Article
Food Science & Technology
Maria Jose Hotzel, Bianca Vandresen
Summary: This article provides an overview of meat production and consumption in Brazil, reviews the scientific literature on Brazilian public attitudes towards meat production and consumption, and discusses measures being taken to develop more sustainable production systems.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Lexis H. Ly, Emilia Gordon, Alexandra Protopopova
Summary: This study utilized the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) to examine the impact of social factors on animal relinquishment, revealing various factors predicting the risk of animal surrender. There were some similarities and differences across different areas, highlighting the importance of further interventions for marginalized populations to increase animal retention.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Carmen Glanville, Jennifer Ford, Rebecca Cook, Grahame J. Coleman
Summary: The study found that residents in high reporting LGAs have more affection for animals and are more concerned about animal mistreatment, but show no significant differences in other variables. Participants in regions with high prevalence did not exhibit lower levels of affection or concern for animal mistreatment. Regional differences were found in caring for one's own animals and concern for mistreatment of different species, while gender effects were also common.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sghaier Chriki, Vincent Payet, Sergio Bertelli Pflanzer, Marie-Pierre Ellies-Oury, Jingjing Liu, Elise Hocquette, Jonata Henrique Rezende-de-Souza, Jean-Francois Hocquette
Summary: The majority of Brazilians consider cell-based meat to be promising and acceptable, with most willing to pay less for it compared to conventional meat. Factors such as gender, monthly income, and age play significant roles in determining consumer acceptance and attitudes.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Javiera Lagos, Manuel Rojas, Joao B. Rodrigues, Tamara Tadich
Summary: Soldiers' empathy towards animals is positively associated with their perception of pain and empathy towards humans. They prefer working with mules over donkeys and horses, perceiving mules as intelligent and well-suited for pack work in mountains, despite also perceiving them as aggressive. Soldiers have a good understanding of mules' nutritional, environmental, and health needs, but require better understanding of their behavioral and emotional needs.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sara Platto, Agathe Serres, Ai Jingyi
Summary: A survey on Chinese college students revealed an improvement in their attitudes towards animals and animal welfare. Students majoring in veterinary science showed the greatest differences in attitudes, and those who currently owned or had owned animals, participated in animal welfare courses, or had laboratory work involving animals scored higher in their attitude towards animal welfare.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Bianca Vandresen, Maria Jose Hotzel
Summary: This study investigates Brazilian citizens' attitudes towards farrowing housing systems and found that attitudes were most negative towards crates and most positive towards outdoor farrowing. Participants overwhelmingly rejected the use of farrowing crates and supported a proposal to move to loose pens, even with an increased risk of piglet mortality. Concerns about sows' freedom of movement, behavioral freedom, and naturalness influenced participants' views, suggesting that maintaining farrowing crates may erode public support for the pig industry.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yifei Yang, Tingyun Wang, Clive J. C. Phillips, Qingjun Shao, Edward Narayan, Kris Descovich
Summary: China is the largest producer of food fish in the world, and consumers in China prefer to buy live fish for freshness. Live fish transport is common in Chinese aquaculture, but poses potential risks to animal welfare. This study explored stakeholders' attitudes and knowledge towards live fish transport and welfare in China. Results showed that participants had moderate knowledge of transport practices and some understanding of animal welfare, though mainly focused on terrestrial animals. Live fish transport in China often involves sealed tanks, plastic bags, and foam boxes in purpose-built vehicles, with seasonal changes and oxygen supply being key factors. Anesthetics are not widely used, and fish health during transport is mainly assessed based on physical appearance and swimming ability. Participants tended to associate welfare concerns more with terrestrial animals than with fish.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yi-Hsuan Chen, Wei-Hsiang Huang
Summary: There is a strong association between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, therefore veterinarians often encounter both. Dealing with animal abuse cases is beneficial for advancing animal welfare and the overall public health. Veterinarians play an important role in identifying and responding to this relationship.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Francesca Carnovale, Xiao Jin, David Arney, Kris Descovich, Wenliang Guo, Binlin Shi, Clive J. C. Phillips
Summary: While most Chinese participants in the survey had limited understanding of animal welfare, there has been an increase in awareness in recent years. Wild animal welfare was considered particularly important, with respondents showing a willingness to pay more for food from animals raised in good welfare conditions.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Daniel Mota-Rojas, Stefany Monsalve, Karina Lezama-Garcia, Patricia Mora-Medina, Adriana Dominguez-Oliva, Ramiro Ramirez-Necoechea, Rita de Cassia Maria Garcia
Summary: Animal abuse is recognized as a risk factor for interpersonal violence. Factors such as dysfunctional families, antisocial personality, abuse, and exposure to domestic aggression or animal abuse can predispose children to perform acts of cruelty towards animals. Recognizing warning signs and taking a holistic approach involving various professionals is critical in managing and preventing domestic violence involving humans and animals.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ruijia Shi, Hang Shu, Ruyang Yu, Yajing Wang, Ziqi Zhang, Junjie Zhang, Xianhong Gu
Summary: This study examined the attitudes of Chinese dairy practitioners towards pain perception and management in intensively raised dairy cattle. The results showed a correlation between pain perception and pain management willingness, with emphasis on training to improve animal welfare and reduce production losses. Younger and more highly educated respondents tended to give lower pain scores, indicating a potential need for increased education and awareness in this area. Older respondents tended to choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain management, while larger farms were more likely to use analgesics.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
B. Foris, H-G Haas, J. Langbein, N. Melzer
Summary: Regrouping in dairy cow groups can disrupt social relationships and behaviors, but a small group of familiar cows may offer social support and lessen negative effects. Cows tend to prefer familiar individuals as social partners after regrouping, showing positive assortment in grooming and feeding networks.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Christoph Randler, Ana Adan, Maria-Mihaela Antofie, Arturo Arrona-Palacios, Manecas Candido, Jelle Boeve-de Pauw, Priti Chandrakar, Eda Demirhan, Vassilis Detsis, Lee Di Milia, Jana Fancovicova, Niklas Gericke, Prasun Haldar, Zeinab Heidari, Konrad S. Jankowski, Juhani E. Lehto, Ryan Lundell-Creagh, William Medina-Jerez, Adrian Meule, Taciano L. Milfont, Mireia Orgiles, Alexandra Morales, Vincenzo Natale, Xochitl Ortiz-Jimenez, Babita Pande, Timo Partonen, Atanu Kumar Pati, Pavol Prokop, Arash Rahafar, Martin Scheuch, Subhashis Sahu, Iztok Tomazic, Lorenzo Tonetti, Pablo Vallejo Medina, Peter van Petegem, Alejandro Vargas, Christian Vollmer
Summary: Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) refer to human attitudes towards animal welfare and are influenced by demographic factors such as age and gender. This study aimed to evaluate gender differences in AWA among university students from 22 nations. A total of 7914 participants completed a questionnaire assessing their demographics, diet, and responses to the Composite Respect for Animals Scale Short version (CRAS-S). Findings showed that diet was a significant predictor of AWA, with vegans having higher AWA scores compared to omnivores. Additionally, women reported higher AWA scores than men and gender differences in AWA increased as gender inequality decreased.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Renee S. Willis, Emma J. Dunston-Clarke, Leah R. Keating, Patricia A. Fleming, Teresa Collins
Summary: There is significant societal concern for animal welfare in the Australian live export industry, with industry workers displaying a strong understanding and positive attitude towards animal welfare concepts. Workers from various roles within the industry demonstrated a commitment to improving animal welfare and agreed that livestock should be treated with respect. Despite some minor variations in beliefs or attitudes based on industry roles, the majority of workers shared similar views on the importance of animal welfare.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Elaine Cristina de Oliveira Sans, Fabiano Dahlke, Juliana Freitas Federici, Frank Andre Maurice Tuyttens, Carla Forte Maiolino Molento
Summary: We compared the welfare of broiler chickens in free-range and intensive indoor systems and found that while both systems have room for improvement, free-range farms generally performed better in various welfare indicators.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Chad M. Baum, Wim Verbeke, Hans De Steur
Summary: This study explores the use of counter-messaging to promote acceptance of cultured meat and investigates the determinants of acceptance change. The focus of counter-messaging was found to be insignificant, but such an approach generally enhances consumer acceptance. Acceptance of cultured meat is higher among men, younger consumers, and frequent meat-eaters, and the change in acceptance is influenced by perceived consumer effectiveness and prior knowledge.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Duc Tran, Ieben Broeckhoven, Yung Hung, Nguyen Hoang Diem My, Hans De Steur, Wim Verbeke
Summary: The concern for food safety and quality pushes governments and private sectors to improve consumers' confidence in food systems through certifications and traceability systems. However, little is known about consumers' valuation of food labelling schemes. This study explores Vietnamese consumers' willingness to pay for existing certifications, branding, and traceability labelling schemes and finds that trust is a critical factor shaping their willingness to pay for products bearing VietGAP label.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Carla F. M. Molento, Said Benaissa
Summary: The research and development of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) is thriving, but the potential benefits for animal welfare remain largely unproven. This paper identifies 12 potential threats to animal welfare posed by PLF, including direct harm, indirect harm, changes to housing and management, and ethical implications. It suggests prevention and remedies for direct threats, but acknowledges that addressing the more indirect threats is more challenging. To maximize the potential of PLF for improving animal welfare, both the threats and opportunities should be acknowledged and addressed.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Hans Dagevos, Wim Verbeke
Summary: This paper provides a narrative descriptive review of meat consumption in the Netherlands and Belgium from 2010 to 2020. The analysis shows that meat consumption in the Netherlands is relatively stable, while Belgium has experienced a steady decline in meat consumption over the past decade. Both countries face an increase in flexitarians and consumers who intend to reduce their meat consumption. However, there are important differences in research methodologies and sample compositions, making direct comparisons between countries challenging. The findings suggest that attitudes and intentions towards meat reduction are more prevalent than actual dietary behavioral change.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Ciska De Ruyver, Kristof Baert, Emma Cartuyvels, Lies A. L. Beernaert, Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Herwig Leirs, Christel P. H. Moons
Summary: Population control of commensal rodents is common practice worldwide. This study assessed the impact of lethal and non-lethal control methods on animal welfare using a welfare assessment model. Captive-bolt traps, electrocution traps, and cervical dislocation were found to cause the least suffering, while anticoagulants, cholecalciferol, and deprivation had the greatest impact. Experts highlighted the need for further research and improvements in standard operating procedures for integrated pest management.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sebastien Lizin, Sandra Rousseau, Roselinde Kessels, Michel Meulders, Guido Pepermans, Stijn Speelman, Martina Vandebroek, Goedele Van Den Broeck, Ellen J. Van Loo, Wim Verbeke
Summary: Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are commonly used in food research to uncover trade-offs made in choosing among alternatives. Understanding consumers' decision-making process is crucial for food-related policies. While many methodological advances have been adopted in food research, there is still room for improvement.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
S. Benaissa, D. Plets, L. Vandaele, W. Joseph, B. Sonck, F. A. M. Tuyttens, L. Martens
Summary: The study aims to present an efficient method to improve cattle behavior monitoring systems by incorporating Ultra-Wideband (UWB) indoor location and accelerometer data.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Liesbeth G. W. Van Damme, Bart Ampe, Evelyne Delezie, Frank A. M. Tuyttens
Summary: Housing breeding does in group pens can lead to skin injuries and stress due to maternal protective behavior and hierarchy fights. Single-litter cages and delayed grouping of does with their litters can reduce aggression, but hierarchy fights still occur. This study evaluated the effects of group size and cage enrichment on doe and kit injuries and social behavior, finding that reducing group size and providing cage enrichment had limited effectiveness in reducing aggression.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Timo De Waele, Adnan Shahid, Daniel Peralta, Anniek Eerdekens, Margot Deruyck, Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Eli De Poorter
Summary: To track the activities and performance of horses, inertial measurement units (IMUs) combined with machine learning algorithms are commonly used. A data-efficient algorithm is proposed that only requires 3 minutes of labeled calibration data. This algorithm achieved a 95% accuracy on datasets captured with leg-mounted IMUs and neck-mounted IMU. However, when the algorithm was calibrated on multiple horses and evaluated on unfamiliar horses, there was a 15% drop in classification accuracy.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Liesbeth G. W. Van Damme, Evelyne Delezie, Luc Maertens, Bart Ampe, Frank A. M. Tuyttens
Summary: Societal demands for group housing of social farm animals, such as rabbits, are increasing due to animal welfare concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the reproductive performance of breeding does in a part-time group housing system with provision of escape enrichment and different group size. The results showed that the provision of escape enrichment and altered group size had no significant effect on the reproductive performance of part-time group housed does.
WORLD RABBIT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Endre Putyora, Sarah Brocklehurst, Frank Tuyttens, Victoria Sandilands
Summary: The positive welfare of commercial animals has many benefits, so it is important to accurately assess welfare. This study aimed to establish a baseline for sleep behavior in laying hens and observed the effects of short-term disturbances. The results showed that laying hens were resilient to short-term sleep disruption and it did not impact their long-term welfare.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Liesbeth G. W. Van Damme, Bart Ampe, Evelyne Delezie, Jorine Rommers, Frank A. M. Tuyttens
Summary: Housing breeding female rabbits in multi-litter cages allows for more natural behavior and social contact, but hierarchy fights can limit the use of this system. This study aimed to investigate the consistency of social behavior strategies and personality traits of does in different groups. Some does showed stable behavior strategies, while others were more flexible depending on the group composition. However, skin injuries could not be used as a reliable proxy for identifying doe strategies and profiles.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marie Van Espen, James H. Williams, Fatima Alves, Yung Hung, Dirk C. de Graaf, Wim Verbeke
Summary: This study aims to assess the impacts of climate change on the European beekeeping sector and whether beekeepers have had to adapt their practices accordingly. The results show regional disparities in perceived impacts, with Southern European beekeepers expressing more negative outlooks. Factors such as professionalism, years in beekeeping, floral resources availability, environment, and local policy measures were found to distinguish heavily impacted beekeepers from others.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Anneleen Watteyn, An Garmyn, Bart Ampe, Leonie Jacobs, Christel P. H. Moons, Frank A. M. Tuyttens
Summary: The study compared the effectiveness and animal welfare impact of two different methods (manual cervical dislocation and captive bolt) for killing broiler chickens of different ages. The results showed that captive bolt was more effective and nitrogen gasification had the potential to be a good alternative method. However, chicken producers would need more support and guidance for these methods to become commonly used.
FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)