Improving Animal Health on Organic Dairy Farms: Stakeholder Views on Policy Options

Margret Krieger, Philip J. Jones, Isabel Blanco-Penedo, Julie E. Duval, Ulf Emanuelson, Susanne Hoischen-Taubner, Karin Sjöström and Albert Sundrum
Additional contact information
Margret Krieger: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Philip J. Jones: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
Isabel Blanco-Penedo: Animal Welfare Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology—IRTA, 17121 Monells, Spain
Julie E. Duval: BIOEPAR, Oniris, INRA, 44307 Nantes, France
Ulf Emanuelson: Department of Clinical Sciences, SLU, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Susanne Hoischen-Taubner: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
Karin Sjöström: Department of Clinical Sciences, SLU, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Albert Sundrum: Department of Animal Nutrition and Animal Health, University of Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: Although ensuring good animal health is a stated aim of organic livestock farming and an important reason why consumers purchase organic products, the health states actually achieved are comparable to those in conventional farming. Unfortunately, there have been no studies to date that have assessed stakeholder views on different policy options for improving animal health on organic dairy farms. To address this deficit, stakeholder consultations were conducted in four European countries, involving 39 supply-chain stakeholders (farmers, advisors, veterinarians, inspectors, processors, and retailers). Stakeholders were encouraged to discuss different ways, including policy change, of improving organic health states. Acknowledging the need for further health improvements in organic dairy herds, stakeholders generally favoured establishing outcome-oriented animal health requirements as a way of achieving this. However, as a result of differing priorities for animal health improvement, there was disagreement on questions such as: who should be responsible for assessing animal health status on organic farms; and how to define and implement minimum health requirements. The results of the study suggest that future research must fully explore the opportunities and risks of different policy options and also suggest ways to overcome the divergence of stakeholders’ interests in public debates.

Keywords: production diseases; dairy cows; organic farming; health requirements; outcome-oriented measures; stakeholder consultation; policy instruments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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