Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name:  Arne Henningsen
Author-Name-First: Arne
Author-Name-Last: Henningsen
Author-Email: arne@ifro.ku.dk
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen
Author-Name:  Tomasz Gerard Czekaj
Author-Name-First: Tomasz Gerard
Author-Name-Last: Czekaj
Author-Email: tcz@ifro.ku.dk
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen
Author-Name: Björn Forkman
Author-Name-First: Björn
Author-Name-Last: Forkman
Author-Email: bjf@sund.ku.dk
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Large Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Author-Name:  Mogens Lund
Author-Name-First: Mogens
Author-Name-Last: Lund
Author-Email: Mogens.Lund@nibio.no 
Author-Workplace-Name: Division for Food Production and Society, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
Author-Name:  Aske Schou Nielsen
Author-Name-First: Aske
Author-Name-Last: Schou Nielsen
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen
Title: The relationship between animal welfare and economic performance at farm level: A quantitative study of Danish pig producers
Abstract: We propose a theoretical framework for the relationship between animal welfare and the economic performance of livestock farms. We empirically analyse this relationship based on a unique data set of randomly sampled Danish pig herds that includes information from unannounced inspections of the compliance with the animal welfare legislation. We find large variations in economic performance indicators and animal welfare indicators. The relationship between these two indicators is rather weak, but tends to be slightly positive. We conclude that management has a major influence on both economic performance and animal welfare so that good farm managers are able to obey all animal welfare regulations and, at the same time, achieve a high economic performance.
Length: 30 pages
Creation-Date:  2016-08
File-URL: http://okonomi.foi.dk/workingpapers/WPpdf/WP2016/IFRO_WP_2016_05.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
Number: 2016/05
Classification-JEL: Q12
Keywords: animal welfare, gross margin, technical efficiency, pig farms, Denmark
Handle: RePEc:foi:wpaper:2016_05