In 1965, the UK government commissioned an investigation, led by ProfessorRoger Brambell, into the welfare of intensively farmed animals, partly in response to concerns raised inRuth Harrison's 1964 book,Animal Machines. The Brambell Report stated "An animal should at least have sufficient freedom of movement to be able without difficulty, to turn round, groom Itself, get up, lie down and stretch its limbs".[8] This short recommendation became known as Brambell's Five Freedoms.
As a result of the report, the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee was created to monitor the livestock production sector. In July 1979, this was replaced by theFarm Animal Welfare Council, and by the end of that year, the Five Freedoms had been codified into the recognisable list format.[9]
Some countries, such as New Zealand, have proposed going further than the Five Freedoms to "Five Domains" to include a focus on the mental health of the animal following New Zealand becoming the fifth country to legally recognize animal sentience in 2015.[10] As of 2021, animal sentience was also recognized in Chile, Colombia, Peru, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and all EU countries.[11]
Companies and countries following the Five Freedoms model frequently utilize their animal welfare standards as a competitive advantage.RSPCA Assured food labeling scheme (formerly Freedom Food) in the United Kingdom is based on the Five Freedoms.[12][13] Major New Zealand exporters likeSilver Fern Farms andZiwi Pets highlight their adherence to the Five Freedoms in their marketing.[14][15]
^"ASPCA".ASPCA: Five Freedoms. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Archived fromthe original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved2 October 2015.
^Brambell, Roger (1965),Report of the Technical Committee to Enquire Into the Welfare of Animals Kept Under Intensive Livestock Husbandry Systems, Cmd. (Great Britain. Parliament), H.M. Stationery Office, pp. 1–84
