HOTZEL, Maria José    MACHADO FILHO, Luiz Carlos Pinheiro. Animal welfare in the XXI century. Rev. etol. []. 2004, 6, 1, pp.3-15. ISSN 1517-2805.

Animal welfare is now included in a larger debate over the ethical problems involving the current agriculture systems, such as its effects on the environment and food safety. In the present text we intend discuss the definition of animal welfare according to several leading authors, and how it can be assessed scientifically; to identify the main reasons why people worry about the welfare of farm animals; to describe the main welfare problems farm animals face; and lastly, to suggest ways of improving farm animal welfare. In our view, there are several solutions for the hunger problem in our planet and for the suffering of millions of farm animals that do give priority to one of these aspects in detrimento of the other. We propose that part of the effort of scientists interested in farm animal welfare be applied to the study of technologies for sustainable animal breeding, once such technologies necessarily consider the effects of agriculture on the environment and the well-being of human and animal populations.

: Animal welfare; Applied ethology; Animal science.

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