Animal welfare initiative: Populism has no place in the animal welfare debate!
Bonn, 10.11.2017- In view of populist tendencies in the public debate surrounding the animal welfare in livestock husbandry, the animal welfare initiative reaffirms its demand for an objectification of the debate. A few stakeholders publicly spread misinformation about the Animal Welfare initiative, which, like no other alliance, broadens animal welfare in Germany. For example, the Animal Welfare Initiative has recently been falsely interpreted as a seal of approval - only to be criticized for failing to meet the requirements of a product label.
"Flat-rate or improper criticism, such as the claim that the Tierwohl initiative is a product label, should not be given any more attention" Alexander Hinrichs, Managing Director of the Animal Welfare Initiative. "It hurts the progress towards more animal welfare in livestock farming, when individual stakeholders equate the benefits of the initiative animal welfare with those of a seal or spread other misinformation. This misleads the consumer and leaves the important debate about more animal welfare drifting into inappropriate populism. This has to stop if we want to achieve the common goal of "More Animal Welfare in Broadness."
"We want a debate that can be opinionated, but is not populist," Hinrichs explains. "It should be guided on the basis of facts, scientific knowledge and in-depth experience, as well as acceptance of the fact that there are different approaches."
Because experience has shown that the price is more important than animal welfare for most consumers when making a purchase decision, the initiative pursues an approach that is independent of the decision for a specific product. Traceability of the product by the consumer is therefore not mandatory in order to create more animal welfare. Common seals, which depend on the consumer's product choice, have so far failed to be efficacious.
"The Animal Welfare Initiative allows many farmers to create more animal welfare across the board. As of next year, pig owners and significantly more than 4.100 poultry farmers will participate in our program via 1.000 - so many have no seal, "Hinrichs continued. "We do not work on the implementation of ideals of individual stakeholders, but on the feasible and thus increase animal welfare step by step and on a broad scale. These aspects - effectiveness and feasibility, both broadly - distinguish the Animal Welfare initiative from any existing seal. "
About the Initiative animal welfare
With the initiative of animal welfare, those in charge of agriculture, meat industry and food retailers profess along the value chain for pigs and poultry to their joint responsibility for animal husbandry, animal health and animal welfare in livestock. The common goal is to continue to provide consumers with a superior quality and wide range of poultry, pork and meat and sausages and also to put an animal meat production more equitable to the center of action of all those involved. The animal welfare initiative will be continuously developed. Is it aligned initially defined on the implementation and remuneration animal probably fairer measures will in future bring to the fore the results of joint efforts by more animal welfare.
