How ag research and teaching differs from “rodent” studies in AAALAC international accreditation

Abstract Text:

Ethical care of farm animals is required for conduct of farm animal research and teaching, journal article submission and production on commercial farms.  The highest standard of animal care is provided when an agricultural research and teaching institution becomes accredited by AAALAC International.  Some people in animal agriculture are leery of AAALAC accreditation because they have experienced laboratory animal ethics applied to farm animal research and teaching.  Here I argue that the fundamental ethical principles underlying farm animal care are often different than those that underpin laboratory animal care. The laboratory animal community lean heavily on the 3 R’s (reduce, replace, and refine).  I argue that these are not appropriate for farm animals as they are for laboratory animals. Agricultural research doesn’t reduce the sample size, it optimizes the sample size.  Agricultural animal researchers don’t often replace animal models with a “lower” model species (say using a mouse rather than a chimp for a human disease), they use the actual target species (say using a pig for pig research).  Sample size is often optimized, not set at the lowest numbers possible.  Field studies may use the building or barn as the experimental unit which greatly increases numbers of animals in an appropriate manner.  Retailers and consumers may set ethical requirements on the entire market or niche markets that require certain production practices.  Finally, animals used in teaching have entirely different ethical standards depending on if the learning is meant to be a demonstration or if the student is expected to be proficient at an animal procedure. In addition to budgetary pressures for university farms, animal science programs must determine if they can justify model animal farms for teaching purposes. In conclusion, laboratory animal ethical principles are different in some ways than the standards for agricultural animals used in farm animal research or teaching.  Using laboratory animal standards like the 3 R’s may not help and may harm farm animal welfare.  AAALAC International utilizes the Ag Guide as its guiding document for farm animals in teaching and research.  As long as overseeing bodies use the appropriate ethical framework, farm animal care will be protected in both farm animal research and teaching. 

Keywords: Animal Care, Accreditation, Ethics