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Ethical orientation for livestock farming
Project
Project code: 28N1800030
Contract period: 01.08.2019
- 31.01.2022
Budget: 195,250 Euro
Purpose of research: Inventory & Assessment
Keywords: animal husbandry, husbandry techniques, animal welfare
Animals have become a principal moral issue in western societies. People earning their money with animals should be able to review their positions reasonably and to present them in a well elaborated manner. But experiences in recent years also show that the voice of agriculture became relatively quiet in a steadily growing cacophony. Animal husbandry is therefore forced to deal with its own moral and ethical basis on its own behalf. A strong project concerning 'animal husbandry ethics” in this sense serves an inward self-positioning effect and strengthens the ability to participate in current public discourse. A structured ethical position will help farmers to manage the 'communication within society” (BMEL, Nutztierhaltungsstrategie, p. 34) easier, as society ever fiercer asks for arguments and positions especially concerning ethical aspects. The precise aim of the project therefore is then an 'improved level of education, knowledge and motivation” of the agents with regard to questions of animal ethics as demanded by the Scientific Advisory Board on Agricultural Policy, Food and Consumer Health Protection (BMEL, Nutztierhaltungsstrategie, p. 25f.). A soundly applied ethical reasoning of the current discussions with regard to animal husbandry should be the basis of the project, thus generating a concise manual. It correctly and objectively describes the important topics of modern animal keeping agriculture. It furthermore shall help to express and to locate animal owner’s own positions against the background of the present discourses and given the different animal ethical positions within society. At the same time the contents of the manual are prepared for their didactic use in different ways, e.g. in online sources at schools and further education for farmers and members of the public. The manual to be generated is divided into five sections that describe the single steps of procedure: 1. Animal husbandry This part explains the current variety of discourses and offers especially a comprehensible demonstration of how external glances at animal husbandry have been established. 2. Present practice The status quo of livestock breeding is explained for the interested public, thus offering the possibility to critically and self-critically communicate the present practice for externals, too. 3. Ethical basics This is to learn about essential ethical categories and theories. Especially these points enable the farmers and people involved in agricultural work to close the gap on discussions which dominate in other parts of society and humanities and humanitarian sciences as well. 4. Ethical evaluation model of animal husbandry Its core expresses the fact that each reduction of animal welfare obligatorily needs justification. The model´s starting point is the animal, not the form of animal husbandry. It discusses the strains on the animal, for example as application of the five freedoms. This leads to the question if these strains are justified by the benefits for human beings or the animal itself or other animals. By systematically looking for alternatives to the present practice, the model is able to answer this question. 5. Discussion and case studies With the help of case studies it should be illustrated how the developed evaluation model works. While the manual is generated, its contents simultaneously arranged didactically, e.g. for the classes in agrarian schools and for further education (analogous and digital teaching materials). This process will be evaluated in practice and readjusted if needed.
Section overview
Subjects
- Animal Husbandry
- Animal health
