What kind of nature we are talking about? How animal and agricultural science experts assess consumer demand for more connection with nature in German dairy farming

Dairy farming has been the subject of public debate on animal welfare for a number of years now. Animal welfare discussions on dairy farming often include the demand for more nature connectedness in this area. This study focuses on the divergent perspectives of consumers and scientists on the importance of more nature connectedness for animal welfare strategies in German dairy farming. Within Europe, Germany is the main producer of cow’s milk and an important industry in many rural areas in Germany is dairy farming. The insights presented are based on qualitative interviews with dairy farming and livestock researchers from Germany and Austria. A key finding of this study is that we need to look more closely at the actual content of nature claims in animal welfare debates. The scientists interviewed tend to see idealized conditions in animal welfare discussions with images of nature which in fact seldom lead to improved conditions in dairy farming and, even then, only to a limited extent. The scientists interviewed rate calls for more nature connectedness in dairy farming from the nonagricultural public as anti-modern, complexity-reducing, and normative. Nevertheless, some of the scientists interviewed did have valuable insights into the nonagricultural public’s criticism of dairy farming practices. These scientists argued, however, that animal welfare needs to differentiate between nature connectedness and the innate needs of cattle when it comes to animal welfare strategies. An important conclusion of the study is that more discussion formats are needed to promote the exchange of ideas between different social groups attempting to understand animal welfare in dairy farming

Organisation der Regulierung - Regulierung der Organisation: zum erweiterten Fokus internationaler Bankenaufsicht

Kussin M. Organisation der Regulierung - Regulierung der Organisation: zum erweiterten Fokus internationaler Bankenaufsicht. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften; 2009

Knowledge-based animal welfare discussion by integrating microbiological feed analyses - using straw as an example.

Animal husbandry methods also play an important role in public discussion, as animal welfare is often valued in society by visual perceptions. In this context, there is often an idealized idea of livestock husbandry and nutrition, which is staged by ideal-typical images. In the minds of many citizens, nature-loving images trigger a positive imagination that results from the longings of urban living conditions. Media and stakeholder analyses indicate that the use of straw in livestock husbandry and nutrition also has a positive impact on the welfare of livestock. According to this, straw is preferred by the public for more animal welfare. But what is not considered is the fact that the straw must be of impeccable hygienic quality. Fungal infestation and the formation of mycotoxins in straw can cause diseases in livestock with consequences for animal welfare. The first evaluation of a perfect straw quality also takes place in science through sensory tests, i.e. through smell, grip, colour and impurities. Only in the case of abnormalities in the sensory tests are further examinations indicated, such as microbiological examination procedures. The hygienic properties of straw were examined on the basis of these assessment criteria. In addition to the microbiological-hygienic tests, the sensors of the straw were also tested. The results show that there are no abnormalities in the sensory examination of the hygiene status. This was to observe an impeccable hygiene status. However, the microbiological-hygienic investigations showed that the straw had microbiological as well as mycotoxin loads above the orientation values. This can have negative health effects, such as diseases for farm animals. The scientific results led to the conclusion: The public discussion about animal welfare, which is often conducted primarily on the basis of visual impressions, could gain in scientific resilience if it includes objective results such as microbiological analyses in addition to images in order to evaluate animal welfare in livestock farmin

Tethering of cattle and pasture grazing systems between public polarization and scientific differentiation : an analysis of the interest groups arguments

Um die Milchviehhaltung gibt es seit einigen Jahren auch eine öffentliche Tierwohldiskussion. Zwei Aspekte sind dabei immer wieder Gegenstand der Debatte: Die Anbindehaltung und der Weidegang. Auf Basis von qualitativen Interviews mit zivilgesellschaftlichen Verbänden und landwirtschaftlichen Verbänden zum Thema Tierwohl in der Milchviehwirtschaft wurden die Einstellungen und die Argumentationsmuster beider Verbandsgruppen zu den Haltungsformen Weidegang und Anbindehaltung ergründet. Von Interesse ist dieser Vergleich, da im Rahmen öffentlich-medialer Kommunikation die Diskussionsfronten zwischen beiden Verbandsgruppen als verhärtet dargestellt werden. Die Analyse der Aussagen der qualitativen Interviewreihe dieser Studie erlaubt die begründete Annahme, dass beide Verbandsgruppen mit den Themenkomplexen Anbindehaltung und Weidehaltung in einem wissenschaftlich orientierten Kommunikationskontext differenziert umgehen. Eine klare Polarisierung der Einstellungen zwischen beiden Verbandsgruppen war im Rahmen dieser Gesprächsformen nicht wahrnehmbar.There has been a public animal welfare discussion on dairy farming for several years. Two aspects are always the subject of the discussions: the tethering husbandry of cattle and grazing options for them. Based on qualitative interviews with civil society associations and agricultural associations, the attitudes and the patterns of argumentation of both groups of associations were analysed. The comparison is interesting because, in the context of public-media communication, the positions of the two groups of associations appear hardened. The analysis of the statements allows the well-founded assumption that both groups of associations deal in a differentiated manner in a scientificriented communication context. There was no clear polarization of attitudes between the two groups of associations in the scientific communication environment

Agrarkommunikation : eine Einführung in Theorie, Konzeption und Umsetzung

Tierwohl, Grüne Gentechnik, Hofsterben, biologische Vielfalt: Das Agri- und Foodbusiness steht im hohen Maße im Fokus der Öffentlichkeit. In diesem Buch werden Handlungsmöglichkeiten mit Blick auf die kommunikativen Aufgaben der Branche dargestellt – und dies erstmals auf Basis einschlägiger Ansätze aus den Kommunikationswissenschaften und dem PR-Management. Die Autoren liefern einen Überblick über branchenrelevante Themen wie Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation, Storytelling und Krisenkommunikation sowie ihre Einsatz- und Wirkungsweise im Rahmen einer professionellen Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

Finanzmarktregulierung und Wissenspolitik. Basel II - Die aufsichtsrechtliche Konstitution kollektiver Intelligenz?

Strulik T, Kussin M. Finanzmarktregulierung und Wissenspolitik. Basel II - Die aufsichtsrechtliche Konstitution kollektiver Intelligenz? Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie. 2005;26(1):101-129

Anbindehaltung und Weidegang zwischen öffentlicher Polarisierung und wissenschaftlicher Differenzierung : eine Analyse verbandspolitischer Argumentationen

Auch um die Milchviehhaltung gibt es seit einigen Jahren eine öffentlich geführte Tierwohldiskussion. Zwei Aspekte sind dabei immer wieder Gegenstand der Kommunikation: Die Anbindehaltung und der Weidegang. Auf Basis von qualitativen Interviews mit zivilgesellschaftlichen Verbänden und landwirtschaftlichen Verbänden wurden die Einstellungen und die Argumentationsmuster beider Verbandsgruppen zu den Haltungsformen Weidegang und Anbindehaltung ergründet. Von Interesse ist dieser Vergleich, da im Rahmen öffentlich-medialer Kommunikation die Diskussionsfronten zwischen beiden Verbandsgruppen verhärtet erscheinen. Die Analyse der Aussagen, die im Rahmen der qualitativen Interviewreihe dieser Studie getätigt wurden, erlaubt die begründete Annahme, dass beide Verbandsgruppen mit den Themenkomplexen Anbindehaltung und Weidehaltung in einem wissenschaftliche orientierten Kommunikationskontext differenziert umgehen. Eine klare Polarisierung der Einstellungen zwischen beiden Verbandsgruppen ist in einem solchen Umfeld nicht mehr wahrnehmbar gewesen

Knowledge-based animal welfare discussion by integrating microbiological feed analyses - using straw as an example.

Animal husbandry methods also play an important role in public discussion, as animal welfare is often valued in society by visual perceptions. In this context, there is often an idealized idea of livestock husbandry and nutrition, which is staged by ideal-typical images. In the minds of many citizens, nature-loving images trigger a positive imagination that results from the longings of urban living conditions. Media and stakeholder analyses indicate that the use of straw in livestock husbandry and nutrition also has a positive impact on the welfare of livestock. According to this, straw is preferred by the public for more animal welfare. But what is not considered is the fact that the straw must be of impeccable hygienic qualit

Making use of cognitive standards. On the logic of a new mode of governance in global finance

Kussin M, Kette S. Making use of cognitive standards. On the logic of a new mode of governance in global finance. In: Strulik T, ed. Towards a Cognitive Mode in Global Finance. The Governance of a Knowledge-Based Financial System. Frankfurt a. M., New York: Campus; 2006: 279-302