Animal welfare analysis: a case of smallholder farmers in Zambia

Abstract

Animal welfare remains a contemporary issue in livestock development as World Organization for Animal Health stresses its importance in the livestock trade. Key elements of good animal welfare include animals being healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress, and expressing behaviours that are important for their physical and mental health. These are important for the high performance of animals in terms of productivity and product quality. Given the importance of animal welfare in enhancing livestock productivity, quality, food safety, and economic returns, the study aimed to identify the aspects of animal welfare that need more attention among the Zambian smallholder livestock farmers and determine whether the current policy and legal frameworks governing animal welfare are adequate. Using data collected from 271 smallholder households, the study found that routine management practices such as dipping animals, branding, castration, and vaccination were the major animal welfare concerns that needed more attention. Therefore more efforts and extension services should also be dedicated to addressing these concerns. Furthermore, the policy framework guiding animal welfare is inadequate as particular welfare concerns such as housing and nutrition are not well covered. This calls for the revision of the policy framework to incorporate all aspects of animal welfare.