MicroRNAs: exploring their role in farm animal disease and mycotoxin challenges.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as key regulators in gene expression and play a crucial role in immune responses, holding a significant promise for diagnosing and managing diseases in farm animals. This review article summarizes current research on the role of miRNAs in various farm animal diseases and mycotoxicosis, highlighting their potential as biomarkers and using them for mitigation strategies. Through an extensive literature review, we focused on the impact of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of several farm animal diseases, including viral and bacterial infections and mycotoxicosis. They regulate gene expression by inducing mRNA deadenylation, decay, or translational inhibition, significantly impacting cellular processes and protein synthesis. The research revealed specific miRNAs associated with the diseases; for instance, gga-miR-M4 is crucial in Marek's disease, and gga-miR-375 tumor-suppressing function in Avian Leukosis. In swine disease such as Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS) and swine influenza, miRNAs like miR-155 and miR-21-3p emerged as key regulatory factors. Additionally, our review highlighted the interaction between miRNAs and mycotoxins, suggesting miRNAs can be used as a biomarker for mycotoxin exposure. For example, alterations in miRNA expression, such as the dysregulation observed in response to Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in chickens, may indicate potential mechanisms for toxin-induced changes in lipid metabolism leading to liver damage. Our findings highlight miRNAs potential for early disease detection and intervention in farm animal disease management, potentially reducing significant economic losses in agriculture. With only a fraction of miRNAs functionally characterized in farm animals, this review underlines more focused research on specific miRNAs altered in distinct diseases, using advanced technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 screening, single-cell sequencing, and integrated multi-omics approaches. Identifying specific miRNA targets offers a novel pathway for early disease detection and the development of mitigation strategies against mycotoxin exposure in farm animals.

Understanding the consumer-citizen gap in Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare.

Individuals of the general public can perform both consumer and citizen roles in farm animal welfare, and attitudes toward farm animal welfare may differ between these roles. However, scant research is available regarding this distinction, especially in developing countries such as China. The present study aimed to explore consumer-citizen gaps in Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare across three dimensions and across demographic characteristics. A 36-item scale was designed, and completed by 5284 Chinese participants in a large-scale cross-sectional survey. Consumer-citizen gaps in attitudes toward farm animal welfare across three dimensions and demographic characteristics were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and effects of demographic characteristics on attitudes were further explored by linear regression analysis. A significant consumer-citizen gap was found in overall attitudes, although the consumer role was only slightly more positive than the citizen role. The consumer-citizen gap is driven by differences in both cognitive attitudes and behavioral attitudes. The gap is most pronounced in cognitive attitudes, where the consumer role is significantly more positive, and smaller in behavioral attitudes, where the citizen role is significantly more positive. The consumer-citizen gap varies significantly among different demographic groups, including gender, age, education, monthly household income, area of residence, and occupation. Additionally, education, monthly household income, and area of residence have significant effects on attitudes in the dual role, whereas gender only affect consumer-role attitudes significantly. The findings provide evidence that consumer-citizen gaps in Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare exist, and this distinction is mainly determined by demographic characteristics.

Comparison of atlantoaxial and lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid centesis techniques in South American camelids.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic blood contamination during cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) centesis is common, which can limit the diagnostic usefulness of the sample. A novel ultrasound-guided CSF collection technique is described in horses, by which CSF is obtained from the atlantoaxial (AA) space. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To compare ultrasound-guided AA centesis with lumbosacral (LS) centesis in South American camelids (SAC). The hypotheses were that AA centesis would yield samples with less blood contamination although being technically more challenging than LS centesis. ANIMALS: Eight clinically healthy adult SAC from a university-owned teaching herd. METHODS: Single-blinded, randomized, 4-way, 4-period crossover study in which 2 veterinarians each performed both centesis techniques on each animal once. Cytological sample analysis was performed, and the technical difficulty of sample acquisition was assessed. RESULTS: The CSF was collected successfully and without complications by either technique during all collection attempts. Aspects of technical difficulty and concentrations of CSF analytes did not vary significantly between techniques. Median total nucleated cell and red blood cell counts were 1/µL and 0.5/µL and 167.5/µL and 155/µL for AA and LS techniques, respectively. The median total protein concentration was 32.9 mg/dL and 38 mg/dL for AA and LS centeses. A median of 1 attempt was necessary for both centesis techniques and the median number of needle repositioning events was 1 for AA and 0 for LS. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Depending on clinical circumstances, ultrasound-guided AA centesis appears to be an acceptable alternative to other techniques for collection of CSF from SAC.

Farm Animal Welfare Is a Field of Interest in China: A Bibliometric Analysis Based on CiteSpace.

Farm animal welfare research conducted in China is not commonly accessed or known outside of China, which may lead to the assumption that farm animal welfare receives relatively little attention in China. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on the existing Chinese farm animal welfare literature to provide robust evidence to refute this assumption. A total of 1312 peer-reviewed Chinese studies on farm animal welfare published between March 1992 and June 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. CiteSpace software was used to analyze and visualize the number, species, authors, institutions, journals, and keywords of the papers. In China, farm animal welfare research has gone through the processes of an early stage (1992-2001), rapid-growth stage (2002-2007), and mature stage (2008-present), and the scale of research continues to grow. Notably, swine and chickens have received priority attention in this area. A Matthew effect was observed for authors and institutions, with relatively little collaboration among authors and institutions. Most of the papers were published in a small number of journals, with an apparent agglomeration characteristic. The research hotspots, summarized as "feed and diet", "environmental impacts and control", "integrated rearing management", "injury and disease", "behavior and technologies for behavior monitoring", "genetic analysis", "welfare during transport and slaughter", "welfare-friendly animal product consumption", "attitudes toward farm animal welfare", and "healthy breeding". The keywords "computer vision", "recognition", "temperature", "precision livestock farming", "laying hen", and "behavior", represent the major research frontiers in the field, which could indicate potential areas of significant future research. The findings of the present bibliometric analysis confirm the fact that farm animal welfare is a field of interest in China. Farm animal welfare research in China tends to be pragmatic, with a strong emphasis on enhancing growth and production performance, as well as product quality, rather than solely concentrating on improving farm animal welfare. This paper provides insightful references that researchers can use to identify and understand the current status and future direction of the farm animal welfare field in China.

Animal Welfare Science: Why and for Whom?

There are, in the literature, distinct ways to approach animal welfare. The objective of this work was to study the value attributed to farm animals in the scientific papers published in animal welfare and animal production journals at three different points in time, separated by a decade each. The first ten papers mentioning "animal welfare" or "animal well-being" in their objectives or hypotheses from each journal and each focus year were selected. The 180 papers were blindly scored by five assessors between 1 and 10, according to the degree of intrinsic value attributed to animals. The overall mean score and standard deviation were 5.60 ± 2.49, with 6.46 ± 2.29 and 4.74 ± 2.40 for AW and AP journals, respectively, and 5.37 ± 2.44, 5.68 ± 2.52 and 5.75 ± 2.41 for the focus years of 2000, 2010 and 2020, respectively. There was an interaction between focus year and publication area: papers from AW journals scored better over time, in contrast with papers from AP journals, for which scores remained similar over decades. The inter-assessor agreement is moderate, which may reflect the subject complexity, as the language used in the papers studied was ambiguous in relation to why and for whom it is performed. The low overall mean score evidenced that the animal welfare scientific publications are, on average, not prioritizing the interests of the animals. Thus, our results evidenced the presence of animal welfarism in animal welfare science, a problem that seems not to be intrinsic to animal welfare science itself, but rather to the way research is frequently conceived, conducted, interpreted, summarized and applied. Therefore, it seems urgent to further study the motivation for animal welfare research. The statement of the main justification for animal welfare papers, with an explicit declaration of the motivational priorities that constitute each scientific animal welfare study, may be an interesting recommendation for the improvement of animal welfare science.

Comprehensive investigation of milk oligosaccharides in different mammalian species and the effect of breed and lactation period on sheep milk oligosaccharides.

Milk oligosaccharides (MOs) have unique health benefits for newborns, and MOs are important components in mammalian milk. The present study was conducted to provide a comprehensive analysis of MOs in important domestic animals, including goats, cows, camels and sheep. The comparison with human MOs was conducted simultaneously. Furthermore, analysis of the relative abundance of sheep MOs among different breeds (Hu sheep, East Friesen sheep, East Friesen-Hu crossbred sheep) and lactation periods (colostrum, mature milk) was performed. In general, 35, 24 19, 26, and 16 MOs were identified in human, goat, bovine, camel and sheep milk, respectively. The type of sheep MOs was not greatly influenced by the breeds and lactation period. Hu sheep colostrum had the highest abundance of MOs among six sheep milks, followed by East Friesen sheep colostrum, while East Friesen-Hu crossbred sheep mature milk had the lowest abundance of MOs. These findings provide evidence for the potential value of MOs from domestic animal milk for the commercial applications.

Paneth cells in farm animals: current status and future direction.

A healthy intestine plays an important role in the growth and development of farm animals. In small intestine, Paneth cells are well known for their regulation of intestinal microbiota and intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Although there has been a lot of studies and reviews on human and murine Paneth cells under intestinal homeostasis or disorders, little is known about Paneth cells in farm animals. Most farm animals possess Paneth cells in their small intestine, as identified by various staining methods, and Paneth cells of various livestock species exhibit noticeable differences in cell shape, granule number, and intestinal distribution. Paneth cells in farm animals and their antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are susceptible to multiple factors such as dietary nutrients and intestinal infection. Thus, the comprehensive understanding of Paneth cells in different livestock species will contribute to the improvement of intestinal health. This review first summarizes the current status of Paneth cells in pig, cattle, sheep, horse, chicken and rabbit, and points out future directions for the investigation of Paneth cells in the reviewed animals.

Commercial laying hens exhibit long-term consistent individual differences and behavioural syndromes in spatial traits.

Past research has supported the importance of animal personalities for the productivity and welfare of farm animals. However, current assessments of personality traits are commonly conducted over short periods using standardized assays and may not reflect all important aspects of behaviours in commercial settings throughout the production period. This study aimed to evaluate consistent behavioural differences between 194 commercial laying hens within an aviary across most of the production period (eight months). We used five spatial behaviours related to various aspects of commercial hens' daily routine, including the sleeping, feeding, nesting, indoor movements and outdoor usage. All behaviours were repeatable over time and across contexts, with consistent differences between individuals explaining between 23% and 66% of the variation. These long-term consistencies revealed the potential applicability of the behaviours as personality traits of commercial hens. Moreover, we identified behavioural syndromes comprising all behaviours except the nesting-related behaviour, indicating two axes of spatial personalities that may be driven by different mechanisms. We discussed the significance of such individual differences in using personality traits to breed more resilient farm animals. Future research should evaluate associations of these behaviours with animal welfare and productivity to inform breeding efforts.

Welfare of ducks, geese and quail on farm.

This Scientific Opinion concerns the welfare of Domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus), Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata domesticus) and their hybrids (Mule ducks), Domestic geese (Anser anser f. domesticus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) in relation to the rearing of breeders, birds for meat, Muscovy and Mule ducks and Domestic geese for foie gras and layer Japanese quail for egg production. The most common husbandry systems (HSs) in the European Union are described for each animal species and category. The following welfare consequences are described and assessed for each species: restriction of movement, injuries (bone lesions including fractures and dislocations, soft tissue lesions and integument damage and locomotory disorders including lameness), group stress, inability to perform comfort behaviour, inability to perform exploratory or foraging behaviour and inability to express maternal behaviour (related to prelaying and nesting behaviours). Animal-based measures relevant for the assessment of these welfare consequences were identified and described. The relevant hazards leading to the welfare consequences in the different HSs were identified. Specific factors such as space allowance (including minimum enclosure area and height) per bird, group size, floor quality, characteristics of nesting facilities and enrichment provided (including access to water to fulfil biological needs) were assessed in relation to the welfare consequences and, recommendations on how to prevent the welfare consequences were provided in a quantitative or qualitative way.

Towards a More Realistic In Vitro Meat: The Cross Talk between Adipose and Muscle Cells.

According to statistics and future predictions, meat consumption will increase in the coming years. Considering both the environmental impact of intensive livestock farming and the importance of protecting animal welfare, the necessity of finding alternative strategies to satisfy the growing meat demand is compelling. Biotechnologies are responding to this demand by developing new strategies for producing meat in vitro. The manufacturing of cultured meat has faced criticism concerning, above all, the practical issues of culturing together different cell types typical of meat that are partly responsible for meat's organoleptic characteristics. Indeed, the existence of a cross talk between adipose and muscle cells has critical effects on the outcome of the co-culture, leading to a general inhibition of myogenesis in favor of adipogenic differentiation. This review aims to clarify the main mechanisms and the key molecules involved in this cross talk and provide an overview of the most recent and successful meat culture 3D strategies for overcoming this challenge, focusing on the approaches based on farm-animal-derived cells.

Genetic diversity assessment of the indigenous goat population of Benin using microsatellite markers.

Improved knowledge of the diversity within and among local animal populations is increasingly necessary for their sustainable management. Accordingly, this study assessed the genetic diversity and structure of the indigenous goat population of Benin. Nine hundred and fifty-four goats were sampled across the three vegetation zones of Benin [i.e., Guineo-Congolese zone (GCZ), Guineo-Sudanian zone (GSZ), and Sudanian zone (SZ)] and genotyped with 12 multiplexed microsatellite markers. The genetic diversity and structure of the indigenous goat population of Benin were examined using the usual genetic indices (number of alleles Na, expected and observed heterozygosities He and Ho, Fixation index FST, coefficient of genetic differentiation GST), and three different methods of structure assessment [Bayesian admixture model in STRUCTURE, self-organizing map (SOM), and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC)]. The mean values of Na (11.25), He (0.69), Ho (0.66), FST (0.012), and GST (0.012) estimated in the indigenous Beninese goat population highlighted great genetic diversity. STRUCTURE and SOM results showed the existence of two distinct goat groups (Djallonké and Sahelian) with high crossbreeding effects. Furthermore, DAPC distinguished four clusters within the goat population descending from the two ancestry groups. Clusters 1 and 3 (most individuals from GCZ) respectively showed a mean Djallonké ancestry proportion of 73.79% and 71.18%, whereas cluster 4 (mainly of goats from SZ and some goats of GSZ) showed a mean Sahelian ancestry proportion of 78.65%. Cluster 2, which grouped almost all animals from the three zones, was also of Sahelian ancestry but with a high level of interbreeding, as shown by the mean membership proportion of only 62.73%. It is therefore urgent to develop community management programs and selection schemes for the main goat types to ensure the sustainability of goat production in Benin.

Factors influencing Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare.

A comprehensive understanding of current Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare and the relevant influencing factors is essential for improving farm animal welfare and promoting further development of animal husbandry. The attitudes of 3,726 respondents in China were investigated using paper and online questionnaires. Three components (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were assessed using 18 items designed based on the literature review. Influential factors of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were explored via tobit regression. The results revealed that the Chinese public not only considers farm animals to be emotional and sentient but are also sympathetic toward farm animals that suffer inhumane treatment. Although they have limited knowledge about farm animal welfare, the public believes improving farm animal welfare is beneficial, especially for food safety and human health. The Chinese public prefers regulation policies to incentive policies for improving farm animal welfare. The main factors influencing attitudes toward farm animal welfare included gender, age, education, monthly household income, area of residence, farm animal raising experience, and attention to farm animal welfare events. The effect of these influencing factors on attitudes varied. These findings provide a basis for improving Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare. The implications of formulating and implementing effective policies to improve the Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare were discussed.

Natural Behaviour Is Not Enough: Farm Animal Welfare Needs Modern Answers to Tinbergen's Four Questions.

Despite the many scientific objections that have been raise to it, 'natural behaviour' is widely used as an indication of good welfare by the food industry. The supposed link between welfare and natural behaviour derives, however, from a now outdated view of animals becoming frustrated if they cannot perform their natural instinctive behaviour. On the 60th anniversary of its publication, Niko Tinbergens' Four Questions framework is used to show why there is no necessary link between natural behaviour and welfare and why, therefore, reliance on natural behaviour in commercial farming may not result in the claimed improvements in welfare. Used on its own without supporting evidence, 'natural behaviour' lacks the most essential criterion for good welfare-whether it matters to the animals themselves. There are now a number of well-established methods for demonstrating what animals value, including choice tests and, particularly, what animals will work and pay a cost to obtain. Some of the evidence on what animals value is already available in published papers but some will require collaborative research between scientists and commercial farming to find practical and commercially viable ways of providing animals with what they value.

Farmers Views on the Implementation of On-Farm Emergency Slaughter for the Management of Acutely Injured Cattle in Ireland.

Four management options for acutely injured cattle in Ireland exist: treatment, unless cattle are severely injured; on-farm emergency slaughter (OFES); casualty slaughter (CS) if the animal is certified fit for transport; or euthanasia. OFES is designed to prevent transport of welfare-compromised cattle. An online survey of farmers in Ireland was carried out between April and July 2021 and focused on events during 2020. A theoretical framework of capacity, willingness, and opportunity was used to explore farmers' perceptions. Responses from 94 farmers (49 dairy and 45 beef) were analysed; not all respondents answered all questions. Respondents indicated that the incidence of acutely injured cattle in Ireland is low. A majority reported not having an acutely injured animal for greater than 36 months. Most respondents had a positive attitude towards OFES for animal welfare reasons and were aware of relevant regulations and guidelines. Barriers to OFES included a lack of availability of OFES, and dairy farmers indicated that it had a similar financial impact as euthanasia. A parallel study with veterinarians indicated a higher incidence of acutely injured cattle in Ireland; the current results may be due to the demographic or the sensitivity of the topic. Nationwide electronic data capture on the cause of mortality could support improvements in the management of acutely injured cattle and enable surveillance of the proportion of these cattle undergoing OFES, euthanasia, or CS.

Evaluation of the Thermal Response of the Horns in Dairy Cattle.

Dairy cattle are typically disbudded or dehorned. Little is known, however, about the biological function and role of horns during thermoregulatory processes in cattle, and thus about the potential physiological consequences of horn removal. Anecdotal evidence suggests that dairy cow horns increase in temperature during rumination, and few studies on other bovid species indicate that horns aid thermoregulation. The objective of this study was, therefore, to elucidate a possible thermoregulatory function of the horns in dairy cattle. Using non-invasive infrared thermography, we measured the superficial temperature of the horns, eyes, and ears of 18 focal cows on three different farms in a temperate climate zone under various environmental circumstances. Observations of social and non-social behaviours were conducted as well. Based on environmental temperature, humidity, and wind speed, the heat load index (HLI) was calculated as a measure of the heat load experienced by a cow. The temperature of the horns increased by 0.18 °C per unit HLI, indicating that horns serve the dissipation of heat. Dehorned cows had higher eye temperatures than horned cows, though this result should be interpreted with caution as the low sample size and experimental setup prevent casual conclusions. We did not, however, find changes in horn temperature during rumination, nor with any other behaviours. Our study thus supports a role of horns in thermoregulation, but not related to rumination. These results should be considered when assessing the potential consequences of horn removal, a painful procedure.

Emerging market for pork with animal welfare attribute in China: An ethical perspective.

There is growing public concern about the welfare of farm animals, and farm animal welfare can be considered an ethical attribute of product quality. This paper elicits consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for animal welfare attributes in pork products using a choice experiment (CE) in China. Consumers are willing to pay a premium of 13.923 to 18.493 CNY/500 g for more desirable product attributes in terms of animal welfare, branding, humane slaughter, and environmental friendliness. There is a complementary relationship between ethical morality in public policy and animal welfare farming. The findings of the study contribute to an increasing understanding of consumer preferences for animal-friendly products in emerging countries. A wide range of relevant, practical initiatives to help promote animal welfare development are needed in China, by strengthening the education of ecological ethics and animal welfare ideology, establishing an animal welfare security system by global standards, and optimising contractual arrangements for the value chain of animal-friendly products.

Can dogs help chickens? Pet owners' willingness to pay for animal welfare-friendly pet food in the United States.

Consumer concern about farmed animal welfare is growing but does not always translate into real-world purchasing behaviour of welfare-friendly animal products for human consumption. Possible reasons for this include unfamiliarity with farming practices and economic sensitivity. In contrast, the number and role of pets in the United States have grown measurably, and spending on pets is strong. The pet food market has many opportunity niches as pet owners navigate strong marketing trends and nutrition philosophies. We hypothesised that pet owners in the US would be willing to pay a premium for pet food containing welfare-friendly animal ingredients. Eight hundred and thirty-eight pet owners completed an online survey asking questions that measured their knowledge of and interest in farm animal welfare, and their willingness-to-pay for pet food labelled as farm animal welfare-friendly. Respondents overall displayed relatively low knowledge about farm animal welfare, but poor self-assessment of their own knowledge. They displayed interest in farm animal welfare and an overall positive mean willingness-to-pay (WTP) for welfare-friendly pet food. Younger respondents, women and cat owners displayed a higher WTP than older respondents, men and dog owners. Income level was not correlated to WTP. Creating pet food products that contain animal ingredients produced using welfare-friendly practices may enhance farm animal welfare via two primary avenues: by providing a sustainable and value-added outlet for the by-products of welfare-friendly human food products, and by providing an educational opportunity about farm animal production via pet food packaging and other advertising.

Perceptions of Farm Animal Sentience and Suffering: Evidence from the BRIC Countries and the United States.

In this study, we examined how beliefs about farm animal sentience and their suffering vary across culture and demographic characteristics. A total of N = 5027) questionnaires were administered in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and the USA. Brazilians showed higher and Chinese lower levels of perceived animal sentience. In Russia and India, the perception of suffering and sentience increases with age, with similar levels to those observed in the USA. In all the countries, more people agreed than disagreed that animals are sentient. Men in India show higher levels of agreement with the relation between eating meat and animal suffering, followed by women in Brazil and China. Lower levels of agreement are observed in Americans and Chinese. Women show higher levels of compassion than men. In Russia, there is a slightly higher level of agreement between men and in the USA younger men agree more. Young American men show higher levels of agreement, while in India and China age has the opposite effect. For fair trading competition, it is important to standardize procedures and respect the demand for both animal protein and its ethical production. Overall, our results showed that perceptions of farm animal sentience and suffering vary substantially across countries and demographic groups. These differences could have important consequences for the perceived ethicality of meat production and consumption, and for global trade in animal products.

Research progress on distribution and exposure risk of microbial aerosols in animal houses.

Environmental aerosols in animal houses are closely related to the productive performance and health level of animals living in the houses. Preferable housing environments can improve animal welfare and production efficiency, so it is necessary to monitor and study these environments. In recent years, there have been many large-scale outbreaks of respiratory diseases related to biological aerosols, especially the novel coronavirus that has been sweeping the world. This has attracted much attention to the mode of aerosol transmission. With the rapid development of large-scale and intensive breeding, microbial aerosols have gradually become the main factor of environmental pollution in animal houses. They not only lead to a large-scale outbreak of infectious diseases, but they also have a certain impact on the health of animals and employees in the houses and increase the difficulty of prevention and control of animal-borne diseases. This paper reviews the distribution, harm, and control measures of microbial aerosols in animal house environments in order to improve people's understanding of them.

Local People Standings on Existing Farm Animal Welfare Legislation in the BRIC Countries and the USA. Comparison with Western European Legislation.

This study explored the demand for improved farm animal welfare (FAW) legislation in the BRIC countries and the USA. Results are discussed in comparison to Europe. Interviewees ranked their willingness to support or oppose introduction of more FAW-friendly laws in their country. A multinomial logistic regression was fit to the data (p < 0.001), with the parameters "country × gender" (p < 0.001) and "country × age" (p < 0.001) found significant. Americans, Russian women, and older Brazilian men are very supportive. The age effect is also felt in India, where older people are more supportive. Chinese, American men, and younger Indians are less supportive. Russian males are the group that oppose the most, followed by younger Brazilians and Indians. The law and its application vary a lot between countries. Nevertheless, the societal willingness to improve FAW legislation is high in all countries. The willingness is higher in Europe. The different cultural backgrounds, the socio-economic factors, and the social, economic, and environmental sustainability are enough reasons to create barriers to policy harmonization in the global trade of farm animal products.