A short history of animal welfare with special regard to farm animal welfare in Denmark, Sweden and Norway

Abstract

Animal welfare was defined by Broom in 1986 and its use is widespread in science today, a scientific definition was important so that animal welfare could be said to be poor or good and to measure it in a scientific way. The idea of animal welfare has gradually developed over the centuries, in the ancient times animals where seen as religious symbols of something great. During the agricultural revolution humans started to settle down and keep a few animals for own use, and in the roman period questions regarding animals started to appear among the philosophers were humans and animals in anyway related, but with the Christian religion dominating at the end of the roman period their view was reflected. In the 17th century it was again suggested that animals and humans were nothing alike with Descartes theory that animals where machines, however this time there were a lot of opposition to this and in Ireland the first ever measure to protect animals was taken. Cruelty to animals was in some way looked down during late 17th and 18th century but in regards to that humans acting out violently towards animals was more likely to act violently to humans. In 1822 the first animal law is passed in UK concerning cattle and later that decade several animal protection organisations are established. With the industrialisation of agriculture in the 1950s came the concern for the new housing systems and Harrison's book in the 60s lead to the establishment of the Brambell Committe and development of the first requirements for animals kept in intensive housing systems. The CoE came in 1976 with the convention of farm animals and certain standards was set to housing of production animals, and already in 1988 a directive was passed setting certain provision for keeping of layers in battery cages and followed by directives for calves and pigs in 1991. In 1993 the EU was formed and by 1997 animals obtained status as sentient beings and the next decade would see some major changes to the amount of work and publicity concerning animal welfare. The Danish came with their first animal protection act already in 1916, whereas Norway followed in 1935 and Sweden in 1945. The intensification of farming had the same development in Denmark and Norway but in Sweden there was initiated research to investigate the sudden occurrence of many disease, which resulted in regulations that controlled new housing systems and techniques and the Swedish Animal Protection Act of 1988 stating that animals shall be protected from disease. The latter allowed Sweden to ban certain housing systems long before any other country. Looking at the different regulations and laws concerning Scandinavia and that of the EU, even though Sweden and Denmark are part of the EU, there are legislations for every species and all are more or less at a stricter level than that provided in the EU directives. However there are weaknesses and strengths for each country, Denmark has strict provision for their pigs but lack some provisions in other areas. Sweden has strict regulations for climate in farm buildings whereas none of the other does and it is only Norway that requires fire alarms in buildings with farm animals.