• Katharina Mader, M.A.

• Press Release (PDF)

• Programme (PDF)

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, 14 October 2009. – Animal welfare science is concerned with the welfare of animals – but what exactly does that mean? To discuss how philosophical analysis may support the further development of animal welfare science, scientists representing animal welfare science, ethics, law, and philosophy of science came together at the invitation of the Europäische Akademie in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler on 8 and 9 October 2009.
Professor Donald M. Broom (Cambridge University), who became the first professor of animal welfare worldwide in 1986, presented a historical analysis of this field: He explained how animal welfare research had not been considered scientific in the 1980s and 1990s and that – in the meantime – it had become reasonably accepted.
As Dr. Ian Robertson (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, New Zealand) and Professor Tjard de Cock Buning (VU Amsterdam University) pointed out, results of animal welfare research are often consulted to guide processes of development in legislation concerning animal protection. However, de Cock Buning concluded from a comparative investigation of four European countries that other moral concepts, particularly that of integrity, also play an important role in animal protection. Dr. Kirsten Schmidt (University of Bochum) analysed how such different ethical concepts are related to the concept of animal welfare. Dr. Christine Leeb (University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna) used organic farming and its realisation to illustrate practical dilemmas: pigs kept in “natural” conditions are not necessarily the happiest ones.
Professor Lennart Nordenfelt (Linköping University) argued against inclusion of naturalness in a definition of animal welfare. In this respect he agreed with Broom whose biological coping theory of animal welfare he, however, rejected. Instead, he put forward a theory of welfare based on happiness. While, thus, the precise meaning of animal welfare was discussed, the conference’s participants seemed largely to agree that the natural behaviour of animals – as formed by evolution and breeding – is an important basis for animals’ needs in terms of nutrition, movement, social interaction, environment, etc., but that subjective feelings and health were also aspects that played roles in an animal’s welfare.
Professor Colin Allen (Indiana University) questioned the usefulness of a precise definition of animal welfare. He suggested to identify morally relevant aspects of animals species-specifically – an endeavour at the interface of science and humanities. Professor Hanno Würbel (University of Gießen) illustrated how this can be done, and summarized the field’s methodologial challenges as concerning what to investigate in which animals with which methods.
The podium discussion at the end of the conference confirmed that there are different concepts of animal welfare, but also that these are sufficiently well described and sufficiently similar in their consequences to allow the communication between biology and philosophy which is needed in the scientific investigation of morally relevant states of animals.
Proceedings of the conference, which was partially funded by the German Research Foundation, are in preparation.

Download Press Release (PDF)
Download Programme (PDF)

Scientific coordination:

• Kristin Hagen, Ph.D. (Europäische Akademie Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler GmbH, Germany)

Speakers:

• Professor Colin Allen, Ph.D. (Indiana University, USA)

• Professor Donald M. Broom, Ph.D., Sc.D., Hon.D.Sc. (Cambridge University, UK)

• Professor Tjard de Cock Buning, Ph.D, M.Sc., M.Phil. (VU Amsterdam University, The Netherlands)

• Dr. med. vet. Christine Leeb CertWEL (University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria)

• Professor Lennart Nordenfelt, Ph.D. (Linköping University, Sweden)

• Dr. Ian Robertson, LL.B., B.V.Sc., M.R.C.V.S. (Leeds University, UK; Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, New Zealand)

• Dr. phil. Kirsten Schmidt (University of Bochum, Germany)

• Professor Dr. sc. nat. Hanno Würbel (University of Gießen, Germany)