David Clough has been awarded a £450,000 research grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council for a three-year project on the Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare in partnership with major UK churches and a number of other organizations (listed below). Work on the project will begin in October 2018. The project will produce the first academic monograph on the Christian ethics of farmed animal welfare and a framework for policies in relation to farmed animal welfare for Christian organizations, and will work to enable policy implementation as well as offering briefings to UK government policy-makers. David will work as part of a small interdisciplinary research team with Dr David Grumett (New College, Edinburgh), Dr Siobhan Mullan (School of Veterinary Sciences, Bristol University), Dr Margaret Adam as a postdoctoral researcher, and Dr Paul Hurley (University of Southampton), and in partnership with the following organizations:
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Church of England
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Roman Catholic Church
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Church of Scotland
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Church in Wales
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Methodist Church
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United Reformed Church
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Church Investors Group
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Compassion in World Farming
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Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals
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Catholic Concern for Animals
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Pasture-Fed Livestock Association
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Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals
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Quaker Concern for Animals
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Veterinary Christian Fellowship
The project will include site visits with partners to farms and slaughterhouses, and in the final phase will work with partner organizations to support implementation of the policy framework. It will present findings to the Church Commissioners and offer briefings to the Church of England bishops in the House of Lords, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Animals. Three US observers on the project (Charlie Camosy, Matt Halteman, and Grace Kao – all CreatureKind advisory council members) will advise on the feasibility of a US successor research project on the same model. News of the grant has been covered by Christian Today and Independent Catholic News and David was interviewed on Christian Premier Radio’s “The News Hour” to talk about the project.
One Response
Greetings In The Lord. It is great that Research will be done to produce the first academic monograph on the Christian ethics of farmed animal welfare and a framework for policies in relation to farmed animal welfare for Christian organizations. The Holy Bible Says:
i. Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel,
ii. “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,
iii. Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.
We at the Animal Welfare and Protection Organization (AWPO) with a Vision of "Kindness in animals is health and wealth for the households". The benefits as a Christian for being kind to animals is that you are compassionate / humane. But improved farmed animal welfare / animal well-being, care / handling also leads to improved livelihoods for the Christian and man in general and a conserved ecology. We are ready to participate in the research from this part of the world please. Thank you very much and God Bless please http://www.animal-welfareprotection.org