| 1. |
- Ahmed, Haseeb, et al.
(författare)
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Animal welfare efforts and farm economic outcomes: Evidence from Swedish beef production
- 2023
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Ingår i: Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. - 1068-2805. ; 52, s. 498-519
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We estimate the relationship between farm animal welfare (FAW) efforts taken by beef farmers and the economic performance of beef farms by using farm accounting data from the Swedish Farm Economic Survey matched with survey data on farm management practices. To this end, we perform a two-step analysis. First, an item response theory (IRT) model estimates the latent FAW effort on farms. FAW effort likely depends on a host of complementary FAW-improving strategies, and the IRT model combines the considered strategies into a unidimensional scale. We take this to represent on-farm FAW effort. Second, we use instrumental variable regressions to estimate the relationship between FAW effort and multiple measures of farm economic performance. We find that higher FAW effort scores have no effect on margins and costs. However, higher FAW effort scores are associated with lower farm sales. Findings suggest that policies (such as targeted label for high FAW) that increase farm revenue as well as incentivize the uptake of FAW-improvement practices may be able to compensate farmers for their FAW effort.
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| 2. |
- Ahmed, Haseeb, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing Animal Welfare and Farm Profitability in Cow-Calf Operations with Stochastic Partial Budgeting
- 2021
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple SummaryThe increased consumer demand for high levels of farm animal welfare (FAW) have prompted debates about the costs of achieving higher FAW. Yet, little is known about the economic consequences of improvements in FAW, especially in cow-calf operations. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the relationship between farm profitability and improved FAW measure in terms of increased space allowance in Swedish cow-calf operations. We found that a 0.5 m(2) increase in space allowance per calf (achieved by a corresponding reduction of herd size) was associated with a 6.9 to 18.7% reduction in farm-level contribution margins in the short term. Our results suggest that FAW improvements can be costly for farms and these costs should be considered while taking policy decisions regarding improvements in FAW standards.The societal demand for good farm animal welfare (FAW) has increased over time. Yet, very little is known about the economic consequences of improvements in FAW in cow-calf operations. This study investigates on-farm economic consequences of improved FAW measures in cow-calf operations. It uses a stochastic partial budgeting approach to examine the relationship between contribution margins and improvements in FAW in terms of increased space allowance for a typical Swedish cow-calf operation, as compared to current practices. In the current practice, a cow should be given at least 5 m(2) and the calf 2.2 m(2). We found that a 0.5 m(2) increase in space allowance per calf (achieved by a corresponding reduction of herd size) was associated with a 6.9 to 18.7% reduction in contribution margins in the short term. Our analysis does not include possible indirect gains like decrease in disease incidence and enhanced non-use or 'soft' values associated with increased FAW. However, our analysis indicates that high FAW standards can be costly and careful cost-benefit analysis should be a part of decision-making processes regarding FAW standards. Our results also suggest a need for government support payments and/or the development of market mechanisms to stimulate farmers to continue producing livestock-based foods with high FAW.
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| 4. |
- Ahmed, Haseeb, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing economic consequences of improved animal welfare in Swedish cattle fattening operations using a stochastic partial budgeting approach
- 2020
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Ingår i: Livestock Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 1871-1413 .- 1878-0490. ; 232
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is an increased concern among many stakeholders in society that livestock production systems provide a low-quality life to the animals and therefore advocate improved farm animal welfare (FAW). On the other hand, producers are concerned that stricter welfare regulations would decrease their profits and hence their competitiveness. Given the relevance of the debate surrounding FAW especially in Sweden, and the lack of studies related to the beef sector, this study examined the impact of changes in FAW practices on economic performance of Swedish beef fattening operations. We modelled a herd of 50 cattle of either beef or dairy breed reared for meat production to examine the impact of increased space allowance, including a corresponding decrease in herd size, and increased forage-to-concentrate (FC) ratio. We found that a 1-m(2)/animal increase in space allowance was associated with a decrease of 18.9 and 10.8% in short-run, per animal profits in beef and dairy breeds, respectively. Sensitivity analysis suggested that an increase in weight gain and short-run loss in herd size due to increased space allowance were the most important factors. We estimated that an increase in the FC ratio from 40:60 to 65:35 was associated with a reduction in per animal profits of about 21 to 34% in beef breeds and 17 to 53% in dairy breeds, respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicated that reduced growth due to increased FC ratio was the most important factor. Our results suggest that an increase in space allowance or FC ratio in Swedish beef fattening operations may reduce farm profitability. They also imply that consequences of any policy instrument should be carefully examined to reach the goal of improved FAW along with improved profitability and sustainability for the farmer.
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| 5. |
- Ahmed, Haseeb, et al.
(författare)
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Costs and benefits of good animal welfare - for animals, farmers and society
- 2022
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Society’s demand for good animal welfare has led to discussions about the costs of achieving and maintaining one. This is relevant to Swedish animalbased food production, because producers in Sweden in many respects have stricter requirements than farmers in other countries. They therefore face competition from imported foods produced under less strict animal welfare regulations. At the same time, good animal welfare can have a value in itself and can provide benefits for animals, farmers and society.
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| 6. |
- Ahmed, Haseeb, et al.
(författare)
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Kostnader och vinster med gott djurskydd : för djur, lantbrukare och samhälle
- 2022
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Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Samhällets krav på god djurvälfärd har lett till diskussioner om kostnaderna för att uppnå och upprätthålla en sådan. Detta är relevant för svensk djurbaserad livsmedelsproduktion, eftersom producenter i Sverige i många avseenden har hårdare krav än i andra länder. De möter därför konkurrens från importerade livsmedel som producerats med mindre strikta djurskyddsbestämmelser. Samtidigt kan gott djurskydd ha ett värde i sig och ge fördelar för djur, lantbrukare och samhälle.
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| 10. |
- Ahlman, Therese, et al.
(författare)
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Differences in preferences for breeding traits between organic and conventional dairy producers in Sweden
- 2014
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Ingår i: Livestock Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 1871-1413 .- 1878-0490. ; 162, s. 5-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Development of sustainable breeding goals for dairy production has to consider the producers' preferences which are likely to differ between production systems. The number of dairy producers with herds certified according to the standards of organic production has increased during the last decades. Traditionally, organic producers use animals selected in conventional production systems but the traits important in organic herds have been suggested to differ due to the different production conditions. The aim of this study was to assess what traits Swedish organic and conventional daily producers consider to be important for the cows in their herds, and the relative importance of traits in the two production systems.An advanced web questionnaire with an underlying selection index was developed. The selection index was not shown to the respondents but it enabled them to weight traits against each other based on the genetic progress obtained. The questionnaire also included questions about what traits the producers intuitively considered important for the cows in their herds and how they ranked 15 given production and functional traits. The questionnaire was answered by 468 Swedish dairy producers of which 122 had a certified organic herd and 346 had a conventional herd.The results of this study show that the trait longevity was ranked first by both organic and conventional Swedish dairy producers. However, the ranking differed to some extent between the production systems for other traits, e.g. mastitis resistance and milk production. Swedish producers with organic herds tended to desire a higher genetic gain in disease resistance, including mastitis and parasite resistance, compared with producers with conventional herds. The results also reflect a somewhat lower interest in milk production level among producers with organic production. However, as the traits most important for Swedish producers with organic herds are already considered in the current Nordic breeding goal they can continue the use of this animal material. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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| 21. |
- Berg, Lotta, et al.
(författare)
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Jakt med pil och båge
- 2021
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ett antal länder tillåter jakt med pil och båge, medan flera andra länder har förbjudit den. I de fall där jakt med pil och båge är tillåten kan detta gälla endast vissa arter av däggdjur och fåglar. I vissa fall omfattas även vattenlevande djur. Av våra nordiska grannländer har Norge och Island totalförbud mot jakt med pil och båge, medan Danmark och Finland i olika utsträckning tillåter sådan jakt. Inget nordiskt land tillåter jakt med pil och båge på älg. Danmark och Finland har krav på utbildning och godkänt bågskytteprov för bågjägare. Olika argument för och emot har använts, inte alltid med vetenskapligt stöd, och det går inte att avgöra vilka argument som haft avgörande betydelse för att tillåta eller förbjuda jakt med pil och båge på nationell nivå. Jakt med pil och båge är sedan 1938 förbjuden i Sverige. Kul- och hagelvapen legaliserades ursprungligen inte utifrån etiska principer för minimerat onödigt lidande, utan är i bruk i Sverige och flera andra länder som en följd av tradition och hävd. Frågan om ett eventuellt tillåtande av jakt med pil och båge i Sverige har aktualiserats och Naturvårdsverket föreslog 2018 nya föreskrifter om detta. Den båge som föreslagits för jakt i Sverige är compoundbågen, som ger de kraftfullaste och säkraste skotten, jämfört med långbågen och recurvebågen. Utvecklingen av bågar, pilar och sikten fortgår dock. Vid all form av jakt med kula, hagel eller pil ska projektilens rörelseenergi omvandlas till en kroppsskada som så snabbt som möjligt leder till medvetslöshet och död för det träffade djuret. En pil från en compoundbåge har en anslagshastighet av c:a 70-80 m/s, vilket kan jämföras med c:a 400 m/s för en hagelsvärm och 700-1200 m/s för en gevärskula. Pilens anslagsenergi är c:a 75 J, medan energin hos en samlad hagelsvärm (på nära håll) är c:a 3200 J och hos en gevärskula 1600-16 500 J. En pil som färdas fritt har en uppskattad maximal räckvidd av en halv kilometer medan en kula kan färdas i flera kilometer. Jakt med pil och båge är mer tidskrävande än jakt med kulvapen, d.v.s. färre djur kan fällas under en given tidrymd. Penetrationsdjupet hos en pil varierar beroende på dess hastighet, pilspetsens utformning och typen av vävnad som träffas, och har i en experimentell studie angetts vara 17-60 cm i mjukvävnad. Ju större anslagshastighet, smalare pilspets och mjukare vävnad, desto längre penetrerar pilen och en pil från en modern compoundbåge kan även perforera kroppen på ett stort hjortdjur. Om skottet perforerar, d.v.s. passerar rakt igenom djuret, har projektilen kvar en del energi när den lämnar kroppen och förmågan att orsaka kroppsskada är därför lägre. Till skillnad från en kula orsakar en pil inte någon temporär kavitet med påföljande sekundära vävnadsskador i den träffade djurkroppen, utan endast en smal permanent kavitet eller skottkanal. Det innebär sannolikt att det blir än viktigare med en korrekt träff. Jakt med pil och båge utförs oftast som vak-, vakt-, lock- eller smygjakt, och jägaren är vanligen kamouflerad. Pil och båge ska endast användas på kort avstånd, sannolikt under ca 30-35 m, och helst på stillastående djur. Rekommendationerna om skjutavstånd skiljer dock mellan länder. Jägarens omdöme är en viktig förutsättning för en djurvälfärdsmässigt acceptabel jakt. Det är oklart om jakt med pil och båge kräver större kompetens, skicklighet och noggrannhet än jakt med andra vapen. Utländsk forskning indikerar dock att bågjägare hittills har varit mer benägna än jägare med kuleller hagelvapen att bry sig om själva jakten, snarare än jaktutbytet (köttet), samt att bågjägare i större utsträckning än andra jägare har tagit sin jaktmetod på allvar och aktivt har övat upp sina färdigheter. 6 Det är svårt att dra generella slutsatser om djurs subjektiva upplevelser och stresspåverkan av jakt och skott, eftersom de i hög grad beror på individuella faktorer. Jaktformer som innebär att djuret inte upptäcker en ensam jägare förrän i eller strax före skottögonblicket är sannolikt mindre stressande än jaktformer som innebär att djuret under längre tid drivs eller ställs, eller där djuret upplever närvaro av hundar eller ett stort antal personer. Från djurvälfärdssynpunkt är sannolikt tiden från skottögonblicket till medvetslöshet viktigare än tiden till död. Såväl tiden till medvetandeförlust som till död beror på vilka organ och vävnader som skadas och i synnerhet hur snabbt blod förloras så att syrebrist uppstår i hjärnan. Stor skada på stora artärer leder till en snabb förblödning och ett djur i rörelse förblöder sannolikt snabbare än ett stillastående. Det saknas kunskap för att avgöra om det finns en avgörande skillnad i tid och grad av stress från träff till medvetslöshet mellan pil och kula eller hagel. Forskningsunderlaget är begränsat eller obefintligt vad gäller de flesta arter av vilt under rådjurs storlek, inklusive vattenlevande däggdjur och fåglar, under naturliga förhållanden. Orörlighet efter ett välplacerat skott används ofta som tecken på död, men säger inte mycket om vare sig medvetandegraden eller hjärtaktiviteten. Vid jakt med pil och båge är bröstkorgen, i hjärtlungregionen, det eftersträvade träffområdet. Skadeförloppet efter pilskott i huvudet eller halsen på större vilt är inte närmare känt, men beror sannolikt på var och från vilken vinkel pilen träffar, samt om den vid träff i huvudet har förmåga att penetrera kraniet. Skott i andra kroppsdelar, såsom buken eller extremiteterna, orsakar normalt inte förblödning, men däremot skador som kan medföra lidande för djuret och vara livshotande på längre sikt. Smärta kan orsakas av olika stimuli och de flesta vävnader har smärtreceptorer. Inte allt trauma ger omedelbart upphov till smärta men vid djupa skador, såsom djupa skärsår eller hugg upplever en majoritet av människor en omedelbar smärta. Vid t.ex. skadeskjutning kan smärta orsakas av ökat tryck i området på grund av blödningar, ödem och inflammation. I situationer där djuret är skadeskjutet och ett andraskott behövs för att fälla djuret kan användning av pil och båge försvåras om djuret rör sig snabbt eller avlägsnar sig från skottplatsen, vilket riskerar att leda till ökat lidande hos djuret. Underlaget för att bedöma risken för skadeskjutning med olika vapen och hos olika djurslag är dock otillräckligt. Olika viltarter har olika anatomiska, fysiologiska och mentala förutsättningar, vilket tar sig uttryck i skiftande sinnesförmågor och beteenderepertoarer, och de lever i olika ekologiska sammanhang. Därför varierar förutsättningarna vid jakt kraftigt mellan djurslagen. Forskning talar för att stora djur rör sig längre än små djur efter att ha blivit skjutna. Emellertid är forskningen om jakt på djur som är mindre än rådjur mycket begränsad. Det är svårt att generalisera en subjektiv upplevelse som lidande. Flera tolkningar av begreppet onödigt lidande är dessutom möjliga, baserade på t.ex. lidandets intensitet och varaktighet, avsikterna bakom det handlande som orsakar lidandet samt uppfyllandet av människors och djurs intressen. Det är inte möjligt att med enbart naturvetenskapliga metoder avgöra vad som i jaktsammanhang kan betraktas som onödigt lidande. Fullständiga riskbedömningar av djurvälfärd vid jakt saknas. I jämförelse med jakt med kul- eller hagelvapen medför bågjakt djurvälfärdsrisker med avseende på framför allt tiden från skott till medvetslöshet och skadeskjutning. Bristen på vetenskapligt 7 underlag, inte minst vad gäller småvilt, innebär indirekt också en djurvälfärdsrisk. Bågjakt kan samtidigt eventuellt medföra bättre förutsättningar för avläkning efter skadeskjutning om djuret inte återfinns. En samlad riskbedömning av djurvälfärden vid jakt med pil och båge behöver ta hänsyn till alla tänkbara risker respektive tänkbara fördelar och väga dem mot motsvarande risker respektive fördelar med kul- eller hagelvapen. Fara för människor och egendom i samband med jakt kan förutom olycksfall även antas omfatta störningsmoment i landskapet där jakt bedrivs, t.ex. oljud, människors oro och konkurrerande markanvändning. I Sverige skadas årligen c:a 500 människor i samband med jakt och av dem får i genomsnitt två personer så allvarliga skador att de dör. Cirka 12 % av de dödliga jaktolyckorna drabbar människor som inte deltagit i jakten. De vanligaste skadorna vid jakt med kul- eller hagelvapen är skär- och klämskador, frakturer från fall, hundbett och hörselskador. Av dessa bör risken för hörselskada och hundbett minska vid bågjakt. Det korta skjutavståndet och en minimal risk för rikoschetter bör också minska risken för olyckor med dödlig utgång vid jakt med pil och båge. Jakt med pil och båge är tyst och anses därför inte vara störande för omgivningen, men allmänheten kan uppleva jaktens smygande karaktär som skrämmande. Den låga ljudnivån kan möjligen även öka risken för tjuvjakt. Jakt med pil och båge kan under vissa förhållanden vara ett fungerande verktyg för att förvalta viltstammar, men det behövs mer tid för att minska en viltpopulation med pil och båge än med kulvapen. Det är oklart om jakt med pil och båge skulle öka möjligheterna till god viltförvaltning under svenska förhållanden. Jakt med pil och båge kan anses vara mer miljövänlig än jakt med kul- eller hagelvapen, eftersom pilen inte innehåller bly eller andra giftiga ämnen. I vilken grad införande av jakt med pil och båge skulle kunna påverka den totala mängden bly som hamnar i naturen är dock oklart, eftersom det beror på i vilken grad pil och båge vid ett eventuellt införande av sådan jakt skulle ersätta k
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| 22. |
- Edvardsson Björnberg, Karin, Docent, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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‘Cornwallism’ and Arguments against Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Values. - : The White Horse Press. - 0963-2719 .- 1752-7015. ; 29:6, s. 691-711
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Opposition against greenhouse gas emissions reductions is strong among some conservative Christian groups, especially in the United States. In this paper, we identify five scripture-based arguments against greenhouse gas mitigation put forward by a core group of Christian conservatives (‘the Cornwallists’): the anti-paganism argument, the enrichment argument, the omnipotence argument, the lack of moral relevance argument, and the cost-benefit argument. We evaluate to what extent the arguments express positions that can be characterized as climate science denialist and to what degree they are consistent with support for climate adaptation. Using Stefan Rahmstorf’s (2004) taxonomy of climate science denial, we conclude that the Cornwallists could be labelled climate change deniers. However, their opposition is not only based on denial of climate sciencebut often rests on premises that render the science irrelevant, a position we term`relevance denialism Cornwallists could be labelled climate change deniers. However, their opposition is not only based on denial of climate science but often rests on premises that render the science irrelevant, a position we term ‘relevance denialism`´
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| 23. |
- Eriksson, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Invited review: Breeding and ethical perspectives on genetically modified and genome edited cattle
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - : American Dairy Science Association. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 101, s. 1-17
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The hot topic of genetic modification and genome editing is sometimes presented as a rapid solution to various problems in the field of animal breeding and genetics. These technologies hold potential for future use in agriculture but we need to be aware of difficulties in large-scale application and integration in breeding schemes. In this review, we discuss applications of both classical genetic modifications (GM) using vectors and genome editing in dairy cattle breeding. We use an interdisciplinary approach considering both ethical and animal breeding perspectives. Decisions on how to make use of these techniques need to be made based not only on what is possible, but on what is reasonable to do. Principles of animal integrity, naturalness, risk perception, and animal welfare issues are examples of ethically relevant factors to consider. These factors also influence public perception and decisions about regulations by authorities. We need to acknowledge that we lack complete understanding of the genetic background of complex traits. It may be difficult, therefore, to predict the full effect of certain modifications in large-scale breeding programs. We present 2 potential applications: genome editing to dispense with dehorning, and insertion of human genes in bovine genomes to improve udder health as an example of classical GM. Both of these cases could be seen as beneficial for animal welfare but they differ in other aspects. In the former case, a genetic variant already present within the species is introduced, whereas in the latter case, transgenic animals are generated-this difference may influence how society regards the applications. We underline that the use of GM, as well as genome editing, of farm animals such as cattle is not independent of the context, and should be considered as part of an entire process, including, for example, the assisted reproduction technology that needs to be used. We propose that breeding organizations and breeding companies should take an active role in ethical discussions about the use of these techniques and thereby signal to society that these questions are being responsibly addressed.
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| 24. |
- Gjerris, M., et al.
(författare)
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The Price of Responsibility: Ethics of Animal Husbandry in a Time of Climate Change
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1187-7863 .- 1573-322X. ; 24:4, s. 331-350
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper examines the challenges that climate change raises for animal agriculture and discusses the contributions that may come from a virtue ethics based approach. Two scenarios of the future role of animals in farming are set forth and discussed in terms of their ethical implications. The paper argues that when trying to tackle both climate and animal welfare issues in farming, proposals that call for a reorientation of our ethics and technology must first and foremost consider the values that drive current livestock production. This paper sets forth and discusses the broader societal values implicit in livestock production. We suggest that a virtues approach would improve our thinking and practice regarding animal agriculture, facilitating a move from livestock production to animal husbandry. This change in animal agriculture in a time of climate change would stress virtues such as attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsiveness as central elements in any mitigation or adaptation program.
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| 27. |
- Hernandez, Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Colostrum feeding routines - Passive immunity and welfare in dairy calves
- 2015
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Calves are born with insufficient immunity to fight disease and rely on the passive transfer of immunity via ingestion of maternal immunoglobulins (IG) present in the colostrum. To ensure adequate transfer of immunity, dairy farmers utilize different methods to feed colostrum to their calves. Feeding methods include bottle or bucket feeding, oesophageal tube (OT) feeding, or suckling the dam. However, inherent differences between the feeding methods are known to result in different levels of transfer of passive immunity to the calves. These differences are related to the ability to control 1) the timing of first colostrum feeding, 2) the quality of the colostrum (mainly IgG content) and 3) the volume of colostrum consumed by the calves. With OT feeding it is easy to control the timing, quality and volume. With bottle or bucket feeding it is easy to control the timing and quality but more difficult to control the volume of colostrum consumed by the calves. In suckled calves, it is more difficult to control all, the timing, quality and volume of the colostrum consumed. Because OT feeding makes it possible to control the three main factors affecting transfer of passive immunity, farms that feed colostrum via OT have less failure of passive transfer (FPT) of immunity (often defined as serum IgG1 concentrations of <10 mg/ml at 24 h of age) than farms that bottle feed or allow the calves to suckle their dams. While the presence of the dam and suckling has been shown to increase absorption of immunoglobulins in dairy calves, several studies have found that dairy farms that allow the calves to obtain their first colostrum by suckling their mothers are at increased risk of FPT of immunity. Similarly, a study of Swedish dairy farms found an increased risk of severe diarrhoea in farms where calves were allowed to suckle compared to farms where the farmer fed their calves their first meal. The discrepancy between increased rate of absorption in suckled calves and increased FPT of immunity is likely due to the low volume of colostrum that the calves voluntarily consume during the first 24 h and a delayed ingestion of their first colostrum that outweighs any improvement in the rate of absorption. For these reasons, some dairy farms in North America feed first colostrum via OT as a way to ensure a good transfer of passive immunity in dairy calves, and now this practice is also being promoted in Sweden. While the OT feeding method seems ideal from the transfer of passive immunity point of view, it is not without risks and could compromise the welfare of the new born calf. Oesophageal tube feeding is an invasive procedure that requires trained personnel in order to prevent injury and prevent colostrum entering the respiratory tract, which could lead to pneumonia and in extreme cases death. In addition, force feeding strong and healthy calves with an OT, as opposed to intubating only weak, anorexic/dehydrated calves, could result in calves that resist and struggle excessively in response to the intubation procedure increasing the risk of injury, discomfort and distress. Furthermore, due to the large variation in colostrum quality (IgG content), it is often recommended to feed 3-4 L of colostrum or 10 % of the calf's body weight in the first meal to ensure adequate passive transfer of immunity. These large amounts of colostrum far exceed the abomasum capacity of the average new born calf (approx. 2 L for a 35 kg calf) and exceeds the amount of colostrum that calves voluntarily consume in the first 24 h after birth (2.4 ± 1.5 L). In addition, oesophageal tube feeding does not stimulate the oesophageal groove reflex, which directs the colostrum from the oesophagus to the abomasum where the necessary enzymes for digestion are found. Force feeding large volumes of colostrum in a short period of time to new born calves, such as during OT feeding, could lead to unnecessary discomfort and stress, but this has not been studied yet. While most studies have focused on the effects of OT feeding on transfer of passive immunity, health outcomes and mortality rates, there is no scientific evidence about the consequences of OT colostrum feeding for the behaviour and welfare of dairy calves. For this reason, a large multidisciplinary project is currently being carried out at the Department of Animal Nutrition and Management at SLU. ) aimed at addressing some of the issues concerning the routine use of OT feeding. The project aims to investigate the effects of OT vs suckling vs bottle colostrum feeding at birth, on the transfer of passive immunity, physiological, endocrine and behavioural response to the three feeding methods, growth, health, development of gut microbiota and welfare in dairy calves. In addition, the public's perception of oesophageal tube feeding as a routine management for colostrum feeding in dairy calves will be investigated. Further research on calves and colostrum management at our department include a study by PhD student Lisa Andree O´Hara comparing the use of refractometer (% Brix) and colostrometer as estimators of IgG content in milk (supervisor: Kjell Holtenius) and the PhD project of Bui Phan Thu Hang aimed at improving calf performance in small-scale dairy production in Southern Vietnam (supervisors: Kerstin Svennersten, Ewa Wredle, Johan Dicksved and Duong Nguyen Khang).
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
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| 34. |
- Johansson, Veronica, et al.
(författare)
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Beyond Blind Optimism and Unfounded Fears : Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression
- 2013
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Ingår i: Neuroethics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1874-5504 .- 1874-5490. ; 6:3, s. 457-471
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The introduction of new medical treatments based on invasive technologies has often been surrounded by both hopes and fears. Hope, since a new intervention can create new opportunities either in terms of providing a cure for the disease or impairment at hand; or as alleviation of symptoms. Fear, since an invasive treatment involving implanting a medical device can result in unknown complications such as hardware failure and undesirable medical consequences. However, hopes and fears may also arise due to the cultural embeddedness of technology, where a therapy due to ethical, social, political and religious concerns could be perceived as either a blessing or a threat. While Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for treatment resistant depression (TRD) is still in its cradle, it is important to be proactive and try to scrutinize both surfacing hopes and fears. Patients will not benefit if a promising treatment is banned or avoided due to unfounded fears, nor will they benefit if DBS is used without scrutinizing the arguments which call for caution. Hence blind optimism is equally troublesome. We suggest that specificity, both in terms of a detailed account of relevant scientific concerns as well as ethical considerations, could be a way to analyse expressed concerns regarding DBS for TRD. This approach is particularly fruitful when applied to hopes and fears evoked by DBS for TRD, since it can reveal if our comprehension of DBS for TRD suffer from various biases which may remain unnoticed at first glance. We suggest that such biases exist, albeit a further analysis is needed to explore this issue in full.
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| 35. |
- Jonas, Elisabeth, et al.
(författare)
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The science behind GM research animals
- 2024
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Ingår i: Biotech Animals in Research : Ethical and Regulatory Aspects. - 9781138369214 ; , s. 9-22
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Animals have been widely used in research to test new methods, procedures or treatments. Methods applied in animal research range widely and include the application of genetic modifications. These methods have been developed since the 1980s and have been widely applied in research animals not only to verify and develop the methodologies but also to test very specific applications of it. Genome editing has increased the interest of genetic modifications even more, as it promises a simpler and faster way to modify the genome. It is applied to a wide range of animal species including farm animals. Genome editing makes use of nucleases and does not need an external gene construct as it has been the case in classical genetic modifications. It instead is based on the self-repair mechanisms of the DNA in the cell, leading to site-directed mutagenesis. While the transformation of the genetic change into the genome is more simple, precise and successful, also genome editing requires the use of advanced reproductive techniques. The success rate of the entire procedure, meaning the survival of the modified animal, however, is still medium to low, depending on the species. Much effort is therefore especially put into the improvement of the success rates of the reproductive techniques, which are required during the modification. There are a number of options of how the methods of genetic modifications are used in the future, including in silico methods. The parallel application of such alternatives as well as improvements of the methods with higher success rates might lead to a significant reduction of animals used in research of genetic modifications.
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| 36. |
- Jörgensen, Svea, et al.
(författare)
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Reviewing the Review: A Pilot Study of the Ethical Review Process of Animal Research in Sweden
- 2021
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 11
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple SummaryThe use of research animals is regulated within the EU through Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, as well as through national legislations and guidelines. However, the ethical review process, which all animal research must undergo, has been heavily criticized. This pilot study has analyzed the ethical review process in Sweden, focusing on how well legislative demands are fulfilled by researchers and animal ethics committees. After developing a score sheet, 18 documents (including both applications and decisions) were thoroughly reviewed, and the requests in the application form were compared to legal demands. The results revealed a number of issues concerning how HBA (harm-benefit analysis) was conducted by the committees, application, and review of the 3Rs (Replace, Reduce, Refine), as well as how humane end-points, severity assessment, and the "upper limit" of suffering were implemented and assessed. The study further indicates disconcerting discrepancies between the Swedish application forms for project evaluation, national legislation, and the directive as well as a lack of transparency throughout the review process. These findings risk compliance with the directive, animal welfare, research validity, and public trust. Therefore, a number of suggestions for improvements are provided, and the need for further research is emphasized.The use of animals in research entails a range of societal and ethical issues, and there is widespread consensus that animals are to be kept safe from unnecessary suffering. Therefore, harm done to animals in the name of research has to be carefully regulated and undergo ethical review for approval. Since 2013, this has been enforced within the European Union through Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. However, critics argue that the directive and its implementation by member states do not properly consider all aspects of animal welfare, which risks causing unnecessary animal suffering and decreased public trust in the system. In this pilot study, the ethical review process in Sweden was investigated to determine whether or not the system is in fact flawed, and if so, what may be the underlying cause of this. Through in-depth analysis of 18 applications and decisions of ethical reviews, we found that there are recurring problems within the ethical review process in Sweden. Discrepancies between demands set by legislation and the structure of the application form lead to submitted information being incomplete by design. In turn, this prevents the Animal Ethics Committees from being able to fulfill their task of performing a harm-benefit analysis and ensuring Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (the 3Rs). Results further showed that a significant number of applications failed to meet legal requirements regarding content. Similarly, no Animal Ethics Committee decision contained any account of evaluation of the 3Rs and a majority failed to include harm-benefit analysis as required by law. Hence, the welfare may be at risk, as well as the fulfilling of the legal requirement of only approving "necessary suffering". We argue that the results show an unacceptably low level of compliance in the investigated applications with the legal requirement of performing both a harm-benefit analysis and applying the 3Rs within the decision-making process, and that by implication, public insight through transparency is not achieved in these cases.In order to improve the ethical review, the process needs to be restructured, and the legal demands put on both the applicants and the Animal Ethics Committees as such need to be made clear. We further propose a number of improvements, including a revision of the application form. We also encourage future research to further investigate and address issues unearthed by this pilot study.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Lehrman, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Framtidens mat - om husdjursavel och växtförädling
- 2014
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Du har kanske inte funderat över varför tomater ser ut som de gör, varför våra husdjur är så lugna och vänliga, eller hur det är möjligt att köpa en vattenmelon utan kärnor. Trots att växtförädling och djuravel har format det mesta vi äter, är det få människor som är medvetna om vilka vetenskapliga upptäckter och vilket omfattande arbete som ligger bakom maten vi lägger på våra tallrikar. Med den här boken vill vi ge en översikt över domesticeringens och förädlingens bakgrund, från jordbrukets början för mer än 10 000 år sedan till dagens molekylära arbete. Vi beskriver grunderna för genernas strukturer och funktioner, varför och hur olika avels- och förädlingsmetoder används och ger en inblick i lagstiftningen kring användning av genteknik i Sverige och EU. Vi ger också en överblick över olika produkter som tagits fram genom genetisk modifiering (GM) och en sammanfattning av de ekonomiska konsekvenserna av GM-grödor. Vidare diskuterar vi etiska frågor som rör avel och förädling i allmänhet och genetisk modifiering i synnerhet.
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| 41. |
- Lehrman, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Framtidens mat: om husdjursavel och växtförädling
- 2020
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Bok (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Domesticeringen av växter och djur är en lång och ständigt pågående process som har format, inte bara de domesticerade arterna och landskapet, utan även människorna. Till exempel har utvecklingen av vårt immunförsvar påverkats mycket av den nära kontakt som funnits mellan människor och tamdjur. Förändringarna hos de domesticerade djuren har varit dramatiska, från den vilda djungelhönan som får två kullar med totalt 20 kycklingar per år, till dagens värphönor som producerar mer än 300 ägg per år. Och på hundra år har den genomsnittliga veteskörden ökat från 2 till 6 ton per hektar i många europeiska länder. Även om en del av denna ökning beror på odlingsmetoder, gödning och bekämpningsmedel, har den genetiska förändringen en stor del i framstegen. Genom ökad kunskap om evolution, förståelse för ärftlighet och upptäckten av kromosomer och gener har vi gått från ett omedvetet urval till avancerade förädlings- och avelsprogram. Vår ständigt ökande kunskap om mekanismerna som styr olika egenskaper kan användas för att skräddarsy vår mat. Tack vare dessa förädlingsoch avelsprogram har vi nu tillgång till friskare djur och grödor och producerar mjölk, kött och spannmål i nivåer som våra förfäder bara kunde drömma om. Med den här boken vill vi ge en översikt över de metoder och tekniker som används i arbetet med att utveckla husdjur och växter. Vi beskriver också lagstiftningen och diskuterar etiska aspekter kring användningen av genteknik i växtförädling och djuravel. Denna bok är publicerad inom forskningsprogrammet Mistra Biotech vilket finansieras av Stiftelsen för miljöstrategisk forskning (Mistra) och Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU). Denna andra utgåva är en förkortad version av utgåvan som publicerades 2014. Ett stort tack till Inger Åhman och Marie Nyman för synpunkter under arbetets gång och Karin Eriksson för ovärderlig hjälp med textbearbetningen.
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| 42. |
- Lehrman, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Shaping our food – an overview of crop and livestock breeding
- 2014
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- You may not have thought about why tomatoes look the way they do, why our pets and farm animals are so calm and friendly, or how it is possible to get a watermelon without any seeds in it. Although the breeding of plants and livestock have shaped more or less everything we eat, few people know about the scientific achievements and the tedious work that results in the food we see on our plates every day. With this book we wish to give an overview of the background of domestication and breeding, from the beginning of farming more than 10,000 years ago to the molecular work of today. We present the basics of the structures and functions of genes, describe why and how different breeding methods are applied to crops and livestock, and give some insight into legislation surrounding the use of biotechnology in breeding in the EU and in Sweden. We also provide an overview of different products produced through genetic modification, a summary of the economic impact of such crops, and some ethical issues related to breeding in general and to genetic modification in particular.
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| 43. |
- Lehrman, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Shaping our food: an overview of crop and livestock breeding
- 2020
-
Bok (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- The domestication of plants and animals is a long and on-going process that has shaped not only the domesticated species and the landscape, but also the humans who have domesticated them. For example, the evolution of our immune system has been strongly influenced by the close contact between humans and domestic animals. The changes in domesticated species have been dramatic, from the wild red junglefowl hen raising two clutches of 10 chicks per year, to today’s laying hen producing more than 300 eggs per year. In one hundred years the average wheat yield has increased from two tonnes per hectare to six tonnes per hectare in many European countries. Although part of this increase is due to management techniques, fertilizers, and pesticides, the genetic component of such progress has been substantial.With an increased knowledge of evolution, the understanding of heredity, and the discovery of chromosomes and genes, we have gone from unintentional selection to advanced breeding programmes. Our ever-increasing knowledge of the mechanisms behind different traits can be used to customize the sources of our food. Thanks to these breeding programmes, we now have access to healthier livestock and crops, and are producing milk, meat, and grain at levels our ancestors could only have dreamed of. With this book we wish to provide an overview of the methods and techniques used in the domestication and development of new agricultural crop varieties and breeds of livestock. We also describe the legislation and discusses different ethical views on the use of biotechnology in crop and animal breeding.This book is published within the Mistra Biotech research programme, financed by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). This second edition is a shortened version of the previous edition. We are grateful to Inger Åhman and Marie Nyman for helpful comments on the manuscript.
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| 44. |
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| 45. |
- Lindström, Niclas
(författare)
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Förhållandet mellan praxis och teori inom etiken
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main question of this thesis is if a practice is right because it is prescribed by an ethical theory, or if an ethical theory is right because it follows from certain practices? I propose the following definitions to illustrate the main alternatives: (1) if a practice is determined by an ethical theory and the ethical theory is not determined by practice, it is possible to speak of a top-down model of ethical thinking. (2) If a theory, conversely, is determined by a practice and the practice is not determined by theory, it can be described as a bottom-up model. (3) If a practice is used in order to determine an ethical theory, which in turn can be used to assess new practical situations in a constantly evolving process, it can be labelled an interaction model. (4) Finally, it is possible that certain practices are the basis of morality, and do not need to be systemized in any ethical theory. The focus of this study is on alternatives (2), (3) and (4) where practice is given due weight and is characterized by a rejection of a strictly theoretical approach to ethics. I address representatives from some of the most influential alternatives such as: (2) Albert R Jonsen & Stephen Toulmin (casuistry), (3) Jürgen Habermas (discourse ethics), Alasdair MacIntyre (virtue ethics), Jonathan Haidt (experimental ethics) and (4) John Dewey, Hilary Putnam and Richard Rorty (pragmatism). I also discuss how some prominent theologians, such as Stanley Hauerwas (Christian virtue ethics) and James Gustafson (theocentric ethics), deal with similar questions. The purpose of this study is therefore to identify various positions represented in the debate, and to examine which consequences they have for how decisions are made and justified within an ethical framework. I argue that the strength of models that include practical concerns in ethical thinking is that they can contribute to our understanding of why ideals, norms and values differ between various social spheres, and how they change over time. Instead of taking the traditional position, where a basic assumption about the nature of moral questions is crucial to identify a reliable approach, it is possible to assess which approaches give reliable results and use these to identify the factors relevant to answer moral questions. I identify two main alternatives: a paradigmatic and a discursive way of treating moral issues. They address various aspects of human life and action, which means that they do not exclude, but rather enrich each other in the context of an overall debate. It seems possible that both types of studies can provide reasons for performing an action or accepting a theory, which can then be revised and give rise to new positions. From such a perspective, neither the image of man and the world, nor our standards, ideals and values are necessarily static, but can be revised and reconsidered within the context of a changing social, cultural and historical context.
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| 46. |
- Lindström, Niclas, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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School meals : bridging the gap between citizen expectation, procurement skills and legislation
- 2013. - 1
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Ingår i: Ethics of consumption. - Wageningen : Wageningen Academic Publishers. - 9789086862313 - 9789086867844 ; , s. 423-428
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Among others, Swedish citizens trust responsible authorities and legislation to ensure that producers manufacture food under reasonable conditions for both sentient beings and landscapes. Nevertheless many consumers are prepared to go much further and buy goods with e.g. fair-trade or ecological certificates. We believe that this trust is becoming increasingly compromised, and a closer study of what values influence purchase of food served in official institutions such as hospitals, preschools, and schools is important as individual choice according to certain certificates is very limited. This forthcoming study has two main aims. One is to examine inherent values in consumer expectations, policies and legislation regarding school meals through an ethical analysis of different aspects such as e.g. individual choice, public health, global justice, animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Another aim is to suggest a model for municipalities and the county councils to weigh these, sometimes conflicting, factors to one another in order to take reasonable ethical responsibility, live up to citizen expectations and meet national and international legislation regarding e.g. global justice, sustainability and animal welfare.
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| 47. |
- Lund, Vonne, et al.
(författare)
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Expanding the moral circle: farmed fish as objects of moral concern
- 2007
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Ingår i: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. - 0177-5103. ; 75:2, s. 109-118
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Until recently fish welfare attracted little attention, but international and national legislation and standards of fish welfare are now emerging and an overview of these developments is presented in this study. Whereas animal welfare legislation is based on public morality, animal ethics does not automatically accept public morality as normative and elaborates arguments regarding the way humans should treat animals (referred to as moral standards). In this study we present the most common animal ethics theories. For most of these, sentience is considered a demarcation line for moral concern: if an animal is sentient, then it should be included in the moral circle, i.e. receive moral consideration in its own right and some basic welfare should be ensured. As for fish, research has revealed that the sensory system of teleosts can detect noxious stimuli, and that some kind of phenomenal consciousness, allowing the fish to feel pain, seems to be present. This raises the ethical question as to how much evidence we need in order to act on such indications of fish sentience. A simple risk analysis shows that the probability that fishes can feel pain is not negligible and that if they do indeed experience pain the consequences in terms of the number of suffering individuals are great. We conclude that farmed fish should be given the benefit of the doubt and we should make efforts that their welfare needs are met as well as possible. Finally, the way forward is briefly discussed: efforts must be made to understand what fish welfare means in practical fish farming. This will involve the development of research and education, greater accountability and transparency, compliance with and control of policies, and quality assurance schemes.
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| 48. |
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| 49. |
- Lundmark Hedman, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Content and structure of Swedish animal welfare legislation and private standards for dairy cattle
- 2016
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Ingår i: Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0906-4702 .- 1651-1972. ; 66, s. 35-42
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study the animal welfare legislation and three private standards in Sweden, focusing on dairy cows, were analysed. The aim was to investigate to what extent these regulations consisted of resource-, management- or animal-based requirements, to analyse the content and discuss consequences. The results showed a higher proportion of management- and resource-based requirements than animal-based in all regulations. However, the borders between these categories were not as distinct as expected. The private standards put slightly more emphasis on the animal-based requirements and on animal welfare at herd level. It was primarily the organic standard that included higher animal welfare demands than the legislation. Due to vague wording and guideline statements it was not always clear if the welfare level achieved would be the same in practice although the requirements were similar. It will be necessary to clearly distinguish between requirements and measures to make the policy process more transparent.
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| 50. |
- Lundmark Hedman, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Intentions and Values in Animal Welfare Legislation and Standards
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1187-7863 .- 1573-322X. ; 27, s. 991-1017
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The focus on animal welfare in society has increased during the last 50 years. Animal welfare legislation and private standards have developed, and today many farmers within animal production have both governmental legislation and private standards to comply with. In this paper intentions and values are described that were expressed in 14 animal welfare legislation and standards in four European countries; Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. It is also discussed if the legislation and standards actually accomplish what they, in their overall description and ethics, claimed to do, i.e. if this is followed up by relevant paragraphs in the actual body of the text in the legislation and standards respectively. The method used was an on-line questionnaire from the EconWelfare research project and text analyses. This study shows that the ethical values within a set of legislation or private standards are not always consistently implemented, and it is not always possible to follow a thread between the intentions mentioned initially and the actual details of the legislation or standard. Since values will differ so will also the animal welfare levels and the implications of similar concepts in the regulations. In general, the regulations described were not based on animal welfare considerations only, but also other aspects, such as food safety, meat quality, environmental aspects and socio-economic aspects were taken into account. This is understandable, but creates a gap between explicit and implicit values, which we argue, can be overcome if such considerations are made more transparent to the citizens/consumers.
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