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Assessment, market potential and margins of improved dairy cattle welfare

Sophie de Graaf (UGent)
(2017)
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Abstract
This doctoral dissertation contains a multidisciplinary approach exploring the possible introduction of a Welfare Assurance Scheme (WAS) for dairy cattle in Flanders, Belgium, with added value for the animals, consumers and farmers. Research questions relate to 1) credible, implementable and cost-efficient welfare assessment, and to the existence of 2) a consumer market for animal-friendly milk and 3) a positive relationship between animal welfare and farm performance. Results show that the integrated herd welfare scores from an existing welfare assessment protocol (the Welfare Quality® protocol) do not accurately reflect dairy cattle welfare in a way that matches well with the opinions of trained users of this protocol. Therefore, an alternative welfare assessment protocol is developed, which is transparent, simple, multidimensional, discriminative, and corresponds with expert opinion. A highly heterogeneous consumer market for animal-friendly milk was identified in Flanders, for which product differentiation is a promising strategy. Dairy cattle health, access to pasture and perceived advantages of such milk are promising selling propositions. For a sample of 41 dairy farms in Flanders, we found no clear link between farm performance and animal welfare, meaning that efforts on one criterion not necessarily jeopardize the other. Besides, farmers may experience added value of a WAS from an improved level of animal welfare and access to a differentiated market. The main conclusion is that the introduction of a WAS in Flanders is possible, but that the implementation strategy is vital to achieve a balance between credibility, feasibility and costs.
Keywords
Dairy cattle, Welfare Assessment, Consumer studies, Farm performance

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MLA
de Graaf, Sophie. Assessment, Market Potential and Margins of Improved Dairy Cattle Welfare. Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, 2017.
APA
de Graaf, S. (2017). Assessment, market potential and margins of improved dairy cattle welfare. Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium.
Chicago author-date
Graaf, Sophie de. 2017. “Assessment, Market Potential and Margins of Improved Dairy Cattle Welfare.” Ghent, Belgium: Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
de Graaf, Sophie. 2017. “Assessment, Market Potential and Margins of Improved Dairy Cattle Welfare.” Ghent, Belgium: Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering.
Vancouver
1.
de Graaf S. Assessment, market potential and margins of improved dairy cattle welfare. [Ghent, Belgium]: Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering; 2017.
IEEE
[1]
S. de Graaf, “Assessment, market potential and margins of improved dairy cattle welfare,” Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium, 2017.
@phdthesis{8509461,
  abstract     = {{This doctoral dissertation contains a multidisciplinary approach exploring the possible introduction of a Welfare Assurance Scheme (WAS) for dairy cattle in Flanders, Belgium, with added value for the animals, consumers and farmers. Research questions relate to 1) credible, implementable and cost-efficient welfare assessment, and to the existence of 2) a consumer market for animal-friendly milk and 3) a positive relationship between animal welfare and farm performance. Results show that the integrated herd welfare scores from an existing welfare assessment protocol (the Welfare Quality® protocol) do not accurately reflect dairy cattle welfare in a way that matches well with the opinions of trained users of this protocol. Therefore, an alternative welfare assessment protocol is developed, which is transparent, simple, multidimensional, discriminative, and corresponds with expert opinion. A highly heterogeneous consumer market for animal-friendly milk was identified in Flanders, for which product differentiation is a promising strategy. Dairy cattle health, access to pasture and perceived advantages of such milk are promising selling propositions. For a sample of 41 dairy farms in Flanders, we found no clear link between farm performance and animal welfare, meaning that efforts  on one criterion not necessarily jeopardize the other. Besides, farmers may experience added value of a WAS from an improved level of animal welfare and access to a differentiated market. The main conclusion is that the introduction of a WAS in Flanders is possible, but that the implementation strategy is vital to achieve a balance between credibility, feasibility and costs.}},
  author       = {{de Graaf, Sophie}},
  isbn         = {{9789059899711}},
  keywords     = {{Dairy cattle,Welfare Assessment,Consumer studies,Farm performance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{IV, 212}},
  publisher    = {{Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering}},
  school       = {{Ghent University}},
  title        = {{Assessment, market potential and margins of improved dairy cattle welfare}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}