Animal welfare is attracting increasing interest worldwide, but
particularly from those in developed countries, who now have the
knowledge and resources to be able to improve the welfare of farm
animals. The increased attention given to farm animal welfare in the
West derives largely from the fact that the relentless pursuit of
?nancial reward and ef?ciency has led to the development of intensive
animal production systems that disturb the conscience of many consumers.
In developing countries, human survival is still a daily uncertainty, so
that provision for animal welfare has to be balanced against human
welfare. Welfare is usually provided for only if it supports the output
of the animal, be it food, work, clothing, sport or companionship. In
reality there are resources for all if they are properly husbanded in
both developing and developed countries. The inequitable division of the
world's riches creates physical and psychological poverty for humans and
animals alike in many sectors of the world. Livestock are the world's
biggest land user (FAO, 2002) and the population is increasing rapidly
to meet the need of an expanding human population. Populations of farm
animals managed by humans are therefore incre- ing worldwide, and in
some regions there is a tendency to allocate fewer resources, such as
labour, to each animal with potentially adverse consequences on the a-
mals' welfare.
