Abstract

BROOM, Donald M. Animal welfare: concepts, study methods and indicators. Rev Colom Cienc Pecua [online]. 2011, vol.24, n.3, pp.306-321. ISSN 0120-0690.

There is now increasing public concern about the welfare of animals in most countries of the world. Applied ethological studies of motivation, cognition and the complexity of social behaviour in animals has resulted in the rapid development of animal welfare science. A definition of animal welfare is: the state of the individual as regards its attempts to cope with its environment. Welfare concerns all of the mechanisms for coping: involving physiology, behaviour, feelings and pathological responses. Welfare is a wider term than health but health is an important part of welfare. In order to enforce laws and standards, animal welfare outcome indicators are useful. Many measures of welfare are now used and indicate how good or how poor the welfare is. The concept of animal welfare and the methods of assessment are now taught in hundreds of universities around the world. In recent years, animal welfare has become established as one of the criteria used to decide on whether a system is sustainable and whether product quality is good. Legislation on how animals should be kept is now referring to welfare outcome indicators and analysis of the scientific literature about animal welfare includes risk assessment and benefit assessment.

Keywords : ethics; law; product quality; risk-benefit; sustainability.

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