The Pros And Cons Of Animal Welfare

920 Words4 Pages

Animal welfare has been a controversial subject in recent years. Nowadays, consumers are placing more attention to their consumption of animal product. The fact that there are diverse consumers with dissimilar perspectives on the meat industry makes animal welfare a complex international public policy controversy that also needs to take economical, scientific, cultural and ethical dimensions into consideration. The government can change the consumption behavior of the consumers and the production process of livestock by intervening the market using a ‘carrot’ approach so that the price system will lead the society to an efficient outcome of animal welfare. Since animal welfare is an increasing concern, numerous countries are reconsidering the way animal welfare is embedded in legislation for housing and care of animals. The Five Freedoms forms the multidisciplinary tools to measure animal welfare (A.J.F. Webster, 2001). However, the Five Freedoms are not implemented in all …show more content…

The existence of different opinions on animal welfare and differentiation in the price of meat play an important factor on consumption behavior of the consumers. The current price system of cheap meat does not lead the market of animal welfare to the optimal level because the harmful environmental effects of livestock production are not reflected in the price of cheap meat. The market of animal welfare will reached its optimal level due to policy implementation by the government. Government intervention shall decrease the social costs of livestock farming and increase the social benefit of animal welfare. Ultimately the solution to animal welfare must be based on a real sense of moral responsibility towards animals. Therefore, existence of sustainable agricultural systems is crucial, not only for our existence, but also for our future