Promote Chinese Farm Animal Welfare through Introduction and Adaptation of International Advanced Concepts and Practices

An Interview with Mr. Paul Littlefair, Head of International in the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(RSPCA)  

“For this conference, we are very encouraged to be one of the co-organizers. This is a great opportunity for us to share our experience, and also listen to the experiences and knowledge of Chinese specialists as well. I think this event will be a big success.”

According to Mr. Paul Littlefair, RSPCA has been around for more than 190 years. It exists to encourage and promote better care for animals. For farm animals, that means trying to improve their living conditions to meet their needs better. “In China, we have been active for about 18 years, trying to support China’s move towards improving the welfare of farm animals particularly. China is a very important country in terms of livestock agriculture. Half of the world’s pigs live in China. About one third of the world’s chickens and ducks live in China. Making small improvements in the welfare of these animals means a big impact.”

Mr. Paul Littlefair said that he started to become aware of Chinese farm animal welfare about 2004. Around that time, there was a big foot and mouth disease outbreak in Britain. In China, SARS broke out around 2003. Later, there was bird flu. Animal diseases were everywhere. No country was completely safe. Diseases crossed borders. It was very important for governments to discuss about controlling the diseases and reducing the risk of diseases. “I think, at that time, China was beginning to look more internationally about disease control and animal welfare. For the last fifteen and twenty years, there were some food safety issues in China. The government was concerned about food safety. It’s encouraging for China to bring in experiences and knowledge from other countries and try to manage how China can develop better food safety and quality. That’s a brief history. I don’t think the turning point is reached now. However, there are many Chinese producers who want to farm in a more sustainable way. Sometimes, it’s a question of money or resources. Sometimes, it’s just a question of spreading the knowledge and science, and sharing the experience. Some of the most basic farms are not going to do very much about animal welfare, but most farms can do something. In fact, every small improvement is better.”

“When I first started working on farm animal welfare in China, most of the researches were Western. Due to differences of China and the West, what’s needed is some researches in China as to how Chinese animals in Chinese farms perform, and how some improvements can be made. I’m happy that a lot of work has been done in Chinese farms now. There are practical real examples of improvements in China, not just theories about other countries. We would like to share good practices that Chinese farmers have already done with other farmers in China, and outside China too. It’s an open discussion based on science, experiences, and practical solutions. This conference makes a bridge between animal science and practical on-farm life, and is an important part of farm animal welfare development.”  

Mr. Paul Littlefair also introduces high-welfare food labeling conducted by RSPCA from 1994. “In a supermarket, you can see food with a RSPCA assured logo, which means the whole life of the animal, from birth to the end of life, has been under RSPCA high-welfare standards. Ordinary people don’t understand all the science behind keeping the pigs, but they don’t need to. They can see the log, and they trust our organization to produce to the high standards. The farmers enjoy being part of the program because they can command a slightly higher price for their food.”

As it’s indicated by a survey conducted across Europe, animal welfare-friendly consumption is a growing trend in Europe. Mr. Paul Littlefair also thinks that animal welfare will be an important feature in the future trade between European countries and other countries. “At the moment, China is EU’s largest trading partner. In the future, it may be possible for China to export high-welfare food to European Union, because some farms in China will match the standard that the European Union wants. What’s more, there is a growing market inside China for quality, safety, taste, also for animal welfare as well.”