Activism and Trust: Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare in the Food Supply Chain

Animals such as poultry and cattle have been used for production and human consumption throughout the history of agriculture. This work defines and analyzes the concepts of animal rights and animal welfare. It compares and contrasts the viewpoints of animal rights and animal welfare organizations in an effort to portray a comprehensive perspective of this ethical concept as it relates to agriculture and the supply chain for food. These organizations have had significant impacts by urging governments to implement new regulations and enforce existing regulations for the humane treat­ment of food animals. In addition, not only does enforcing such regulations provide animals with humane treatment and improved living conditions, but it also helps to produce healthier and safer animal products for human consumption, thus augmenting consumer trust. Granting animals with equivalent rights to those of human beings, however, is still an ongoing debate that animal rights activists eagerly seek to settle in the favor of animals.