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A commentary on animal welfare in the US meat and poultry industry
Author(s) -
Jones Peter,
Comfort Daphne
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of public affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.221
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1479-1854
pISSN - 1472-3891
DOI - 10.1002/pa.2358
Subject(s) - animal welfare , welfare , sustainability , business , public economics , marketing , economics , market economy , biology , ecology
The welfare of farm animals continues to generate vociferous and passionate debate. For many people, their closest, though indirect, contact with animal welfare is through the food they buy, and then, eat, and though animal welfare seems removed from the social practise of buying and eating animal products, it is very much a public issue. This short commentary article looks to shine some light on animal welfare by reviewing, and reflecting on, how some of the leading meat and poultry producing companies in the US address animal welfare in their annual sustainability reports. The article reveals that whilst most of the leading meat and chicken producing companies within the US emphasised their strategic commitment to animal welfare, their commitments are contested, and there are issues about how these commitments are evidenced.