Sino-German perspectives on animal welfare in the livestock industry were the focus of the fourth DCZ TALKS webinar held on 7 December 2023. Friederike Dörfler (German Embassy Beijing), Jeff Zhou (Compassion in World Farming, CIWF), Henrik Delfs (ADT Consulting), Lisa Yang (Global Food Partners), and Harry Chen (China Animal Health and Food Safety Alliance, CAFA) discussed with moderator Michaela Boehme (DCZ) how livestock producers in Germany and China deal with issues around animal welfare and where there is potential for improving the conditions under which farm animals are raised.
Different development stages in the animal husbandry sector mean that animal welfare is discussed differently in Germany and China, Jeff Zhou explained. While there a strong public demands for more animal welfare in Germany, Chinese consumers focus more on the risks that bad animal health can pose to food safety. Despite these differences, there is a growing awareness amongst all stakeholders in the livestock industry that animal health, welfare, and productivity are inextricably linked.
Henrik Delfs highlighted the recent achievements for more animal welfare in Germany, including group housing for sows, barn conversion programs aimed at giving animals more space, as well as a ban on the live castration of piglets.
From the Chinese perspective, speakers emphasized the need for more training and technical support for producers to help them incorporate animal welfare practices into their production processes. The sharing of best practices within the industry through networks such as CAFA were mentioned by Harry Chen as important driver of transformation.
On-site demonstration can also play an important role. For example, Lisa Yang introduced a model farm for cage-free egg production jointly developed by Global Food Partners, Shanxi Agricultural University, and partners from the livestock industry that will provide farmers with practical training in best practices in cage-free management. Production award programs are equally valuable to bring higher welfare practices into farm animal production, Jeff Zhou highlighted.
Animal welfare does not only require action from producers but also changes in consumer behavior. Higher awareness and a willingness to pay more for animal welfare friendly products are key. Labels can play an important role here, as was shown by Friederike Dörfler’s presentation of the new animal welfare label introduced this summer by the German federal government.
The webinar attracted substantial interest from stakeholders along the livestock value chain, with some 70 participants registering for the event.
Recording
Watch a recording of the webinar on our YouTube channel.
Other DCZ TALKS
