The Future of Animal Agriculture in North America - Farm Foundation

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necessarily have a high level of welfare. Some argue that wellbeing
requires that an animal be free from fear and pain, and
that it be in good psychological or mental health, i.e., it is
comfortable and coping well with its environment. In that case,
the absence of animal welfare problems might be indicated by
“minimum mortality, low morbidity, little or no risk of injury,
good body condition (sustaining adequate production and
reproduction), the ability to perform species-specific activities
(including social interactions, exploration and play), and the
absence of abnormal behaviors and physiological signs of stress,
including suppression of immune responses” (Halverson, 2001).
This chapter focuses on animal welfare issues for cattle, hogs,
poultry and sheep. It includes a description of current
regulations affecting farm animal welfare, drivers and key
issues of changes in practices and policy, and alternatives for
protecting animal welfare. The chapter concludes with the
economic impacts of welfare practices and the conclusions and
options for the future.
Current Rules and Regulations
Affecting Farm Animal Welfare
Practices that influence the welfare of farm animals are affected
by legislation governing the treatment of animals in North
America, by codes of practice implemented by the animal
products industry and by international standards.
Legislation
Much of the legislative emphasis in North America has been on
the welfare of pets or companion animals, and animals used for
research. The legislative situation for farm animal welfare is
summarized in Box 1. Regulations in the three North American
countries address humane slaughter and transport, but lack a
comprehensive animal welfare law applicable to farm animals.
Mexico has several federal regulations dealing with the
transportation and slaughter of animals. Roughly 40 percent of
Mexico’s 32 states have laws relating to the treatment of
animals. Enforcement of existing legislation is rare. At the
federal level, a comprehensive bill covering maintenance, care
and housing, use, transportation and slaughter was introduced
in 2004, but has not yet been passed. The preamble to the bill
indicates that an important factor underlying the proposed
legislation is international developments in animal welfare
standards, particularly in the European Union (EU), that may
create barriers to Mexico’s exports of livestock products. If
passed, the legislation could provide the basis for development
of a certification system for producers meeting identified animal
welfare standards.
Canada has a federal law prohibiting cruelty to all animals and
regulations dealing with the transportation and slaughter of
Animal Welfare
animals for food. Each province has its own legislation dealing
with animal welfare, which typically recognizes accepted
humane practices. Specific industry guidelines for such practices
have been developed for each type of animal.
The United States has federal regulations dealing with the
slaughter of livestock, but not poultry, and there are regulations
on the transportation of animals. Every state has an anti-cruelty
statute, but in most states the legislation is not targeted to farm
animals or there is an exemption for accepted farming and
ranching practices.
There has been a marked increase in the number of bills
relating to animal welfare introduced in the U.S. Congress,
with an average of 50 to 60 such bills introduced annually in
recent years (Rollin, 2004). There is also a lot of activity in this
area at the state level, although relatively few bills have actually
been passed. Recent state initiatives have included proposed
prohibitions on the tail docking of cattle and on the use of
stalls for sows and veal calves. In 2002, Florida voters approved
an amendment to that state’s constitution that bans the
confinement of a pregnant sow in a cage, crate or other
enclosure, and prohibits tethering a pregnant sow so that she is
prevented from turning around freely.
Codes of Practice and Third-Party Auditing
Recognition of public concerns about the welfare of farm
animals has led to increased use of codes of practice by the
animal products industry. In Canada, recommended codes of
practice for all major species of farm animals have been
established by industry groups since 1980. These have been
developed in conjunction with researchers, federal and
provincial representatives, and nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), such as the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies
and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. There are
currently 15 codes, as well as a series of fact sheets based on
them. At the national level, the codes represent voluntary
guidelines and include various minimum standards for
producers and others. Two provinces reference the codes in
provincial regulations. In court cases involving enforcement of
federal or provincial statutes, the codes have on occasion been
used as a basis for determining acceptable operating practices.
In 2005, Canada established the National Farm Animal Care
Council (NFACC), with broad participation by stakeholders
from the animal products industry. Besides commodity groups
and others who have participated through the years in the
development of the codes of practice, NFACC also includes
representatives of provincial farm animal care councils,
and the processing, transportation, food/restaurant and
retail/distribution sectors. NFACC provides a forum for
coordination and collaboration among stakeholders regarding
farm animal care issues, and will assume responsibility for
ensuring the ongoing development of codes of practice.