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The Ethical Aspects of Regulating Production

Department of Animal Science and Department of Large Animal Clinical Science, 2265A Anthony Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824-1225

¹ Corresponding author: swans173{at}msu.edu

Polls and surveys conducted within the United States show general agreement that there is public support for the protection of farm livestock and poultry. Concurrent with the growing public sentiment is the recent adoption of socially responsible corporate policies by major food retailers relative to animal welfare. The animal welfare assurance and audit programs developed by the private sector are an attempt to assure consumers that best practice measures and independent oversight result in a reasonable quality of life for food-producing animals. These programs represent voluntary self-regulation and arguably a market-based approach to secure the welfare of food-producing animals. Animal advocacy organizations historically seek regulatory oversight of animal care practice. Legislative routes that require government promulgation and enforcement of animal care regulations represent an involuntary form of animal welfare assurance. There are ethical considerations concerning the employment of voluntary or involuntary regulation of the welfare of food-producing animals. For example, degree of public endangerment, economic impact, viability of small to medium producers, food price, food quality, and food security are prominent among the ethical considerations in deliberating whether to impose regulatory mandates on production. In either regulatory approach, the public must be convinced that the welfare of food-producing animals can be secured in a transparent and convincing manner.

Key Words: ethics • regulation • animal production