affects farmers' definitions and practice of animal welfare and how this is embedded in specific national contexts.

Findings

Farmers' readiness to implement stricter animal welfare regulations and their belief in animal‐friendly production differ according to their definition of animal welfare and the importance they attach to it, but are also linked to their participation in schemes. In general two groups of farmers can be distinguished. Farmers participating in basic or top quality‐assurance schemes define animal welfare in terms of animal health and production‐performance. By contrast, farmers who participate in organic or specific welfare schemes emphasise the animals' opportunity for expressing natural behaviour. These different attitudes towards the animal welfare issue are underpinned by differences in farming style, or production logic.

Originality/value

The article provides insights into how pig farmers across Europe perceive and construct animal welfare. By relating these factors with farmers' understanding of good farming and production logic and national characteristics of production, market and policy arrangements, it contributes to the scientific understanding of animal welfare attitudes and behaviour. It provides insights into the factors that influence farmers' readiness to engage in animal‐friendly production, which may be of use to policymakers.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 109 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 8 June 2012

Helena Hansson and Carl Johan Lagerkvist

The purpose of this study was to develop a behavioural framework for developing a scale to measure farmers' attitudes to animal welfare and health and to take an explorative…

1464

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop a behavioural framework for developing a scale to measure farmers' attitudes to animal welfare and health and to take an explorative approach to initiating development of such a scale.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was used to develop the behavioural framework. Exploratory factor analysis was then used to initiate development of a measurement scale, based on a sample of 108 Swedish livestock farmers.

Findings

Based on the framework developed, the authors' data suggest unidimensionality of farmers' attitudes to animal welfare and health; and that farmers perceive animal welfare as being about animal health and comfort in particular.

Research limitations/implications

Further research should be devoted to this area to develop a more final measurement scale. This could be done by re‐evaluating the scale obtained in this paper in both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis settings. The behavioural framework proposed here provides a basis for such scale development and a more rigid framework for evaluating and comparing farmers' attitudes to animal welfare.

Practical implications

The behavioural framework and scale development initiated in this paper can be used by policymakers and organizations responsible for quality assurance schemes to develop policy measures and education programmes to re‐train farmers' behaviour into a system that supports higher animal welfare and health standards.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is that it develops and uses a behavioural framework based on psychological and psychometric theory to initiate development of a scale to measure farmers' attitudes to animal welfare and health.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 114 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 4 April 2016

Esther van Asselt, Sjoukje Osinga and Harry Bremmers

The purpose of this paper is to simulate compliance behaviour of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands based on the Table of Eleven: 11 factors determining compliance (based on…

554

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to simulate compliance behaviour of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands based on the Table of Eleven: 11 factors determining compliance (based on economic, cognitive, social and institutional factors).

Design/methodology/approach

An Agent-Based Model (ABM) was developed that could incorporate both individual and group behaviour and allowed to evaluate the effect of various intervention strategies. For this purpose, a case study on the compliance of pig farmers with antibiotics legislation in the Netherlands was used.

Findings

The effect of social factors (acceptance of legislation and social influence) on compliance levels was tested as well as the number of inspectors. This showed that the model can help to choose the most optimal intervention strategy depending on the input parameters.

Research limitations/implications

Further expansion of the model may be necessary, e.g. including economic factors, in order to reflect real-life situations more closely.

Practical implications

The model can be used by inspection services to effectively implement their control programme.

Originality/value

The developed ABM is a first attempt to simulate compliance behaviour and as such contributes to the current limited knowledge on effective intervention strategies.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 118 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

Svein Ole Borgen and Guro Aadnegard Skarstad

The purpose of this paper is to explore Norwegian pig farmers' motivation for improving animal welfare, and to develop the rudiments of a more general understanding of farmers'…

847

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore Norwegian pig farmers' motivation for improving animal welfare, and to develop the rudiments of a more general understanding of farmers' animal welfare discourses related to motivation for improving animal welfare.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a discourse analysis of qualitative interviews with 60 Norwegian pig farmers. Supplementary sources are governmental policy documents, research reports and statistics.

Findings

The pig farmers' motivation for improving animal welfare is a moral, economic and regulatory question. Their discourse on animal welfare must be interpreted in light of the specific contextual factors, such as public regulation and the market situation of agro‐foods in Norway, which contribute to shaping the farmers' practices.

Research limitations/implications

An implication of the study of interest for policy makers is that many pig producers currently look upon animal welfare as a “competitive‐free” zone. This appreciation impacts their attitudes towards animal welfare schemes and other measures that are intended to improve animal welfare. However, since the farmers' discourse is highly context‐specific, their motivation for entering specialised animal welfare schemes is also expected to change with future changes in the economic, political and regulatory context within which they are embedded.

Originality/value

The paper is a first‐of‐its kind investigation of farmers' conception of animal welfare in Norway. It provides novel insights into the Norwegian pig farmers' definition of animal welfare, and suggests how their motivation can be understood in analytical terms.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 109 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

Florence Kling‐Eveillard, Anne‐Charlotte Dockès and Catherine Souquet

The purpose of this paper is to describe the main characteristics of the animal welfare specifications in different quality schemes of the French pig sector; to present the French…

782

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the main characteristics of the animal welfare specifications in different quality schemes of the French pig sector; to present the French pig farmers' attitudes towards animal welfare in general, and illustrate different quality schemes.

Design/methodology/approach

Prime source of data is interviews with 60 pig farmers. Supplementary sources are research reports and statistics, specifications of the quality schemes.

Findings

On many themes, the responses and attitudes of the farmers differ according to their participation or not in a quality assurance scheme, and according to the level of stringency of their scheme regarding animal welfare. For instance, farmers in the most stringent schemes define animal welfare as providing natural living conditions for the animals, whereas for farmers in no schemes, or in more intensive schemes, animal welfare is above all an animal in good health, for which one must provide correct housing and a balanced and sufficient diet. Animal welfare is almost always a part of more global quality schemes including environmental and high flavour quality aspects.

Originality/value

The paper provides insights into the different definitions of good animal welfare by French pig farmers, as well as their attitudes towards public regulations and different types of private schemes. This is interesting from a scientific point of view and to fuel the debate between a high level of regulation for all farmers, a market segmentation based on welfare specification, or a market segmentation in which animal welfare is one aspect of the specifications.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 109 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 21 September 2012

Annabell Franz, Ingke Deimel and Achim Spiller

The Federal Government of Germany, as well as the European Commission, are discussing the enhancement of animal welfare requirements. This study aims to explore different groups…

1212

Abstract

Purpose

The Federal Government of Germany, as well as the European Commission, are discussing the enhancement of animal welfare requirements. This study aims to explore different groups of conventional German pig farmers with respect to their understanding of animal welfare. Based on the results, a target group is determined that is willing to take part in an animal welfare programme in accordance with the current state of research, i.e. considering the four “Welfare Quality” principles: good housing, good feeding, good health and especially appropriate behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 160 German pig farmers between March and May 2010 using an online questionnaire. Data analysis combines two quantitative methods. To reduce complexity and to identify the animal welfare perceptions of the farmers first an explorative factor analysis was conducted. Subsequently, based on the determined factors, the sample was divided into different groups by means of a cluster analysis.

Findings

Three groups of pig farmers were defined with regard to the establishment of an animal welfare programme according to the current state of research. While a broad acceptance of the principles good housing, good feeding and good health exists among the farmers, the appropriate animal behaviour is only important for a small group of pig farmers. Therefore, the three groups should be addressed by the developers of an animal welfare programme, using different strategies to gain the support of all farmers.

Originality/value

To successfully introduce new animal welfare requirements, farmers are important actors to take into account. This paper is the first analysis of the animal welfare perceptions of conventionally producing German pig farmers and determines different groups for a comprehensive animal welfare husbandry system as currently discussed by scientists and politics.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 114 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

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