The buyer's point of view about animal welfare

what milk purchasers are looking for

Abstract

While many feel as if animal agriculture has been thrust into the animal welfare debate, the reality is, other segments of animal agriculture have been entrenched in the conversation for years while the dairy industry has, until recently, remained at periphery. The reason for this, I believe, may be due in part to the fact that the dairy industry is not commonly associated by consumers with the death of animals. As a result, the dairy industry has not received a great deal of attention from activist organizations until relatively recently. In spite of the frustration that comes with such criticism, the dairy industry stands to benefit from the experience of other segments of animal agriculture. For every difference between beef, poultry, egg, pork, and dairy there are similarities. Developing an effective and defensible approach to animal welfare will require that we not only recognize these similarities and differences, but that we understand what consumers and customers are seeking as well, and it requires that we empower the care givers and stewards to promote and safeguard the welfare of dairy cattle. Accomplishing either one of these tasks alone will not be sufficient in meeting the challenges that lie ahead. We must success at both tasks. To do this, we must first understand the history of our relationship with animals, how it has changed and how those changes have affected consumers and their expectations of animal care in agriculture.