Consumers' attitudes towards science a factor in animal welfare debate Tuesday, January 14, 2014 by SUSAN MANN For consumers, animal welfare considerations are not just about the science, says University of Guelph Prof. Michael Von Massow. Some consumers don’t necessarily care what the science says, he adds, noting animal welfare scientists will say a very humane way to euthanize a piglet is to grab it by the tail and “whack him on the concrete. It’s quick, painless and humane. But the average consumer doesn’t want to see that picture.” Von Massow told delegates to the Dairy Farmers of Ontario annual meeting in Toronto last week “you can make the argument until you are blue in the face” that the approach is humane. But once consumers see it they don’t care about those scientific reasons. They’re just uncomfortable with that practice. “The science tells us what we can do but it doesn’t tell us what we should do,” says Von Massow of the university’s college of management and economics. Animal welfare isn’t “just about the science,” he notes. It is about managing consumers’ perceptions or making the case that “this is okay.” Von Massow says consumers are becoming more interested in animal welfare but they don’t have a good understanding of farming practices “so there is this gap there right now. It’s important that we participate in that discussion” and inform consumers of how farmers do their jobs and “why it’s the right thing to do.” But farmers shouldn’t just rely on falling back on the position that “the science says this works,” he explains. Consumers might just say they don’t care what the science says and that they don’t feel good “about that.” BF American and European businesses are transforming Canada's retail landscape DFO announces quota policy review
The Ontario region names its provincial Outstanding Young Farmers of 2024 Friday, August 30, 2024 Image supplied by Outstanding Young Farmers Partners DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman of Haybury Farms Inc., located at Jarvis, were named for 2024 at their regional event held near Guelph on August 22, 2024. Matt Bergman grew up on a dairy farm and started farming for himself at the... Read this article online
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OFA asking farmers to take Cultivating Local survey Thursday, August 29, 2024 The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is asking farmers to complete a survey about local selling opportunities. The organization is giving producers until Sept. 16 to fill out the Cultivating Local survey. “We’re looking to better understand farmers that are already or who want... Read this article online