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Animal welfare
By John Schlageck Kansas Farm Bureau Farmers and ranchers have always adhered to sound principles of animal husbandry and providing the best care for their livestock. Society's views on animal welfare, on the other hand, continue to evolve. Today, people are becoming more concerned for the animal's quality of life. While there are extreme fringe groups, "activists" if you will, many people today have honest questions and concerns about the quality of life for animals while they are in the production environment. Who are these people? These people are average individuals. Some are like you. Others may be like me. These people are not opposed to eating meat. They believe it is okay for people to eat animals for food. They just want to know that while that sow is going through the production cycle she has a reasonable quality of life. Consumers want to know that animals are not abused, subjected to inhumane conditions, are well cared for and the people who care for them--honestly care for them. Agriculture cannot afford to seek out a "culprit" or "scapegoat" for the animal welfare issue. Farmers, ranchers and agriculture as an industry cannot single out anyone and place blame for these changing societal views. Instead the agricultural sector must view this as our culture and society, continually evolving--coming to terms with new types of social issues. It just so happens that animals have become integrated into this process. One reason for this new interest in animal welfare may be that agriculture has become so highly regarded, so productive and in some cases revered. Today, Western European, Japanese and U.S. consumers do not have to worry about where their next meal comes from. People in this country have the cheapest, healthiest food supply in the world. Americans lead a relatively affluent lifestyle. Western Europe and countries in the Pacific Rim do as well. U.S. citizens have time to contemplate the quality of life for animals in this country. More and more people want and have the ability to consider animal welfare, but few of us want to change our own lifestyles. Farmers and ranchers--those people who provide our food--will have to continue to accept and use sound animal husbandry practices. If agricultural producers honestly show they are putting effort into meeting a standard of care set in the animal industry as beneficial and conducive to a healthy living standard, the public will accept and embrace those who raise and care for livestock. Agricultural producers must stay tuned into societal and consumer concerns and be responsive industry wide. It is important our farmers and ranchers continue to enhance animal well being throughout the life cycle of our food-producing animals. Today's producer must determine scientific measures of animal well being and develop long-term management options and short-term production practices based on scientific research findings about animal well being. That said, today's consumers will continue to regard the profession of agriculture highly and embrace a food with quality and abundance second to none.
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