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Changing interventions in farm animal health and welfare: a governmentality approach to the case of lameness

Holloway, Lewis; Mahon, Niamh; Clark, Beth; Proctor, Amy

Authors

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Professor Lewis Holloway L.Holloway@hull.ac.uk
Professor of Human Geography. Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Niamh Mahon

Beth Clark

Amy Proctor



Abstract

Lameness is a significant health and welfare issue in farmed animals. This paper uses a governmentality approach, which focuses on how a problem is made governable, to examine an emerging ‘ecology of devices’ introduced to intervene in, and attempt to reduce, on-farm incidence of lameness. These devices are associated with advisers who work with farmers on-farm; they enact lameness as a governable entity, are tools to assess the existence of lameness against established norms, and prescribe actions to be taken in response to evidence of lameness. In doing this they subjectify farmers and advisers into seeing and responding to lameness in particular ways. Using concepts of governmentality alongside other perspectives on the power relations and the simplifications and complexities involved in interventions in animal health and farm practice, the paper draws on in-depth research with advisers including vets and other paraprofessionals who work with farmers, and their cows and sheep. It explores how this set of devices introduces particular techniques and practices in lameness management, and produces farmer and adviser subjectivities. It then explores some of the problematics of this mode of governing lameness, including analysis of the limitations and unintended consequences of attempts to simplify lameness management. The paper concludes by arguing that its approach is valuable in analysing ongoing intensification of interventions in farming practices and in understanding the limits of such interventions and the unanticipated divergences from expected conduct.

Citation

Holloway, L., Mahon, N., Clark, B., & Proctor, A. (2023). Changing interventions in farm animal health and welfare: a governmentality approach to the case of lameness. Journal of rural studies, 97, 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.12.004

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 4, 2022
Online Publication Date Dec 13, 2022
Publication Date 2023-01
Deposit Date Dec 4, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Rural Studies
Print ISSN 0743-0167
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 97
Pages 95-104
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.12.004
Keywords Farming; Cows and sheep; Lameness; Governmentality; Health and welfare; UK
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4138648

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