Agricultural Animal Welfare Concerns on the Rise
We’ve seen growing awareness and concern for animal treatment in the agriculture industry, particularly against live exports. Prior to last Saturday’s election, Labor had released a six-point policy to reform animal welfare regulation, including establishing an independent office to oversee livestock welfare and immediately banning the northern summer live sheep trade. The Coalition proposed new regulations for heat regulation at the end of last year, but have not announced a synthesised plan, while Australia continues to rank low in animal welfare performance globally. But how realistically can we balance animal welfare with economic productivity and income for farmers, and indeed the agricultural industry as a whole? Professor Clive Phillips, Director at University of Queensland’s Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, joined us to discuss.
