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Market driven initiatives can improve broiler welfare - a comparison across five European countries based on the
Peter Sandøe1, Henning Otte Hansen2, Björn Forkman3
1Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Market-driven initiatives significantly enhance broiler welfare, complementing existing legislation. This study compared welfare standards in five European countries, finding market initiatives can boost overall welfare even with weaker laws.
Area of Science:
- Animal Welfare Science
- Agricultural Economics
- European Policy Studies
Background:
- Broiler production employs two main welfare improvement strategies: government-mandated welfare legislation and market-driven initiatives (e.g., retailer standards, labeling).
- National legislation's impact can be reduced by imports from lower-welfare systems, while market initiatives may face consumer price sensitivity.
- Understanding the practical interplay and effectiveness of these initiatives is crucial for advancing broiler welfare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare broiler welfare requirements and outcomes across five European countries (Denmark, Germany, UK, Netherlands, Sweden) in 2018.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of both welfare legislation and market-driven initiatives in improving overall broiler welfare.
- To assess the impact of these initiatives on national production and consumption benchmarks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Benchmark method, defining key welfare dimensions and expert-derived values and weights.
- Collected data on existing welfare initiatives in each country, calculating additional welfare generated.
- Assessed national coverage of initiatives to compute country-specific production and consumption Benchmark scores.
Main Results:
- Sweden demonstrated a higher Benchmark score for national production due to stringent legal standards.
- The Netherlands achieved a comparable Benchmark score for national chicken consumption, driven by effective market-driven initiatives supplementing weaker legislation.
- Market-driven initiatives proved capable of significantly enhancing broiler welfare, building upon legislative foundations.
Conclusions:
- Market-driven initiatives can substantially improve broiler welfare, effectively compensating for limitations in national legislation.
- A combination of strong legislation and market-driven approaches offers the most robust strategy for advancing animal welfare in broiler production.
- The Benchmark method provides a valuable tool for assessing and comparing the impact of different welfare initiatives across countries.
