Communicating on welfare

IGNORANCE, they say, is no defence when it comes to the law, but what kind of excuse is it in relation to animal welfare? Not much, according to the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) which, in a recent report on education and communication in relation to animal welfare,* argues that ‘the responsibility of animal keepers, citizens and consumers is to have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the effect of their actions on farm animal welfare. Responsibility ranges from a stockman's need for knowledge of physiology and behaviour to a consumer's decision to purchase eggs laid by hens kept in a particular husbandry system.’

That said, there is much that could be done to make the necessary knowledge more available to people so they can meet their responsibilities, and the report focuses on ways in which the transfer of information might be improved. The main …