How Farm Animal Welfare Issues are Framed in the Australian Media

Buddle, Emily A.; Bray, Heather J.

doi:10.1007/s10806-019-09778-z

Cited by 26 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…The evolution of animal welfare definitions and media attention of poor animal welfare examples has increased public expectations to make improvements and the need for greater transparency of on-farm practices [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]. The media play a significant role in animal welfare confusion [ 2 , 31 ], shifting consumer preferences and driving organisations to develop and market socially responsible products [ 32 ].…”

Section: Producer Compliance and Consumer Expectation And Knowledgmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the public are increasingly concerned about farm animal welfare and the perceived poor standards and lack of transparency in production methods, their actual knowledge of on-farm agricultural practices is low [ 28 , 38 ]. The public source most animal welfare information from the internet, media and friends/close contacts, resulting in opinions based on inaccurate or biased reporting [ 2 , 39 ], focused mostly around the living arrangements of certain animals [ 38 , 40 ].…”

Section: Producer Compliance and Consumer Expectation And Knowledgmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The public source most animal welfare information from the internet, media and friends/close contacts, resulting in opinions based on inaccurate or biased reporting [ 2 , 39 ], focused mostly around the living arrangements of certain animals [ 38 , 40 ]. Their belief is that animals have a better quality of life if raised more naturally [ 28 ], driving their demand for more information regarding production methods and welfare [ 41 , 42 ]. Yet, the average consumer does not feel that their individual purchases impact the market and consider that legislation is more influential in driving change [ 43 ].…”

Section: Producer Compliance and Consumer Expectation And Knowledgmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The meat product purchasing policies of major supermarket chains and the fast-food industry are well publicised in store and in the Australian media, influencing public awareness in relation to animal welfare issues. Major Australian supermarkets sell more than 70% of the domestic consumption of fresh meat [ 47 ] and actively market the availability of higher welfare products including stall-free pork, cage-free eggs, RSPCA-approved chicken and hormone-free beef [ 28 ]. Public awareness of their higher welfare products is aided by in-store, online and media advertising and celebrity chefs to endorse the use of such products.…”

Section: Welfare Assurance Schemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Legal Complexities of Animal Welfare in Australia: Do On-Animal Sensors Offer a Future Option?

Manning

Power

Cosby

2021

Animals

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The five freedoms and, more recently, the five domains of animal welfare provide internationally recognised frameworks to evaluate animal welfare practices which recognise both the physical and mental wellbeing needs of animals, providing a balanced view of their ability to cope in their environment. Whilst there are many techniques to measure animal welfare, the challenge lies with how best to align these with future changes in definitions and expectations, advances in science, legislative requirements, and technology improvements. Furthermore, enforcement of current animal welfare legislation in relation to livestock in Australia and the reliance on self-audits for accreditation schemes, challenges our ability to objectively measure animal welfare. On-animal sensors have enormous potential to address animal welfare concerns and assist with legislative compliance, through continuous measurement and monitoring of an animal’s behavioural state and location being reflective of their wellbeing. As reliable animal welfare measures evolve and the cost of on-animal sensors reduce, technology adoption will increase as the benefits across the supply chain are realised. Future adoption of on-animal sensors by producers will primarily depend on a value proposition for their business being clear; algorithm development to ensure measures are valid and reliable; increases in producer knowledge, willingness, and trust in data governance; and improvements in data transmission and connectivity.

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Section: Producer Compliance and Consumer Expectation And Knowledgmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Producer Compliance and Consumer Expectation And Knowledgmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Producer Compliance and Consumer Expectation And Knowledgmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Welfare Assurance Schemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Legal Complexities of Animal Welfare in Australia: Do On-Animal Sensors Offer a Future Option?

Manning

Power

Cosby

2021

Animals

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“…While the industry has clear economic benefits, concern for animal welfare largely in relation to the conditions on board ships and the treatment of animals abroad have led to several public media campaigns calling for bans to live export of animals [2]. Buddle and Bray [3] carried out a systematic analysis of the way in which the media frame farm animal welfare issues in Australia. They identified several themes that the media frequently addressed that were critical of the Australian livestock industries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of a Negative Media Event on Public Attitudes Towards Animal Welfare in the Red Meat Industry

Rice

Hemsworth

et al. 2020

Animals

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Public perception of livestock industries and consumer trust in farmers can affect consumer behaviour and impact on social license to farm. Coincidental with a large random telephone survey of Australian public attitudes and behaviour towards the red meat industry, a media campaign exposing animal cruelty in live export of sheep by sea, occurred. Data collected from the nationwide survey of the public attitudes immediately before (n = 278 respondents) and after (n = 224 respondents) this media campaign was utilised in the present study to examine the effects of the media campaign on the public. In general, respondents’ attitudes towards the red meat industry were positive. Independent t-tests revealed no significant differences between those respondents that completed the survey before or after the 60 Minutes programme in their concern for sheep or beef cattle welfare, attitudes to red meat farming, acceptability of the red meat industry or their trust in farmers in the red meat industry. However, prior to the media campaign, respondents believed sheep to be more comfortable when transported by boats than did respondents who completed the survey after the media campaign. More respondents after the 60 Minutes programme cited social and internet media as a source of information. Therefore, despite the wide media coverage associated with the 60 Minutes programme, these results indicate little effect on the public’s attitudes towards farm animal welfare and the red meat industry. The significant impacts of the programme were reflected in increased community discussion, increased social media activity and an increase in the perceived importance of conditions aboard boats used for live sheep transport.

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Slurry Tales: Newspaper Coverage of Livestock Slurry Reproduces Public Discourse on Agriculture in Germany

Artner-Nehls

Uthes

2023

Environmental Management

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The rapid transition of livestock husbandry in the 20th century involved a broad adoption of slurry-based livestock housing systems that resulted in farm economic benefits, but also in societal debate related to the environment and animal welfare. In this article, we apply the method of topic modeling to four major German newspapers to identify thematic emphases and changes in coverage around “slurry”. We considered more than 2300 articles published between 1971 and 2020. Our results show that reporting encompasses economic, environmental, and social topics in which slurry is represented mostly critically (“poisonous substance”), occasionally neutrally (“scent of countryside”), or rarely positively (“input for the bioeconomy”). Three meta-themes overarch the majority of issues and reflect public discourse on agriculture: (i) the dichotomy of agricultural industrialization and family farming; (ii) contrasting actualities of factory farming and animal welfare; and (iii) the responsibility of policy for the emergence, existence and solution of livestock and slurry-related problems. A more balanced recognition of mutual values and constraints by the media could contribute to a discursive reconciliation of public and private interests.

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How Farm Animal Welfare Issues are Framed in the Australian Media

Cited by 26 publications

References 52 publications

Legal Complexities of Animal Welfare in Australia: Do On-Animal Sensors Offer a Future Option?

Legal Complexities of Animal Welfare in Australia: Do On-Animal Sensors Offer a Future Option?

The Impact of a Negative Media Event on Public Attitudes Towards Animal Welfare in the Red Meat Industry

Slurry Tales: Newspaper Coverage of Livestock Slurry Reproduces Public Discourse on Agriculture in Germany

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