Suchergebnisse

Intensive animal production systems are compromising current animal welfare standards. Societies' growing concerns regarding how animals are raised have resulted in continuous policy reforms and regulations that have banned certain intensive farming methods. However, these concerns toward animal welfare can vary across different countries and cultures. In many developed countries, EU policymakers are continuously identifying and implementing more restrictive regulations driven by social changes that go beyond the current minimum animal welfare requirements. However, animal welfare is also an emerging concern in developing countries. In this context, the main objectives of this thesis are threefold: Firstly, to analyze the EU consumers' and citizens' attitudes towards more restrictive animal welfare (AW) regulations. The Logit Model (LM) regression was used in eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) on a sample of 3860 respondents. The results showed that consumers are more reluctant to adopt more restrictive regulations than respondents in their role of citizens. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are more likely to support more restrictive animal welfare regulations than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Women were found to be more concerned with the welfare of pigs and laying hens, giving credibility to the Internet as an information source and more likely to support more restrictive animal welfare legislation. Secondly, the students' opinions towards the inclusion of the AW subjects in their educational program were analyzed. The Logit Model (LM) from eight European Union (EU) countries with 1,952 secondary students and 1,929 graduate students was also used. The results showed that female university students with a high level of subjective and objective knowledge on AW and who required more restrictive AW regulations gave support to include the concept in their educational programs. However, students who support medical experiments that use animals to improve human health were less likely to accept the inclusion of the AW in their educational curricula. Furthermore, students in Italy compared to those in Sweden were prone to support AW educational programs. Thirdly, in order to have a comparative view of a developing country compared to results in EU, Iranian citizens' and consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for animal welfare (AW) milk products were analyzed using the choice experiment. The results indicate that citizens are willing to pay the highest price for traditional AW milk but not for industrial and traditional milk without AW certification. Moreover, individuals in their role as consumers exhibit a higher WTP for all types of milk but with a marked preference for industrial AW than traditional. Citizen's women and those who rely on the Internet were more concerned with dairy cattle farms and were more likely to choose AW milk. Citizens below 55 years of age were more reluctant to pay a premium to choose industrial and traditional milk without AW certification. Furthermore, consumer women and those who do not have children show a higher preference for industrial AW milk with lower animal welfare standards. However, consumers who support using animals for sport and those who assign high credibility to the television as an information source were less likely to pay a premium for AW products. Our results highlighted that both consumers and citizens are demanding higher standards regarding animal welfare. Consumers by purchasing animal welfare-friendly products and citizens by adopting a holistic approach to society legislation to achieve a minimum standard of welfare conditions. Finally, our results highlight the importance of policymakers adopting reforms that are in accordance with societal preferences and concerns to create more effective and acceptable animal welfare policies. ; Los sistemas de producción animal intensiva están comprometiendo los estándares actuales de bienestar animal. La creciente preocupación de las sociedades con respecto a cómo se crían los animales ha dado lugar a continuas reformas políticas y regulaciones que han prohibido ciertos métodos de cultivo intensivo. Sin embargo, estas preocupaciones sobre el bienestar animal pueden variar entre diferentes países y culturas. En muchos países desarrollados, los formuladores de políticas de la UE están identificando e implementando continuamente regulaciones más restrictivas impulsadas por cambios sociales que van más allá de los requisitos mínimos actuales de bienestar animal. Sin embargo, el bienestar animal también es una preocupación emergente en los países en desarrollo. En este contexto, los principales objetivos de esta tesis son tres: En primer lugar, analizar las actitudes de los consumidores y ciudadanos de la UE hacia normas más restrictivas sobre el bienestar de los animales (AW). La regresión del Modelo Logit (LM) se utilizó en ocho países europeos (España, Reino Unido, Polonia, Grecia, Lituania, Rumania, Italia y Suecia) en una muestra con una muestra de 3860 encuestados. Los resultados mostraron que los consumidores son más reacios a adoptar regulaciones más restrictivas que los encuestados en su papel de ciudadanos. Los encuestados de los países del norte de Europa (Polonia y Suecia) son más propensos a apoyar regulaciones de bienestar animal más restrictivas que los encuestados de los países del sur (España e Italia). Se descubrió que las mujeres estaban más preocupadas por el bienestar de los cerdos y las gallinas ponedoras, lo que da credibilidad a Internet como fuente de información y es más probable que apoye una legislación de bienestar animal más restrictiva. En segundo lugar, se analizaron las opiniones de los estudiantes hacia la inclusión de las asignaturas AW en su programa educativo. También se utilizó el modelo Logit (LM) de ocho países de la Unión Europea (UE). Los resultados mostraron que estudiantes universitarios con un alto nivel de conocimiento subjetivo y objetivo sobre AW y que requerían regulaciones de AW más restrictivas dieron apoyo para incluir el concepto en sus programas educativos. Sin embargo, los estudiantes que apoyan los experimentos médicos que utilizan animales para mejorar la salud humana tenían menos probabilidades de aceptar la inclusión del AW en sus planes de estudios educativos. Además, los estudiantes de Italia, en comparación con los de Suecia, eran propensos a apoyar los programas educativos de AW. En tercer lugar, para tener una visión comparativa de un país en desarrollo en comparación con los resultados de la UE, se analizó la disposición a pagar (DAP) de los ciudadanos y consumidores iraníes por productos lácteos de bienestar animal (AW) utilizando el experimento de elección. Los resultados indican que los ciudadanos están dispuestos a pagar el precio más alto por la leche AW tradicional, pero no por la leche industrial y tradicional sin certificación AW. Además, los individuos en su rol de consumidores exhiben una DAP más alta para todos los tipos de leche, pero con una marcada preferencia por la AW industrial que la tradicional. Las mujeres ciudadanas y las que dependen de Internet estaban más preocupadas por las granjas de ganado lechero y eran más propensas a elegir la leche AW. Además, las mujeres consumidoras y las que no tienen hijos muestran una mayor preferencia por la leche industrial AW con un estándar de bienestar animal más bajo. Sin embargo, los consumidores que apoyan el uso de animales para el deporte y aquellos que asignan una alta credibilidad a la televisión como fuente de información tenían menos probabilidades de pagar una prima por los productos AW. Nuestros resultados destacaron que tanto los consumidores como los ciudadanos exigen estándares más altos en materia de bienestar animal. Los consumidores compran productos respetuosos con el bienestar animal y los ciudadanos adoptan un enfoque holístico de la legislación de la sociedad para lograr un estándar mínimo de condiciones de bienestar. Finalmente, los resultados muestran que la enseñanza del concepto de AW en las universidades y programas escolares, principalmente en los países mediterráneos en las escuelas secundarias, es necesaria. ; Postprint (published version)

Increasingly, intensive livestock production systems have increased societal concern regarding the current animal welfare standards. We investigated whether individuals in their roles as consumers and citizens believe that the current European regulations regarding animal welfare should be more restrictive. Factors affecting this decision were assessed by analyzing respondents&rsquo ; understanding of animal welfare-related issues, their subjective and objective knowledge levels, the credibility they assign to different information sources, their perceptions toward the current restrictiveness of animal welfare standards, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed in eight European Union (EU) countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with 3860 total responses. The results showed that consumers are more reluctant to adopt more restrictive regulations than respondents in the role of citizens. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are more likely to support regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum requirements than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Women were found to be more concerned with the welfare of pigs and laying hens&mdash ; lending credibility to the Internet as an information source&mdash ; and were more likely to support more restrictive animal welfare legislation.

Intensive animal production systems are compromising current animal welfare standards. European societies' growing concerns regarding how animals are raised have resulted in continuous European Union (EU) policy reforms that have banned certain intensive farming methods. We investigated whether EU respondents, differentiated by their roles as citizens and consumers, believe that the current regulations on animal welfare should be more restrictive. Data were collected using a survey approach implemented in eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with a sample of 3860 respondents with approximately 240 respondents organized by group and country. The results show that women citizens are more concerned with animal welfare and are prone to accept more restrictive regulations. Respondents from Northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are willing to accept regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum standards than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Our results suggest that increasing knowledge of animal welfare is related to effective information campaigns that use the Internet to endorse the current animal welfare legislation. ; Postprint (updated version)

Intensive animal production systems are compromising current animal welfare standards. European societies' growing concerns regarding how animals are raised have resulted in continuous European Union (EU) policy reforms that have banned certain intensive farming methods. We investigated whether EU respondents, differentiated by their roles as citizens and consumers, believe that the current regulations on animal welfare should be more restrictive. Data were collected using a survey approach implemented in eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with a sample of 3860 respondents. The results show that women citizens are more concerned with animal welfare and are prone to accept more restrictive regulations. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are willing to accept regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum standards than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Our results suggest that increasing knowledge of animal welfare is related to effective information campaigns that use the Internet to endorse the current animal welfare legislation. ; Postprint (published version)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Intensive animal production systems are compromising current animal welfare standards. European societies' growing concerns regarding how animals are raised have resulted in continuous European Union (EU) policy reforms that have banned certain intensive farming methods. We investigated whether EU respondents, differentiated by their roles as citizens and consumers, believe that the current regulations on animal welfare should be more restrictive. Data were collected using a survey approach implemented in eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with a sample of 3860 respondents. The results show that women citizens are more concerned with animal welfare and are prone to accept more restrictive regulations. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are willing to accept regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum standards than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Our results suggest that increasing knowledge of animal welfare is related to effective information campaigns that use the Internet to endorse the current animal welfare legislation. ABSTRACT: Increasingly, intensive livestock production systems have increased societal concern regarding the current animal welfare standards. We investigated whether individuals in their roles as consumers and citizens believe that the current European regulations regarding animal welfare should be more restrictive. Factors affecting this decision were assessed by analyzing respondents' understanding of animal welfare-related issues, their subjective and objective knowledge levels, the credibility they assign to different information sources, their perceptions toward the current restrictiveness of animal welfare standards, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed in eight European Union (EU) countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, ...

Increasingly, intensive livestock production systems have increased societal concern regarding the current animal welfare standards. We investigated whether individuals in their roles as consumers and citizens believe that the current European regulations regarding animal welfare should be more restrictive. Factors a ecting this decision were assessed by analyzing respondents' understanding of animal welfare-related issues, their subjective and objective knowledge levels, the credibility they assign to di erent information sources, their perceptions toward the current restrictiveness of animal welfare standards, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed in eight European Union (EU) countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) with 3860 total responses. The results showed that consumers are more reluctant to adopt more restrictive regulations than respondents in the role of citizens. Respondents from northern European countries (Poland and Sweden) are more likely to support regulations that are more restrictive than the current minimum requirements than respondents from southern countries (Spain and Italy). Women were found to be more concerned with the welfare of pigs and laying hens—lending credibility to the Internet as an information source—and were more likely to support more restrictive animal welfare legislation. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Animal Welfare educational programs aim to promote positive attitudes of future generations towards animal production systems. This study investigated whether secondary and university students in the majors that are not related to AW teaching believe that this concept should be included also in their educational programs. The determinant factors affecting students' attitudes towards such a decision were analysed. This research has focused on eight European countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Sweden) targeting 3,881 respondents composed of 1,952 secondary and 1,929 university students. Results showed that female university students with a level of subjective and objective knowledge on AW and who required more restrictive AW regulations, gave support to include the concept in their educational programs. However, Students who support medical experiments that use animals to improve human health were less likely to accept AW education. Students in Italy compared to those in Sweden were prone to support AW educational programs. Results highlight the importance of teaching the AW concept as a comprehensive teaching tool at universities and schools' programs as it may constitute a starting point for a more sustainable society toward improving animal living conditions, mainly in the Mediterranean countries in secondary schools.