Concepts of Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Livestock Systems

Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 25 (3):333-347 (2012)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In 2005, The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) developed four new ethical principles of organic agriculture to guide its future development: the principles of health, ecology, care, and fairness. The key distinctive concept of animal welfare in organic agriculture combines naturalness and human care, and can be linked meaningfully with these principles. In practice, a number of challenges are connected with making organic livestock systems work. These challenges are particularly dominant in immature agro-ecological systems, for example those that are characterized by industrialization and monoculture. Some of the current challenges are partly created by shortages of land and manure, which encourage zero-grazing and other confined systems. Other challenges are created in part by the conditions for farming and the way in which global food distribution systems are organized, e.g., how live animals are transported, how feed is traded and transported all over the globe, and the development of infrastructure and large herds. We find that the overall organic principles should be included when formulating guidelines for practical organic animal farming. This article explores how the special organic conceptions of animal welfare are related to the overall principles of organic agriculture. The aim is to identify potential routes for future development of organic livestock systems in different contexts and with reference to the specific understanding of animal welfare in organic agriculture. We include two contrasting cases represented by organic livestock systems in northwestern Europe and farming systems in tropical low-income countries; we use these cases to explore the widely different challenges of organic livestock systems in different parts of the world.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 101,458

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Animal welfare and organic aquaculture in open systems.Stephanie Yue Cottee & Paul Petersan - 2009 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 22 (5):437-461.
Outlining a conception of animal welfare for organic farming systems.Vonne Lund & Helena Röcklinsberg - 2001 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 14 (4):391-424.
The ethical contract as a tool in organic animal husbandry.Vonne Lund, Raymond Anthony & Helena Röcklinsberg - 2004 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 17 (1):23-49.

Analytics

Added to PP
2011-05-05

Downloads
64 (#332,081)

6 months
10 (#413,587)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Hugo F. Alrøe
University of Aarhus

References found in this work

Animal Liberation.Peter Singer (ed.) - 1977 - Avon Books.
The ethical contract as a tool in organic animal husbandry.Vonne Lund, Raymond Anthony & Helena Röcklinsberg - 2004 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 17 (1):23-49.
The Treatment of Animals.John Passmore - 1975 - Journal of the History of Ideas 36 (2):195.
Can natural behavior be cultivated? The farm as local human/animal culture.Pär Segerdahl - 2007 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 20 (2):167-193.

View all 11 references / Add more references