TY - JOUR T1 - Considerations on ethics and animal welfare in extensive pig production: Breeding and fattening Iberian pigs JF - Livestock Science Y1 - 2006 A1 - Aparicio Tovar, M. a A1 - Vargas Giraldo, J. D. KW - animal welfare KW - breeds KW - ethics KW - extensive pig production KW - outdoor AB - The extensive pig production in Spain is traditionally characterised by: the use of the Iberian pig, an autochthonous breed perfectly integrated into the environment in which they have developed; a long duration of the productive cycle for about 23– 24 months; a high level of animal welfare level, specially in the fattening process with freedom of movement and feeding base on natural sources: acorns and grass, and an equilibrated “dehesa” agro-forestry system where this activity has been developed. Nowadays, the introduction of more intensificated methods due to the increasing demand led to important changes, such as: the shortening of the productive cycle (10–12 months); freeing from the territorial base; changes during the fattening period, fattening with mixed feed and less animal freedom. All these facts may implicate a loss of the animal welfare condition. These circumstances lead us to question it from an ethical point of view. VL - 103 UR - http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1871141306001892 IS - 3 ER -