ANIMALS REARED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL WELFARE IN ARGENTINA

Extensive production conditions

Habitat and feed
Our animal production systems are, in general, extensive. Fertile soil covered by natural or artificial pastures provides what is usually an adequate and sustainable ecological environment for the production of animals reared for human consumption. Within this framework, biological diversity is preserved and animal welfare is good.

We face a totally different situation when it comes to intensive systems or feed lots.

Herd management
Usually our rural employees, "peones"or "gauchos", are those who are in direct contact with the animals. Their humane virtues and animal management abilities are well known, but we suppose that they do not easily accept new ideas that are in direct contradiction to their accepted practices. Treatment of the animals is rough, but seldom cruel. However, some elements are used for working animals that can be considered traumatic (whips, electric prods, etc.). Dogs are also frequently used to move animals.

Animal welfare is not taken into consideration during many routine procedures, such as branding, castrating, dehorning, vaccinating and worming. To carry out these operations animals are frequently kept closed in for long periods of time in inadequate pens.

Many times, if an animal is suffering from health problems, even in the case of emergencies, the last person to be called is the vet, either because of economic reasons or because it is not customary.

Facilities

From the animal welfare point of view, the facilities used in animal production systems in Argentina are very diverse. We may find fences, chutes, pens, etc., which are modern and expensive but are not appropriate according to animal welfare standards. There are also obsolete facilities; in this latter case, the solution may be easier since when an investment is made facilities may be installed which are better suited to animal welfare. Instead, in the first case, the solution would be to try to correct the deficiencies of the facilities by trying to adapt them to better animal welfare conditions and this may not always be possible. 

The question of facilities is an easily solved problem so long as the economy of the animal production sector is good.

Intensive production systems

Most intensive production systems in our country are poultry farms. The production of chickens and eggs is mostly carried out in systems that do not adhere to animal welfare standards.

Other intensive production systems such as those for pigs, for example, are not very common but the concept of animal welfare is becoming better known in this field.

The number of feed lots in operation varies according to the market price of grains, which determine whether they are economically viable or not.

Semi-intensive production systems

In so-called small farm systems, which produce different animals: chickens, eggs, turkeys, rabbits, pigs, etc., animals are usually better treated since they are small systems.

The organic production systems, a growing segment, are requested to take into account animal welfare. However, conditions are not clearly regulated.

Fairs and markets

In general, no animal welfare standards are complied with.

Packing plants

There are clearly marked differences between plants that slaughter animals for export and those that do not. The export plants work under acceptable conditions from the animal welfare point of view and the others do not.
Situations that must be resolved:
1.- The arrival of animals at the packing plant.
2.- Operating routines and equipment should be appropriate.
3.- Chutes and pens should be appropriate for animal movement.
4.- Personnel should be aware of and familiar with animal welfare standards.
5.- Animals should not be held in poor conditions until the moment of slaughter.

Transport

Every year in Argentina millions of live animals are transported to destinations within Argentina and abroad to packing plants. Frequently these animals become thirsty, hungry and tired during the long hours of travel and suffer extreme temperatures. All this causes them stress and physical damage. The loading and unloading of animals on to transports is usually cruel and they continue to suffer poor conditions at the packing plant, where non-humanitarian methods are frequently used.

Though there are regulations for the transport of live animals for human consumption, these are not always complied with.