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Factory Farming

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Emerging Profiles for Cultured Meat; Ethics through and as Design
As lab-grown, cultured or "in vitro" meat develops further into a viable product fit for human consumption, questions around how we view lab-grown meat and what kind of ethical niche we wish it to fulfill remain up for debate. The authors of this paper consider two dominant profiles in support of cultured meat, one from a standpoint of animal ethics and one from the perspective of environmental sustainability, and offer a third possibility, one that might include real animals as part of the process. In this "third profile," researchers envision a kind of "backyard farming" scenario where farmed animals do not disappear from the process, but are instead kept in small numbers, donating stem cells for meat and also acting as companions. READ MORE

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The Future of Pork Production in the World: Towards Sustainable, Welfare-Positive Systems
This study speculates on forthcoming global trends in pig farming, beginning from the position that as human population grows, so too will "pork" production. The author considers issues of sustainability, defined broadly in terms of environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and animal welfare. Looking at three animal welfare issues in particular -- "indoor" vs. "outdoor" production, gestation crating vs. pens, and male pig castration, the author outlines what he believes to be important ethical and economic considerations within each. The author takes exponential human population growth as a given, and a clear indicator that our "need" for pork will continue to rise, and always from the bottom line that "if a farming system is not economically competitive, it cannot survive." READ MORE

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Acceptability of Electrical Stunning and Post-Cut Stunning Among Muslim Communities: A Possible Dialogue
As Muslim populations in Europe increase, so too does friction between European regulations for humane slaughter (which require stunning) and traditional methods of Jewish and Muslim slaughter, which specifically prohibit animals from sustaining injury prior to cutting of the neck. Though Halal and Kosher slaughter are exempt from the same rules on stunning, as populations increase, the pressure for updating traditional practices builds. Using Reggio Emilia in Italy (with a Muslim population of 10.1%) as a case study, researchers gathered together various stakeholders in the Muslim community for an open dialogue on whether or not methods of stunning could be employed during slaughter in a way that still met with ritual requirements. Slaughter demonstrations were held and those in attendance of these demonstrations showed interest in the proposals and further dialogue is ongoing. READ MORE

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Fisheries of the United States (2012)
In this annual report covering 2012, the U.S. government estimates that commercial fish "landings" totaled 9.6 billion pounds for the year (fish deaths are measured in pounds, not individual lives). This represented a 2.3% decrease from the previous year (2011). Measured in value, commercial landings in 2012 were estimated to be $5.1 billion, 3.2% lower than in 2011. Recreational fishing accounted for 380 million individual fish being caught in 2012, with 60% of those fish being released, according to survey results. READ MORE

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Understanding Vocalization Might Help to Assess Stressful Conditions in Piglets
In this study, the vocalizations of 22-week-old piglets were recorded while they were subjected to mild stress conditions of cold, pain, and hunger. The vocalizations were analyzed with computer software, and compared to recordings made when the piglets were not stressed. The vocalizations under each condition were distinct in the computer analysis, but only the pain vocalizations could be identified by the unaided human ear. READ MORE

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Social Housing Improves Dairy Calves’ Performance in Two Cognitive Tests
In this study, newborn Holstein calves were separated from their mothers shortly after birth and isolated in a pen for four days. Half of the calves continued in solitary housing, while the other half shared a pen with another calf. Calves were tested for ability to change tactics when a situation changed at four weeks, and to habituate to a new situation at seven weeks. Solitary-housed calves were slower to adjust to a change in the first test, and never got acclimated to a new object in the second test, suggesting that housing without social contact negatively impacted their cognitive development. READ MORE
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