The Meat in the Sandwich: Welfare Labelling and the Governance of Meat‐chicken Production in Australia |
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Authors: | Christine Parker Rachel Carey Gyorgy Scrinis |
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Affiliation: | 1. Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, Australia;2. Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia;3. School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia |
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Abstract: | This article critically examines the degree to which higher‐animal welfare label claims change animal welfare regulation and governance within intense meat‐chicken ('broiler') production in Australia. It argues that ethical labelling claims on food and other products can be seen as a ‘governance space’ in which various government, industry and civil society actors compete and collaborate for regulatory impact. It concludes that ethical labelling can act as a pathway for re‐embedding social concerns in the market, but only when it prompts changes that become enshrined in standard practice and possibly the law itself. Moreover, the changes wrought by ethical labelling are small and incremental. Nevertheless, labelling may create ongoing productive tension and ‘overflow’ that challenges the market to listen to and accommodate actors (including animals) on the margins to create ongoing incremental changes. |
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