利「牠」的多重實踐：臺灣動物福利的知識政治與照顧實作

Abstract

從國際到臺灣，農場動物福利（動福）已從動保倡議，躍升為畜牧業改革的新標竿。本研究將回顧近半世紀以來，動福如何透過「科學化」的過程，從悲天憫人、主觀、感性的人道關懷，逐漸被認可為中立、客觀、理性的普世進步價值。然而，來自科技與社會研究以及動物地理學的相關研究指出，科學知識與標準化的測量指標，並非客觀、中立地定義與評估動福，而是在進行政治的區分與判斷。換而言之，對動物的「好的照顧」難以被科學穩固，而是在人與動物的互動之中實踐，是動態變動、因地制宜、顧此失彼的。因此，本研究帶著動物地理學、跨物種民族誌、ANT與拼裝的視野，嘗試探討在臺灣由少數掌握科學知識、有權建構標準制度的專家學者所建立的動物福利標準制度，如何持續受到異質的在地脈絡、不同利害關係人的利益、多於人的主體產生協商與摩擦。筆者嘗試以更關係性、對稱的立足點，探討臺灣的農場動物福利，如何在「多於人」的混種的關係中實踐。本研究發現，臺灣的動福標準是被來自西方的科學知識、各懷不同政治議程的在地行動者所拼裝、協商出來的。事實上，面對氣候、疾病、動物主體等難以預知、肉眼不可見，卻時刻影響動福的多重因素，畜牧業者仍須在「揣測」中，與動物、微生物等非人網絡因地制宜地「協作」出好的照顧。

This paper aims to investigate how "western" animal welfare science was contingently enacted and challenged by local assemblages of more-than-human actors in Taiwan. Rooted in the European context, animal welfare policies have been considered a more progressive way of managing animal life. Regulatory guidelines and ethical protocols established by scientists and experts gradually informed policy-making across different geographical regions and claimed authority over reforming livestock management. However, this paper contends that the animal welfare status of heterogeneous farms can not be represented and adjudicated by unified scientific criteria; in fact, the messy materiality of local farms continues to challenge the stabilized and generalized knowings settled by science. Inspired by assemblage thinking and actor-network theory, this paper suggests that farmer’s care practices are developed through embodied encounters with animal bodies. These care practices are speculative and situated, which can not be fully grasped by the universal standard of animal welfare.