Animal welfare

This theme deals with the interaction between animals and their environments, and with the impact this has on animals. Keeping livestock has ethical challenges, for example animal welfare, or the ethical issues of exploiting animals for our own benefit.

Traditionally, livestock welfare focused on negative aspects, those aspects unpleasant for animals. Recently, a novel approach looks into animal emotions and positive welfare aspects. The use of sensors and advanced statistical tools help to identify and design farming practices that improve animal welfare.