Positief dierenwelzijn staat voor een leven met overwegend positieve ervaringen en het opbouwen van competenties en veerkracht waardoor het dier kan floreren. Dat is de visie van een een internationale groep wetenschappers, gepubliceerd in een opiniestuk in het wetenschappelijke tijdschrift Biology Letters. In het stuk wordt de expertise van toegepaste- en fundamentele ethologen, evolutiebiologen, sociale wetenschappers en filosofen gecombineerd.
Positive animal welfare started off as a shift in attention, with the realisation that a good and happy animal life cannot be achieved simply by minimising negative experiences and instead also requires the promotion and cumulation of positive experiences. 'But we go one step further to suggest that positive animal welfare is this dot on the horizon that we aim to achieve', says researcher Laura Webb of Wageningen University & Research (WUR), 'this state of a good, happy, flourishing life'.
Webb is one of the authors and is vice-chair of the research network of the Cost Action LIFTing farm animal lives. In this network the expertise of 330 members from 44 countries is combined. The scientists have the aim to understand, assess and promote positive emotions and positive welfare in farm animals across Europe and beyond.
Positive animal welfare
The popular term of positive animal welfare appeared before it was defined. A couple of years back, the use of this term spread like wildfire in animal science research, but also in relevant industries and policy makers in Western countries.
The appearance of this new term has to do with a shift in focus from minimising suffering in our farm animals, towards also promoting positive experiences, such as joy. Research in the area of positive farm animal experiences, referred to as positive emotions, moods or affective states, exploded with little time dedicated to definitions or cohesion.
Validating indicators
'At WUR we have already started working towards validating indicators', says Webb. 'We are experimenting with behavioural, cognitive and physiological indicators of positive emotions and positive welfare in cattle, pigs and poultry, and even some of the farmed insect species, such as the house cricket'.
Webb is also involved in The Positive Animal Welfare (PAW) team of Wageningen University & Research integrates all research in the field of positive animal welfare. This team combines the disciplines of ethology and physiology, including work on animal cognition and health. It brings together experts from various groups within animal and plant science.
