Governing animal welfare through organizational roles: an ex-ante analysis of the Animal Welfare Officer under the Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 32/2025
Tata kelola kesejahteraan hewan berbasis peran organisasi: analisis ex-ante peran Animal Welfare Officer dalam Peraturan Menteri Pertanian No. 32/2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21082/akp.v24n1.2026.45-57Keywords:
Animal Welfare Officer, policy design, policy capacity, regulatory intermediaries, animal welfare governanceAbstract
Animal welfare has become an increasingly important governance issue in livestock systems, driven by growing public concern, regulatory development, and demands for more credible oversight across production chains. In this context, Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 32 of 2025 introduces the Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) as an internal compliance actor within livestock-related operations. Using qualitative documentary analysis, this study evaluates the AWO role as a policy instrument for embedding animal welfare compliance in practice, examining it as an internal governance mechanism within Indonesia’s newly enacted animal welfare regulation. This study contributes to the literature by providing one of the first ex-ante analyses of the Animal Welfare Officer as an internal regulatory intermediary within Indonesia's emerging animal welfare governance framework. The findings show that the regulation recognizes the AWO as an important internal compliance actor, but several key design elements remain insufficiently specified. Compared with the more explicit regulatory construction of animal welfare auditors, the AWO framework provides less clarity on eligibility, competency standardization, and institutionalized training pathways. The regulation also gives limited attention to safeguards for internal reporting, escalation, and consistent implementation across farm, transport, and slaughter contexts. These gaps may undermine the credibility of implementation, especially in multilevel governance settings characterized by uneven institutional readiness and human resource capacity. The study findings recommended that nationally recognized competency specifications, tiered training pathways, stronger collaboration with universities and professional associations, and clearer accountability safeguards be implemented.
Downloads
References
Abbott KW, Levi-Faur D, Snidal D. 2017. Theorizing regulatory intermediaries: the RIT model. Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci. 670(1):14‒35. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716216688272
Awuni E, Abiliba DB, Asare DA, Kasim SM, Takyi PN, Emikpe BO. 2025. Insights into animal welfare at slaughter: perceptions, knowledge and practices among slaughterhouse workers in Ghana. PAMJ One Health. 16(4):45612. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj-oh.2025.16.4.45612
Berg C, Lundmark HF. 2020. Compliance with animal welfare regulations: drivers and consequences. CABI Rev. 15:25. https://doi.org/10.1079/PAVSNNR202015025
Bowen GA. 2009. Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qual Res J. 9(2):27‒40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Brodkin EZ. 2008. Accountability in street-level organizations. Int J Public Adm. 31(3):317‒336. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900690701590587
Brom FWA. 2025. Ethicists in animal welfare policy: ideal-typical roles for democratic engagement. J Agric Environ Ethics. 38(3):1‒18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-025-09953-5
Codecasa E, Pageat P, Marcet-Rius M, Cozzi A. 2021. Legal frameworks and controls for the protection of research animals: a focus on the animal welfare body with a French case study. Animals. 11(3):695. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030695
Coleman GJ, Hemsworth PH, Hemsworth LM, Munoz CA, Rice M. 2022. Differences in public and producer attitudes toward animal welfare in the red meat industries. Front Psychol. 13:875221. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.875221
Dahal H, Karki M, Jackson T, Panday D. 2020. New state structure and agriculture governance: a case of service delivery to local farmers in the eastern Gangetic Plains of Nepal. Agronomy. 10(12):1874. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121874
Doukas YE, Salvati L, Vardopoulos I. 2023. Unraveling the European agricultural policy sustainable development trajectory. Land. 12(9):1749. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091749
Eichler F, Duckwitz V, Isbrandt R, Nicolaisen S, Langkabel N, Wiegard M, Meemken D, Thöne-reineke C, Doherr MG. 2023. Opportunities to improve animal welfare during transport and slaughter of cattle and pigs through staff training — results of a Delphi survey. Animals. 13(24):3859. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13243859
Esbjerg L. 2022. To the market and back? A study of the interplay between public policy and market-driven initiatives to improve farm animal welfare in the Danish pork sector. In: Desa G, Jia X, editors. Social innovation and sustainability transition. Cham: Springer. p. 29‒47. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18560-1_3
Escobar MP, Demeritt D. 2017. Paperwork and the decoupling of audit and animal welfare: the challenges of materiality for better regulation. Environ Plan C Gov Policy. 35(1):169‒190. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774X16646771
Ezekannagha O, Adeyemi O, Ajieroh V, Onabolu A. 2023. Advancing a multisectoral platform for nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Nigeria: reflections on effectiveness and lessons learned. Food Nutr Bull. 44(1 Suppl):S52‒S60. https://doi.org/10.1177/03795721231179786
Faucitano L, Martelli G, Nannoni E, Manteca X. 2022. Fundamentals of animal welfare in meat animals and consumer attitudes to animal welfare. In: Purslow PP, editor. New aspects of meat quality. 2nd edition. Duxford: Woodhead Publishing. p. 667‒703. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85879-3.00021-0
Hårstad RMB. 2024. The politics of animal welfare: a scoping review of farm animal welfare governance. Rev Policy Res. 41:679‒702. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12554
Hedman FL, Veggeland F, Vågsholm I, Berg C. 2021. Managing animal welfare in food governance in Norway and Sweden: challenges in implementation and coordination. Animals. 11(7):1899. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11071899
Heise H, Theuvsen L. 2017. What do consumers think about farm animal welfare in modern agriculture? Attitudes and shopping behaviour. Int Food Agribus Manag Rev. 20(3):379-400. https://doi.org/10.22434/IFAMR2016.0115
Howlett M, Mukherjee I. 2017. Policy design: from tools to patches. Can Public Adm. 60(1):140-144. https://doi.org/10.1111/capa.12209
Kourula A, Paukku M, Peterman A, Koria M. 2019. Intermediary roles in regulatory programs: toward a role-based framework. Regul Gov. 13(2):141-156. https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12226
Lipovšek M, Kirbiš A, Tomažič I, Dovč A, Križman M. 2024. Farm animal welfare during transport and at the slaughterhouse: perceptions of slaughterhouse employees, livestock drivers, and veterinarians. Animals. 14(3):443. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14030443
Losada-Espinosa N, Estévez-Moreno LX, Bautista-Fernández M, Galindo F, Salem AZM, Miranda-de la Lama GC. 2021. Cattle welfare assessment at the slaughterhouse level: integrated risk profiles based on the animal’s origin, pre-slaughter logistics, and iceberg indicators. Prev Vet Med. 197:105513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105513
Ministry of Agriculture. 2025. Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 32 of 2025 on animal welfare. Jakarta: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia.
Ministry of Manpower. 2020. Special occupational competency standard for Animal Welfare Officer (Registration No. SKKK 2020-156) issued for the Gabungan Pelaku Usaha Peternakan Sapi Potong Indonesia (GAPUSPINDO). Jakarta: Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia.
Morton R, Hebart ML, Whittaker AL. 2020. Explaining the gap between the ambitious goals and practical reality of animal welfare law enforcement: a review of the enforcement gap in Australia. Animals. 10(3):482. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10030482
Morton R, Whittaker AL. 2022. Understanding subordinate animal welfare legislation in Australia: assembling the regulations and codes of practice. Animals. 12(18):2437. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12182437
Natan-Krup D, Mizrahi S. 2024. Public accountability and bureaucratic discretion: why do internal auditors stretch the boundaries of their role? Am Rev Public Adm. 54(8):699-716. https://doi.org/10.1177/02750740241265893
Nicolaisen S, Langkabel N, Thoene-Reineke C, Wiegard M. 2023a. Animal welfare during transport and slaughter of cattle: legal framework. Animals. 13(12):1974. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13121974
Nicolaisen S, Thöne-Reineke C, Wiegard M. 2023b. Evaluation of online training to improve animal welfare of cattle during transport and slaughter from the perspective of animal welfare officers and official veterinarians. J Food Sci Nutr Res. 6:31. https://doi.org/10.26502/jfsnr.2642-110000134
O’Toole LJ. 2000. Research on policy implementation: assessment and prospects. J Public Adm Res Theory. 10(2):263‒288. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024270
Riuzzi G, Contiero B, Gottardo F, Cozzi G, Peker A, Segato S. 2025. Socio-economic analysis of the EU citizens’ attitudes toward farmed animal welfare from the 2023 Eurobarometer polling survey. Front Vet Sci. 12:1505668. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1505668
Ryland D. 2018. Animal welfare governance: GLOBALG.A.P. and the search for external legitimacy. J Environ Law. 30(3):453‒482. https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqy015
Salama-Carr M. 2021. Negotiating asymmetry: the language of animal rights and animal welfare. In: Translating asymmetry-rewriting power. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 35‒54. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.157.02sal
Schneidewind SJ, Langforth S, Meemken D. 2024. Animal welfare at German abattoirs: insights into the occurrence of violations against laws and regulations from official veterinarians and judicial decisions. Front Vet Sci. 11:1354039. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1354039
Støier S, Larsen HD, Aaslyng MD, Lykke L. 2016. Improved animal welfare, the right technology and increased business. Meat Sci. 120:71‒77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.04.010
Wigham EE, Butterworth A, Wotton S. 2018. Assessing cattle welfare at slaughter: why is it important and what challenges are faced? Meat Sci. 145:171‒177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.06.010
Wu X, Ramesh M, Howlett M. 2015. Policy capacity: a conceptual framework for understanding policy competences and capabilities. Policy Soc. 34(3‒4):165‒171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polsoc.2015.09.001
