ABSTRACT
Farm animal welfare is important to livestock and poultry producers, governments, consumers, and retailers who sell animal products. In the United States, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act regulates the humane slaughter of food animals and a 137-year-old law requires that pigs, cattle, and sheep not be transported more than 28 hours without feed and water, but the United States does not use government oversight to manage on-farm animal care. In contrast, the European Union has passed extensive laws and regulations that increase welfare standards for farm animals. There are no such national laws regulating humane treatment of animals on farms in the United States. Animal welfare concerns that may arise on farms range from the prevention of obvious abuse to ethical issues where scienti”c research alone cannot provide all the answers.
