Animal welfare and ethics

Vonne Lund, National Veterinary Institute, Norway 

Even if we turn to science for advice, it will not be possible to give an indisputable answer to the question. Of course it is necessary to get all possible information and knowledge regarding how certain conditions affect the animal s quality of life. However, animal welfare is not only a matter of facts. It is also a question of what is considered important in life (Tannenbaum 1991). Researchers and philosophers have for several decades attempted to establish one definition of animal welfare, but today there is a common understanding that animal welfare is not only about facts, but also about values. Consequently, the interplay between facts and values, or between science and ethics, makes a single definition impossible. 

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Glatt, H., Engst, W., and Hagen, M. et al. (1997). The use of cell lines genetically engineered for human xenohiotic metahohsing enzymes. In L.F.M. van Zutphen and M. Balls (Eds.) Animal Alternatives, Welfare and Ethics. AmsX rdwu Elsevier 81-94. 

One of the most striking consumer trends in recent years has been the increasing demand for natural and healthy foods where ethical issues (such as animal welfare and health) are also taken into consideration (Andersen et al., 2005). Safety has also become a very important issue of concern in modern food production, prompted mainly by several health crises (hormones, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), antibiotics, dioxin contamination of feed, etc.). 

While regulatory authorities monitor research to ensure it is conducted in accordance with relevant laws and universal principles, stakeholders also seek reassurance that companies consider any ethical concerns that emerge. In particular, this is a matter of being respectful of the integrity of people participating in clinical trials, animal welfare, and culturally founded objections to certain types of research. This condition is an obvious motivator for the adoption of alternative methods, such as biosimulation. 

All the work involving animals was carried out in accordance with European Directive 86/609/EEC governing animal welfare and protection, which is acknowledged by Italian Legislative Decree No. 116, January 27,1992, and according to internal review performed by the GlaxoSmithKline Committee on Animal Research Ethics (CARE) and to the company policy on the care and use of laboratory animals. 

Dehouck, M.-R, Fenart, L., Dehouck, B., et al., 1997. The in vitro blood-brain barrier the assessment of drug transport to the brain. In Van Zutphen, L.F.M., Balls, M. (Eds.), Animal Alternatives, Welfare and Ethics, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, pp. 869-872. 

Detoxification Resorufin Cytochrome P450 activity Rat P etal. (1997) In van Zutphen LFM and Balls M, (eds), Animal Alternatives, Welfare and Ethics, pp 813-825. Amsterdam Elsevier. 

There is a continuing interest in the development of biomarker assays for use in environmental risk assessment. As discussed elsewhere (Section 16.6), there are both scientific and ethical reasons for seeking to introduce in vitro assays into protocols for the regulatory testing of chemicals. Animal welfare organizations would like to see the replacement of toxicity tests by more animal-friendly alternatives for all types of risk assessment—whether for environmental risks or for human health. 

Livestock husbandry is not explicitly addressed in the historical concepts of organic farming. Livestock provided manure and was therefore an important link in the crop and soil fertility chain. Livestock played a major role on its own only in biodynamic farming, especially cattle whose organs are described as important catalysts of processes and transmitters of cosmic energies (Steiner, 1929). Nonetheless, even the pioneers of biodynamic farming did not consider livestock husbandry from an ethical or animal welfare point of view. 

Mellor D.J. and Stafford K.J. (2001). Integrating practical, regulatory and ethical strategies for enhancing farm animal welfare , Australian Veterinary Journal, 79, 762-768. 

Verbeke W A and Viaene J (2000), Ethical challenges for livestock production meeting consumer concerns about meat safety and animal welfare , J Agric Environ Ethics, 12, 141-151. 

Ethics also includes welfare quality what is good quality of life for an animal Therefore, when evaluating animal welfare issues in organic farming systems, we need to understand if particular organic values can be used to help guide decisions regarding appropriate quantity and quality of animal welfare. 

Fraser, D. 1999. Animal ethics and animal welfare science bridging the two cultures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 65 171-189. 

Fraser D., Weary, D.M., Pajor, E.A. and Milligan, B.N. 1997. A scientific concept of animal welfare that reflects ethical concerns. Animal Welfare 6 187-205. 

Lund, V. 2002. Ethics and Animal Welfare in Organic Animal Husbandry - an Interdisciplinary Approach. PhD thesis. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae Veterinaria 137. Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara. 

Lund, V. and Rocklinsberg, H. 2001. Outlining a conception of animal welfare for organic farming systems. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 14 391-424. 

Rollin, B.E. 1993. Animal welfare, science and value. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 6 (Suppl. 2) 44-50. 

Tannenbaum, J. 1991. Ethics and animal welfare The inextricable connection. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 198 1360-1376. 

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