Report No.240801

NEWS

- Domestic -

Standards are Established for Animal Welfare Certification

On February 20, the Matsumoto Livestock Hygiene Service Center in Nagano Prefecture established standards for the certification of the animal welfare. The animal welfare, where the attention is paid to animal raising practices and other environment surrounding them, is an unfamiliar concept in Japan, though being prevalent especially in the European Union (EU). Using this as a model, Nagano plans to spread the animal welfare throughout the prefecture as a part of the animal husbandry that will be supported by consumers.

The center aims to launch the certification scheme within this fiscal year.

Under the scheme, livestock farms that are committed to the animal welfare in Matsumoto, Kiso and Kita-Azumi areas will be granted the certification by the center if they pass a review based on given criteria. The center will provide those farms with certification labels, sales promotion assistance and other support.

Livestock covered by the scheme will include dairy and beef cattle, pigs, layers and broilers. The center determined the standards in detail for (1) diseases and injuries, (2) feeds and water, (3) physical environment, (4) normal behaviors, (5) fears which cause abnormal behaviors, and other rearing and management practices based on the internationally shared understanding.

The standards for the certification were developed with using the cases in EU and US as a guide and with taking into consideration the scale of livestock farms in Japan.

In cooperation with JA and other stakeholders, the prefecture will launch the work to promote the standards for the certification in the next fiscal year. There are, however, some uncertainties over the success of the promotion due to the strict standards and the consumers' unfamiliarity with the concept in Japan.

Major examples of certification standards (for dairy cattle)

・Diseases and Injuries
Develop a health management plan and/or manual, and consult with veterinaries on a regular basis.

・Feeds and Water
The minimum width of manger for voluntary intake of silage by dairy cattle with live weight of 600 - 700 kg should be 20 - 25 cm per cattle.

・Physical Environment
Ensure the minimum floor area of space with bedding; for example, minimum area of 6.0 m2 per cattle with weight of 601- 650 kg.

・Normal Behaviors
Check whether they show typical abnormal behaviors such as rolling their tongues and licking foreign matters, and make relevant remedies when they do.

・Fears
Avoid any action that would cause strong escape response.

Note:
EU, which has been traditionally committed to the animal protection, has livestock feeding regulations that include the minimum floor area necessary per animal and restrictions on cage rearing of chickens. The regulations have been strengthened in stages after the introduction in the 1970s. In the World Trade Organization (WTO) agriculture negotiations, EU has claimed the animal welfare as one element of multifunctionality of agriculture.

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