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What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2018
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| _version_ | 1867613908545568768 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Coetzee, Angela |
| author2 | Kelly, Candice |
| author_browse | Coetzee, Angela Kelly, Candice |
| author_facet | Kelly, Candice Coetzee, Angela |
| author_sort | Coetzee, Angela |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/103881 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:37.288Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateRange | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/103881 What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape Coetzee, Angela Kelly, Candice Even-Zahav, Etai Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. Chicken industry -- Practice -- Western Cape (South Africa) Chickens -- Housing -- Western Cape (South Africa) Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Western Cape (South Africa) Poultry -- Housing -- Western Cape (South Africa) UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. ENGLISH SUMMARY : Dominant approaches to livestock production are harmful to the environment, human health and animal welfare, yet global meat consumption is rising. Sustainable alternative production approaches are therefore urgently required, and “free range” is the main alternative for chicken meat offered in South Africa. There are, however, no laws that regulate free range chicken production in South Africa, except for nonbinding guidelines provided by the South African Poultry Association (SAPA), so it is unclear what this alternative entails and if it is consistently practised. The objective of this exploratory qualitative case study was therefore to investigate who and what determines free range chicken in the Western Cape. The case study, conducted from a social constructivist worldview, used semistructured interviews, photographs and document analysis as the data collection methods. 20 interviews were conducted with farmers, chefs, retailers and regulators involved in the free range chicken meat sector in the Western Cape. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, aided by Atlas.ti software for coding, to establish the dominant patterns in the data. The five major themes, selected on prevalence in the case study data and on achieving the research objective, were 1) free range means a bird reared with good animal welfare in mind, 2) free range means quality meat, 3) free range means a profitable business, 4) free range is determined by decision makers or by access to markets, and 5) free range is coupled with concerns about the lack of regulation. Exploring the findings in the context of the literature provided insight into who and what determines when chicken meat is free range in the Western Cape. The research revealed an absence of formal regulation for free range chicken practices in South Africa as well as a lack of independent private certification. From a social constructionist worldview this means that the term ‘free range’ is then socially constructed, thus varied and complex. The case study also shows that whether chicken meat is free range is generally determined by those who have access to markets. Large retailers claimed adherence to the Five Freedoms, a set of principles for animal welfare developed in the United Kingdom, used throughout Europe and included in the SAPA Code of Good Practice, which others in the sector say are too broad to be meaningful. Producers described animal welfare concerns as the main driver for how they practice free range production, that is, providing the birds access to outside space and low stocking densities, yet these interpretations varied. Another driver they listed was a focus on human health, which they achieve mainly through the use of antibiotic-free feed, which resulted in what participants regard as higher quality meat. The producers were also strongly driven by business imperatives, with most stating that free range chicken should carry a higher price than conventionally-reared chicken due to increased production costs. Recommendations borne from this study focus on the need for further research into this nascent sector. It emerged that a need was to understand consumers’ perspectives on what free range chicken production should and should not entail, given that those in the sector claim it had been developed to meet consumer demand. Free range farming was also labelled an improved animal welfare practice, though these views varied, and so it also became apparent that further research would be needed regarding animal welfare in chicken production. Another notable recommendation was that conducting research such as life cycle assessment (LCA) studies would prove valuable in establishing the true sustainability of free range production as an alternative production process. All these recommendations would assist in improving the efficiency of free range production and developing regulation practices, which is currently lacking, to protect the environment, the producers and the consumers. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Oorheersende veeproduksiemetodes is nadelig vir die omgewing, mensegesondheid en dierewelsyn en tog is daar ‘n wêreldwye toename in die verbruik van vleis. Volhoubare alternatiewe vir veeproduksie word dus dringend benodig en “vrylopend” is die mees algemene alternatief vir hoendervleis wat in Suid-Afrika aangebied word. Daar is egter geen wette wat vrylopende hoenderproduksie in Suid-Afrika reguleer nie, behalwe vir nie-bindende riglyne verskaf deur the Suid-Afrikaanse Pluimvee Vereniging (SAPV), so dis nog onduidelik wat presies hierdie alternatief behels, en of die praktyk konstant toegepas word. Die doel van hierdie verkennende, kwalitatiewe gevallestudie is dus om vas te stel wie en wat bepaal vrylopendheid in die Wes-Kaap. Die gevallestudie, aangepak vanuit ‘n sosiale konstruktiwistiese wêreldbeskouing, het van die volgende metodes van dataversameling gebruik gemaak: semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, foto’s en dokumnetanalise. 20 onderhoude is gevoer met plaasboere, sjefs en handelaars wie almal betrokke is in die produksie van vrylopende hoendervleis in die Wes-Kaap. Die data is geanaliseer met behulp van Atlas.ti sagteware (vir kodering) om oorheersende patrone in die data te identifiseer. Die volgende vyf hoof temas is geïdentifiseer op grond van die feit dat dit algemeen voorgekom het in die data en dat dit die navorsingsdoel bereik: 1) vrylopend beteken hoenders wat geteel word met dierewelsyn in gedagte, 2) vrylopend beteken kwaliteitsvleis, 3) vrylopend beteken ‘n besigheid vir profyt, 4) vrylopend word bepaal deur die besluitnemer of toegang tot die mark, 5) vrylopend word gekoppel aan kommer oor die gebrek aan regulering. Die bevindinge, in lig van die literatuurstudie, het gelei tot insigte oor wie en wat in die Wes-Kaap bepaal wanneer iets vrylopend is. Dit blyk uit die navorsing dat in Suid-Afrika daar ‘n gebrek is aan die formele regulering van vrylopende hoenderproduksie asook ‘n gebrek aan onafhanklike private sertifisering. Vanuit ‘n sosiale konstruktiwistiese wêreldbeskouing is die term ‘vrylopend’ dus sosiaal gekonstrueer en dus uiteenlopend en kompleks. Dit beteken dat óf hoendervleis as vrylopend grotendeels afhang van diegene wie toegang het tot die mark. Groot handelaars het beweer dat hulle die Vyf Vryhede nakom – ‘n stel beginsels vir dierewelsyn wat in die Verenigde Koninkryk ontwikkel is en dwarsdeur Europa gebruik word, en ingesluit is in die SAPV se Kodes vir Goeie Praktyk. Ander in die sektor meen egter dat hierdie beginsels te ruim is om werklik betekenisvol te wees. Produsente het aangevoer dat dierewelsyn hul hoof dryfveer is vir hoe hulle vrylopende produksie implementeer; hier het hulle spesifiek verwys na hoe hulle hoenders toegang gee tot oop spasie waar hulle vryelik kan beweeg asook die feit dat hulle hoenders nie in digbevolkte groepe aangehou word nie. Nietemin was daar uiteenlopende interpretasies van wat dierewelsyn behels. Nog ‘n dryfveer wat aangevoer is is die fokus op mensegesondheid wat hulle hoofsaaklik vermag deur antibiotikum-vrye voer te verskaf, wat volgens die deelnemers ‘n hoër kwaliteit vleis tot gevolg het. Die deelnemers het ook aangevoer dat hulle sin vir besigheid ‘n sterk motiveerder was. Baie het die mening gelig dat vrylopende hoender duurder as konvensioneel geteëlde hoender behoort te wees siende dat eersgenoemde met hoër produksiekostes gepaardgaan. Voorstelle wat uit die studie gevloei het fokus op die behoefte vir verdere navorsing in hierdie ontluikende sektor. ‘n Behoefte wat geïdentifiseer is is om die opinies en perspektiewe van verbruikers in te win – dis nodig om uit te vind wat behels vrylopende hoender produksie volgens hulle, aangesien diegene wat aktief is in die sektor aanvoer dat hierdie tipe produksie ontwikkel is om in die verbruikers se behoeftes te voorsien. Aangesien vrylopende produksie beskou word as ‘n praktyk wat beter dierewelsyn toepas, ten spyte van die verdeelde perspektiewe hieroor, het dit ook geblyk dat verdere navorsing oor dierewelsyn in terme van hoenderproduksie nodig sou wees. Nog ‘n voorstel was die uitvoer van studies soos lewenssiklusstudies om die ware volhoubaarheid van vrylopende produksie as ‘n alternatiewe produksieproses vas te stel. Al hierdie voorstelle kan bydra tot die bevordering van effektiewe vrylopende produksie en die ontwikkeling van regulasies, waaraan daar tans ‘n gebrek is, om die omgewing, die produsente en ook die verbruikers te beskerm. Masters 2018-02-26T07:40:55Z 2018-04-09T11:46:40Z 2021-02-01T03:00:11Z 2018-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103881 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xii, 165 pages ; illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Chicken industry -- Practice -- Western Cape (South Africa) Chickens -- Housing -- Western Cape (South Africa) Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Western Cape (South Africa) Poultry -- Housing -- Western Cape (South Africa) UCTD Coetzee, Angela What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape |
| title | What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape |
| title_full | What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape |
| title_fullStr | What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape |
| title_full_unstemmed | What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape |
| title_short | What makes free range chicken “free” : a case study of the free range chicken sector in the Western Cape |
| title_sort | what makes free range chicken free a case study of the free range chicken sector in the western cape |
| topic | Chicken industry -- Practice -- Western Cape (South Africa) Chickens -- Housing -- Western Cape (South Africa) Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Western Cape (South Africa) Poultry -- Housing -- Western Cape (South Africa) UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103881 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT coetzeeangela whatmakesfreerangechickenfreeacasestudyofthefreerangechickensectorinthewesterncape |