RANKFURT/MAIN, Germany, March 15, 2018 – The March 2018 “Chart of the Month” published by DLG-Agrifuture Insights, the new knowledge brand and platform for international trend analysis in the agricultural sector from the German Agriculture Society, focuses on pig producers' opinions on animal welfare pens that could solve the conflict of interest between improved animal welfare and environmental protection.
“An animal welfare pen constitutes, for example, more room for the animals and toys to engage the pigs. Also, access to outdoor areas is a topic under consideration in the development of higher animal welfare barn concepts,” said the DLG's Head of Agricultural Economics, Dr. Achim Schaffner. “This is a discussion topic in Germany in particular, but also in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. We believe that these concepts can be a way to achieve better animal welfare if farmers get the opportunity to increase earnings to finance the necessary investments in the new systems.”
Asked about their opinion of animal welfare pens for this month's chart, about half of the farmers questioned in Germany, France, The Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom thought they would help solve the conflict of interest. French producers were most convinced of this, with about 60 percent of those questioned agreeing, but it was striking that 75 percent of the pig farmers questioned in France believed the pens could not be operated economically.
The Netherlands was the only country where a majority of producers questioned felt that animal welfare pens could be operated economically. The reason for this is thought to be a good track record for Dutch high-welfare production programs, where farmers are rewarded with better prices for producing pigs with a higher level of animal welfare.
The final question polled pig producers from the five nations on how they rated the chances of the animal welfare pens not being approved by the public authorities. Less than 10 percent of producers in France, Poland and the United Kingdom felt they wouldn't be approved, while about a quarter of German and Dutch producers were of the same opinion. In both countries, this approval by the authorities would be crucial to encouraging adoption of the pens and the resulting improved animal welfare.
Agricultural development insights
Launched at the end of 2017, DLG-Agrifuture Insights replaces and extends the scope of the DLG's Trendmonitor Europe surveys. It has been introduced to supply insights into the developments taking place in the world's most important agricultural regions at a time when the international agricultural sector is changing rapidly, and technologies, markets and market relations, structures and processes are all in a state of transition.
Precise information is vital during this time of change and transformation, when identifying change at an early stage is a crucial success factor in adapting products and services to the changing needs of customers. The focus of DLG-Agrifuture Insights is on animal husbandry and crop production, machinery and equipment, management, business climate and willingness to invest, identifying the top five investment areas and prevailing policies. It helps identify current trends and to assess business climate and expectations. This helps support agribusiness companies in developing strategies in international markets, and gives entrepreneurial farmers important stimuli for developing their businesses.
The DLG-Agrifuture Insights findings are reached by questioning a global panel made up of 2,000 future-oriented farmers in 13 countries – Brazil, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, USA and Zambia. Surveys are conducted every February/March in the southern hemisphere and every August/September in the northern hemisphere, with the findings supplemented by continuous background research and regular interviews with top decision-makers.
Attractive subscription model with DLG membership
A DLG-Agrifuture Insights subscription – in English or German – costs 1,900 euros per annum. This covers not only all country and trend reports, as well as background reports, but also DLG membership. This means subscribers also profit from DLG's global network of experts, the attractive offerings of the DLG trade fairs (famed as leaders in their field around the world), current professional events and expert publications, as well as sector-specific advanced training and educational opportunities.
Detailed information is available at: www.DLG.org/afi.
