The U.S. swine industry: historical milestones and the future of on-farm swine welfare assessments.
2016
Pairis-Garcia, M. D. | Johnson, A. K. | Azarpajouh, S. | Colpoys, J. D. | Rademacher, C. J. | Millman, S. T. | Webb, S. R.
Swine welfare has become an ever increasing area of public interest in the United States (USA) and has resulted in dramatic changes to legislation, policy and practices in swine production. Over the past decades, consumer engagement, animal protection campaigns and increase knowledge about swine welfare arising from education and research programmes have escalated swine welfare to a top industry priority. For both mainstream and niche pork marketing streams, science based and culturally relevant programmes have been developed to assess swine welfare, articulate standards of care and verify compliance to assure purchasers and consumers of pork about on-farm husbandry practices that impact animal welfare. This response has transitioned primarily from education of producers and/or consumers, to outcome-based animal welfare assessment programmes with independent third party verification audits. This review paper will evaluate some factors that have influenced the development of swine welfare standards in the USA and describe programmes developed to improve and evolve on-farm swine welfare for the future.
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