The database

History

In 2022, MatPrat commissioned Chronos Sustainability to catalogue the indicators that can be used to measure the welfare of food producing animals. The project aims were to:

  • To gain insights for animal welfare activities, for example to use in dialogues with the Norwegian industry
  • To gain insights into all three dimensions of animal welfare (not only health/illness/death but also environment-based indicators) that are relevant to production systems
  • To get an overview of indicators in current commercial use, what aspect of welfare they are relevant for, what they measure and how they are measured, and what is not measured
  • To identify gaps that need to be filled to be able to claim that animal welfare can be documented in an adequate way

Different housing and management approaches are used for (re)producing animals, their young and for rearing animals. The project will use existing knowledge on the main risks for animal welfare that can arise in these different housing and management systems to identify the most suitable indicators to be monitored on farm. Furthermore, due to the multi-dimensional nature of animal welfare, housing and management systems, there are a range of different welfare indicators that can be used to measure welfare.

This report describes the project steps that delivered a broad overview of the risks to animal welfare in specific Norwegian housing systems, together with the welfare indicators that can be used to measure (the impact of) these risks. Additionally, the data contains information that can be utilised to select a sub-set of indicators that can be applied in Norwegian animal production systems.

Approach

The approach used was based on the Welfare Quality project that developed 4 Principles for measuring welfare (Good Feeding, Good Housing, Good Health and Appropriate Behaviour) and 12 related Criteria. Working within this framework, and using scientific literature as a basis, the welfare hazards within housing systems for different animal groups were collated, and a broad range of possible welfare indicators, were indexed.

Main sources of information

The majority of the welfare hazards were mapped based on information from a series of reports (published from 2007 to 2012) from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), which described the welfare aspects for the main categories of farmed animals and housing systems. This was supplemented with additional information from other sources. The database lists all sources used.

Welfare hazards (based on housing systems)

The list of welfare consequences and affective (emotional) states by EFSA describing the welfare consequences of a hazard and the affective states was also added to the database. In addition the database contains an indication of what the impact on welfare is of the risks to welfare and an additional score on how easy it would be to influence these risks. The database then linked each of the welfare risks to a welfare indicator.

Welfare indicators linked to hazards

Each welfare indicator was scored on several dimensions: the type of indicator (resource, input measure, management input measure or welfare outcome/animal based measure), and whether it is a behavioural, physical/health (production-related) or a psychological (mental). In addition, a score was added on how easy it would be to use the indicator in practice and resources needed.

Updating information

In 2023, the database was updated with information from the most recent EFSA welfare risk reports for pigs, poultry, calves and dairy cows.

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About Animalia

Animalia stands as the primary knowledge and development centre for meat and egg production in Norway. It is an industry-neutral organisation that provides Norwegian farmers and the entire Norwegian meat and egg industry with knowledge and expertise through livestock recording systems and animal health services, mission-critical technical systems, research and development projects, e-learning and training, communication, and other knowledge dissemination initiatives (more).

About Cerebrus Advies

Cerebrus provides a bridge between cutting-edge research and practical application. It connects academic insights in animal welfare with real-world solutions, helping clients across the agri-food sector (including food businesses, NGOs, and policymakers) transform research into action. Cerebrus’ expert consultancy empowers clients to understand, implement, and leverage the value of research, driving progress and promoting best practices in animal welfare throughout the food supply chain (more).

About Chronos Sustainability

works with some of the world’s largest companies on managing business risks and opportunities related to social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and related issues, with a particular specialisation in farm animal welfare. Chronos has strong relationships with specialist NGOs, technical experts and other organizations active on these issues. Across its networks, Chronos provides expert guidance and specialist knowledge and skills to developing robust and credible management frameworks and data analyses that are widely respected by corporate, NGO and investor organizations (more).