THEHIDDENHANDOFTHEMARKET:
Thelimitsofanimalwelfarepolicyunder
alabellingforconsumerchoiceapproach
ProfChris*neParker(MonashUniversity)
RachelCarey,JosephineDeCosta,GyorgyScrinis
LABELLINGFORCONSUMERCHOICEAS
ARESPONSETOANIMALWELFAREIN
EGGPRODUCTION
Shoppersareen+tledtoknowwhattheyarebuying
andhowitwasproduced.…Shopperswhodon’t
wishtosupportunethicaleggproduc+onsystems
shouldvotewiththeirdollars,asthisisoneinstance
wheresupplyisdefinitelydrivenbydemand.
(Loughnan2012,p?)
•  RSPCAshophumane
100%
8%
2001
100%
14.5%
2005
100%
40%
2014
%ofretaileggssoldthatarefreerange
THE“HIDDEN”HANDOFTHEMARKET:
Thelimitsofanimalwelfarepolicy
underalabellingforconsumerchoice
approach
Outlineofpaper
•  Approach:
–  Regulatorynetworkanalysis
–  Majornewspaperar*cles1990-2014andallofficial
policydocuments
•  Results:
–  Regulatorypolicyop*ons:frombanstolabels
–  Stakeholders:fromanimaladvocacytoconsumer
advocacy
–  Discourses:consumerchoicevsbantodifferent
meaningsoffreerangewithinconsumerchoice
•  Conclusion
Approach
Data:ar*clesinmajorAustraliannewspapers1990
-2014andallofficialpolicydocumentsrelatedto
ethicalgovernanceoflayerhenwelfare
Discourseanalysis:Whichactors?Whoseinterests?
Whatpolicyop*ons?
Whatregulatorynetwork?
Whatimplica*onsdoesthishaveforwhichop*ons
wecanusetoimproveanimalwelfareforlayer
hens?
Results
Flashpoint1
Flashpoint2
2000–Decisionnot
2011–Mandatory
foodlabelling
standardsforanimal
welfarerejected
tobanconven*onal
cages
2000
2005
2010
Flashpoint3
2014–Consumer
regulatorsregulate
freerange
2015
Timelineofregulatoryeventsinegglabelling
2000:Australian
federalandstate
governments
decidenotto
legislatetoban
baWerycages
1990
1996:First
animalwelfare
accreditaVonfor
hensintroduced
bytheRSPCA
2008:CHOICE
givesa‘shonky’
awardtothe
AECLfortheir
defini*onoffree
range
1995
2001:ACT
government
introduces
mandatory
labellingofcage,
barnandfreerange
eggs
2011:Federal
governmentreviewof
foodlabelling
regula*onandpolicy
determinesthatanimal
welfareissuesdonot
warrantmandatory
labelling
2000
2005
2010:Woolworthsand
Colesannouncephase
outofcagedeggsand
stockingdensityof
10,000hens/hafor
ownbrandfreerange
eggs
2012:ACCC
refusesAECL
definiVonof
freerangeat
20,000hens/ha
2010
2012:Stocking
densityof20,000
hens/ha
proposedbythe
AECL
2014:ACCCtakes
ac*onagainstegg
producersfor
misleadingand
decepVveconduct
2015
2014:Consumer
AffairsMinisters
announcethe
developmentofa
mandatory
informaVon
standard
No.ofmen*onsofdifferentregulatoryop*onsin
majorAustraliannewspapers1990-2014
EnrichedCages
25
ProhibiVonofCages
EggLabellingLaws
20
Numberofmen+ons
Misleading&DecepVveConductCases
15
10
5
0
2014
2012
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
No.of*mes"cage","barn"and"free
range”men*onedinmajorAustralian
newspapers1990-2014
500
450
Barn
400
Numberofmen+ons
350
Cage
300
250
200
FreeRange
150
100
50
2014
2012
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
0
2000
AustralianFederalGov’t‘StandingCommiWeeon
AgricultureandResourceManagement’decides
nottobanconvenVonalcages
2000:ProporVonofnewspaperarVcles
menVoningdifferentstakeholders
no=86
AnimalAdvocacy
AnimalAdvocacy
Retailers
IndustryBodies
OtherGovernment
Hospitality
Retailers
Producers
ConsumerAdvocacyGroup
IndustryBodies
ConsumerRegulators
ConsumerAdvocacy
Group
Producers
ConsumerRegulators
OtherGovernment
Hospitality
Animaladvocacygroups
AdirectoroftheAnimalAc*onRescue
Team,MsMarksaidbaeeryeggproducers
s*lldominatedtheindustry.“We’vefound
overwhelmingevidenceofcrueltyand
suffering...ands*llnothinghappens,”she
said.“Butbaeerycageswillbebannedin
Australia–it’sonlyamaeerof*me.Itsdays
arenumbered.”(Farrant1999)
EggIndustry
“[t]hegeneralconsensus…andthisistheview
oftheindustryandtheviewofscien*sts,isthat
inanoverallsensethecagesystembestmeets
thewelfareneedsoflayinghens”(Alcorn1999).
abanwouldmeanconsumerswere“deniedthe
freedomtochoosetopurchasecagedeggs”
despitethefactthevastmajorityofeggs
consumedwerecurrentlyproducedviacages
(Alcorn1999).
eggindustrywasreportedassayingabanon
baeeryhenproduc*on“wouldincrease
produc*oncostsbyabout$100millionayear”
Agriculturedepartments
In2000SCARMdeterminednottoban
conven*onalcages.SCARMstatedthatits
objec*vewasthe“qualityassuredhealthand
welfareoffowlsinacommerciallyviable,
compe**veandenvironmentallyfriendlyegg
industryproducingaregular,reliableand
affordablesupplyofeggsallowingfor
informedchoicebyconsumersandaccording
tocontemporarystandardsforfoodsafetyand
occupa*onalhealth”(pp3-4).
2011
FedGov’trejects
mandatoryanimal
welfarefood
labellingstandards
2011:ProporVonofnewspaperarVcles
menVoningdifferentstakeholders
No=74
ConsumerRegulators
OtherGovernment
AnimalAdvocacy
ConsumerAdvocacy
Group
AnimalAdvocacy
Retailers
Producers
IndustryBodies
Hospitality
Hospitality
Retailers
IndustryBodies
Producers
ConsumerAdvocacy
Group
ConsumerRegulators
OtherGovernment
Timelineofaccredita*onsystems
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
Smallscalefreerange?
PhilWestwood,amemberoftheFreeRangeFarmers
Associa*on,says“therealityisthatintensivefree-range
farmsde-beaktheirbirdsasamaeerofcoursebecause
theywanttorunlargenumbersandtheychoosetouse
high-producinghensdevelopedforthecageindustry”.
Westwoodsayshensmustbeabletoexpresstheirnatural
behaviour,includingtheurgetopeck,aswellashaving
placestoforageanddust-bathe.…theWestwood's1000
chooksruninflocksof250andareneverlockedup.Their
shedsareonskids,whichareintermieentlymovedwitha
tractor…They'reprotected24/7byeightMaremmasand
oneBretonmas*ff.
GreensMPs,consumergroups
“Consumers’inten+ontodotherightthingisbeingexploited.
Theirbeliefintheintegrityoflabellingisbeingdestroyed.And
theirfaithintheabilityofconsumerstoeffectethicalchangeis
beingshaFered.”(NSWGreensMPJohnKaye)
Compe*ngaccredita*onsystems
[A]lackofmandatoryandlegislatedlabellingforfreerangeeggshadledtoa‘suiteofvoluntaryterms,
standardsandthird-partycer*fica*onschemes’.”Ms
Simpsonsaidadefini*onoffree-rangewasnecessarybut
onlyifdoneappropriately.“Stockingdensi*esashighas
thiswillmeantheintensifica*onofthefree-range
industryanddonotmeetconsumerexpecta*onsforhow
free-rangeeggsareproduced,”shesaid.TheGreensMP
JohnKayehasintroducedabillintoParliamenttocreate
amandatorystandardwhichhesayswouldstopthe
"widespreadexploita*onofethicalconsumers".(Smith
2011)
2014:Consumerregulatorstake
misleadinglabellingac*on
OtherGovernment
2014:ProporVonofnewspaperarVcles
menVoningdifferentstakeholders
No=74
AnimalAdvocacy
AnimalAdvocacy
Retailers
Retailers
IndustryBodies
Hospitality
ConsumerRegulators
Producers
IndustryBodies
Consumer
Advocacy
Group
ConsumerAdvocacy
Group
ConsumerRegulators
OtherGovernment
Producers
Hospitality
EggIndustry
…toproducethequan*tyneededtofeedtheAustralian
community,free-rangeeggfarmerswouldneedtorun
between10and20,000birdsperhectare,”[Victorian
FarmersFedera*oneggproducergroupPresidentBrian
Ahmed]says.“Peoplewhothinkallthefarmswillbe100
chooksrunningaroundanopenpaddockneedtoknowit
willnothappen,thereisjustnotenoughland…”“farmers
hadmovedtocagedeggsinthe60sbecauseofconsumer
demandforacheaper,cleanerproduct.”Hegoesonto
arguethat“thereiss*llaplaceforcage…tomeetthe
needsofconsumersandtheirbudgets…thereisaroom
forarangeofdifferentfarmingsystemswhentheyare
managedproperly.”(Davey2014)
EggCorpProposes20,000per
hectareoutdoorstockingdensity
“farmershadmovedtocagedeggsinthe60s
becauseofconsumerdemandforacheaper,
cleanerproduct.”Hegoesontoarguethat
“thereiss*llaplaceforcage…tomeetthe
needsofconsumersandtheirbudgets…there
isaroomforarangeofdifferentfarming
systemswhentheyaremanagedproperly.”
ColesMR(2012):
Wehaveissuedastandardthatsetsoutamaximumstocking
densityof10,000birdsahectare.…Wecametothisfigureater
consul*ngwithindustryandwelfaregroups,andwebelieveit
strikestheappropriatebalancebetweenanimalwelfareand
keepingfree-rangeeggpriceswithinreachofmostAustralians.
EggIndustry
VictorianFarmersFedera*oneggproducer
groupPresidentBrianAhmedpointsoutthat
“farmershadmovedtocagedeggsinthe60s
becauseofconsumerdemandforacheaper,
cleanerproduct.”Hegoesontoarguethat
“thereiss*llaplaceforcage…tomeetthe
needsofconsumersandtheirbudgets…thereis
aroomforarangeofdifferentfarmingsystems
whentheyaremanagedproperly.”
Consumerregulator–Australian
Compe**on&ConsumerCommission
"TheACCCisconcernedabouttheredefini*onofwhatis
meantbyfreerangebyindustrytosuititself,andthefact
thattheredefini*onhastheveryrealpoten*alofmisleading
consumers,"ACCCcommissionerSarahCourtsaid.(March,
2014)
“Some(farmers)haveexpressedconcernthereisno
governmentstandardthatproducersneedtomeettobea
free-rangeeggproducer,(but)weseenoneedforany
standard.“Thecourthasruledthatfreerangemeansthe
birdscan—anddo—gooutsideonmostdays;itisupto
producerstodetermineiftheymeetthiscommon-sense
defini*on.”(ACCCChair,RodSims,Nov2014)
Free-range eggs: Ministers hatch a plan to develop a binding,
national standard
June 12, 2015
Vote
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Esther Han
Consumer Affairs Reporter
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Inside an open range chicken farm
With free range egg labelling in the limelight, we take a look at an open range chicken farm where the chooks really do seem happier.
For the first time, Australia's consumer affairs ministers have agreed to stop the growing confusion over free-range egg labelling by developing a
national, enforceable standard.
ProporVonofnewspaperarVcles
menVoningdifferentstakeholders-2000,
2011,and2014
Conclusion:Forgoeenop*ons
•  Banningconven*onalcagesandmanda*ng
beeercagesashasbeendoneintheEU,
CaliforniaandNewZealand?
•  Banningcagesaltogetherandmanda*ngbarn
orfreerangeproduc*on?Improvingbasic
regula*onoffarmanimalwelfare?
•  Animalwelfareissuesinbarnandfreerange
systemsbeyondoutdoorstockingdensity?
•  Reducingconsump*on?
S*llneedto
address
animalwelfare
ineggs
producedfor
hospitality,
cateringand
processed
foods
Manda*ngbarnorfreerange?
Improvingregula*on?
Beyondstockingdensity?
Men*onofstockingdensityversus
otheranimalwelfareissues1990-2014
35
Debeaking
30
25
ForcedMoul*ng
MaleChicks
SlaughterofSpentHens
20
StockingDensity&FloorSpace
15
10
5
0
1990199219941996199820002002200420062008201020122014
Reducingconsump*on