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The aims of this study were to first determine the extent of owners' fundamental knowledge of equine care, second, gain their opinions on the implementation of a mandatory certificate of knowledge and third, to investigate the association of certification on horse owner knowledge. An online survey comprising 23 questions (18 closed, 5 open) was distributed worldwide via snowball sampling, and completed by 1847 horse owners who were all ≥18 years old from 17 different countries. Almost all (96%, n = 1781) completed surveys were usable. Just over half (52%) of participants held a current equine knowledge certification, and 59% believed a mandatory certificate of knowledge should be necessary to buy, own, or sell a horse. Horse owners with an equine certificate of knowledge were more likely to be in favor of a mandatory certificate (Pearson's Chi-squared = 50.79, df = 1, p < 0.0001). The mean correctly answered knowledge questions was 68%, indicating that approximately 1/3 of horse owners lacked fundamental horse care knowledge. Further examination indicated that participating horse owners showed the least understanding in the behavioral interactions domain (ANOVA F(4, 24) = 4.98, p < 0.01), specifically in relation to pain recognition and learning theory terminology. Arguably, this deficit in knowledge and likely correct application increases the risk of owners using misinformed or inappropriate techniques to manage horse behavior and training, predisposing the horse to experiencing a sub-optimal quality of life. Overall no significant difference was found between the total correct scores of horse owners with or without a certificate (ANOVA F(1, 56) = 0.78, p > 0.05); however, a series of Chi-squared tests revealed that for the more complex questions, horse owners with a certificate scored better than those without (all p < 0.05). Further work is needed to develop an evidence-based assessment framework if mandatory certification of horse owners is to become an effective tool for improving horse welfare and quality of life.

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BACKGROUND: Prioritising equine welfare, making evidenced-based policy, and consistent decision-making across sports are crucial to maintaining the social licence for equestrian sport. Regulations on the use of omeprazole during competition differ; all regulators argue that their rules prioritise welfare. This discrepancy is a matter of concern to the public and equestrian stakeholders. OBJECTIVES: To apply Campbell's Ethical Framework for the use of Horses in Sport to the question: 'Should the use of omeprazole be allowed during equestrian competition?' STUDY DESIGN: A desk-based ethico-legal study. METHODS: Campbell's Ethical Framework for the Use of Horses in Sport was applied in a stepwise fashion: definition of the ethical question; analysis of the evidence base; consideration of stakeholders' interests; harm:benefit analysis; application of the three central tenets of the framework, and formulation of conclusions and recommendations. RESULTS: Stakeholders in equine sports have a variety of (frequently conflicting) interests; all of them share an interest in optimising equine welfare. The incidence of EGUS in competition horses is high. Omeprazole is a cornerstone treatment. There are currently discrepancies in regulation about the use of omeprazole during competitions. Recent evidence suggests that withholding omeprazole treatment for two clear days before competition allows the recurrence of squamous EGUS, whereas withholding treatment on the day of competition only does not have that effect. MAIN LIMITATIONS: The current state of scientific knowledge about the use of omeprazole in horses. The analysis did not consider possible health and thus welfare effects of the out-of-competition treatment with omeprazole. CONCLUSIONS: Based on recent scientific evidence, if horses are being treated with omeprazole outside of competition then treatment on the day of competition should be permitted on welfare grounds. Revision of regulations around the use of omeprazole during competition by governing bodies is necessary to safeguard the ethical use of horses in sport.

CONTEXTO: Priorizar o bem­estar equino, elaborar políticas baseadas em evidências e tomar decisões consistentes em todos os esportes são cruciais para manter a licença social para o esporte equestre. As regulamentações sobre o uso de omeprazol durante a competição diferem; todos os reguladores argumentam que suas regras priorizam o bem­estar. Essa discrepância é motivo de preocupação para o público. OBJETIVOS: Aplicar o Modelo Ético de Campbell para o Uso de Cavalos em Esportes1 à pergunta: 'Deve o uso de omeprazol ser permitido durante a competição equestre?' DESENHO DO ESTUDO: Um estudo ético­legal baseado em pesquisa documental. METODOLOGIA: O Modelo Ético de Campbell para o Uso de Cavalos em Esportes1 foi aplicado de forma gradual: definição da questão ética; análise da base de evidências; consideração dos interesses do público alvo; uma análise de dano:benefício; aplicação dos três princípios centrais do modelo; e formulação de conclusões e recomendações. RESULTADOS: O público de esporte equino têm uma variedade de interesses (frequentemente conflitantes), enquanto todos compartilham o interesse em otimizar o bem­estar equino. A incidência de EGUS (Síndrome da Úlcera Gástrica Equina) em cavalos de competição é alta, a qual o omeprazol é um tratamento fundamental. Atualmente, há discrepâncias na regulamentação sobre o uso de omeprazol durante competições. Evidências recentes sugerem que a suspensão do tratamento com omeprazol por 2 dias antes da competição permite a recorrência da EGUS da porção escamosa, enquanto a suspensão do tratamento apenas no dia da competição não tem esse efeito. PRINCIPAIS LIMITAÇÕES: O estado atual do conhecimento científico sobre o uso de omeprazol em cavalos. A análise não considerou possíveis efeitos sobre a saúde e, portanto, sobre o bem­estar do tratamento com omeprazol fora da competição. CONCLUSÕES: Com base em evidências científicas recentes, se os cavalos estão sendo tratados com omeprazol fora da competição, o tratamento no dia da competição deve ser permitido por razões de bem­estar. A revisão das regulamentações sobre o uso de omeprazol durante a competição pelos órgãos reguladores é necessária para salvaguardar o uso ético dos cavalos no esporte.

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Understanding the views of those working along the value chain reliant on livestock is an important step in supporting the transition towards more sustainable farming systems. We recruited 31 delegates attending the Pig Welfare Symposium held in the United States to participate in one of six focus group discussions on the future of pig farming. Each of these six group discussions was subjected to a thematic analysis that identified four themes: (1) technical changes on the farm; (2) farm and industry culture; (3) the farm-public interface; and (4) sustainability. The results of this study illustrate the complexity and diversity of views of those working along the associated value chain within the swine industry. Participants spent the majority of their time discussing current challenges, including technical challenges on the farm and public perception of pig farms. Participants were more hesitant to discuss future issues, but did engage on the broader issue of sustainability, focusing upon economic and environmental aspects.

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The 2023 Grand National steeplechase race was delayed when protesters from the animal rights group, 'Animal Rising', gained access to the course just prior to the race. The international media spotlight was focused on what is already a high-profile event and the social licence of both this race and racing in general was scrutinised. Both at the time and for several days afterwards, the general public was exposed to two different narratives from pro- and anti-racing communities. This paper discusses these perspectives and the potential impact on the general public's relationship with racing. Whilst well-meaning and aiming to promote racing, much of the racing industry's commentary inadvertently risked damaging its reputation due to a poor understanding of social licence principles. We explore the reasons for these two groups' alternative perspectives on welfare and suggest considerations for change. Ultimately, if 'the people's race' is to maintain its social licence, the racing community needs to both understand and embrace the concept. Welcoming independent opinions, engaging with different viewpoints, accepting that change is inevitable and, most importantly, being proactive in making changes to prioritise equine welfare will all help racing to move towards greater public acceptance.

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Any functional utility gained through corporate social responsibility (CSR) depends on "responsibility" as the governing principle between "corporate" and "social" interests. We argue that Porter and Kramer's highly popularised notion of "shared value" has been pivotal to the erosion of responsibility as a moderating concept in CSR. Under this approach, "strategic" CSR becomes an instrument to leverage corporate advantage, rather than fulfil social responsibilities and address business-related harms. In mining, this approach has supported shallow, derivative ideas including the wellknown CSR artefact: "social license to operate" (SLTO). We argue that CSR, and the related concept corporate social irresponsibility (CSI), suffer from the single actor problem, where the corporation too easily becomes the exclusive focus of analysis. We advocate for a reinvigorated debate about mining and social responsibility in which the corporation is but one actor in the (ir)responsibility landscape.

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Equestrianism is currently facing a range of pressing challenges. These challenges, which are largely based on evolving attitudes to ethics and equine wellbeing, have consequences for the sport's social licence to operate. The factors that may have contributed to the current situation include overarching societal trends, specific aspects of the equestrian sector, and factors rooted in human nature. If equestrianism is to flourish, it is evident that much needs to change, not the least, human behaviour. To this end, using established behaviour change frameworks that have been scientifically validated and are rooted in practice-most notably, Michie et al.'s COM-B model and Behaviour Change Wheel-could be of practical value for developing and implementing equine welfare strategies. This review summarises the theoretical underpinnings of some behaviour change frameworks and provides a practical, step-by-step approach to designing an effective behaviour change intervention. A real-world example is provided through the retrospective analysis of an intervention strategy that aimed to increase the use of learning theory in (educational) veterinary practice. We contend that the incorporation of effective behaviour change interventions into any equine welfare improvement strategy may help to safeguard the future of equestrianism.

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Institutions using animals for research typically have a veterinarian who is responsible for the veterinary care programme and compliance with regulatory obligations. These veterinarians operate at the interface between the institution's animal research programme and senior management. Veterinarians have strong public trust and are well positioned to share information about animals used for scientific purposes, but their perspectives on sharing information with the public are not well documented and their perceptions of transparency may influence how institutional policies are developed and applied. The objective of our study was to analyse the perceptions of institutional transparency among laboratory animal veterinarians working at different universities. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were used to describe perceptions of 16 attending veterinarians relating to animal research transparency. Three themes were drawn from the interviews: (i) reflections on transparency; (ii) reflections on culture; and (iii) reflections on self. Veterinarians reflected on their personal priorities regarding transparency and when combined with barriers to change within the institutions, sometimes resulted in reported inaction. For example, sometimes veterinarians chose not to pursue available opportunities for change at seemingly willing universities, while others had their initiatives for change blocked by more senior administrators. The sharing of information regarding the animals used for scientific purposes varied in how it was conceptualised by attending veterinarians: (i) true transparency; communication of information for the sake of openness; (ii) strategic transparency; attempt to educate people about animal research because then they will support it; (iii) agenda-driven transparency; selective release of positive stories to direct public opinion; and (iv) fearful non-transparency; not communicating any information for fear of negative opposition to animal research. Transparency was not perceived as an institutional priority by many of the veterinarians and a cohesive action plan to increase transparency that involves multiple universities was identified as a promising avenue to overcome existing barriers.

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Germans are critical of their animal husbandry systems although being increasingly detached from practical husbandry experience and benefitting from its low prices and high availability. Based on literature on citizens' acceptance of agriculture and the social licence to operate framework this study derives and tests the relevance of various factors determining public acceptance of fattening pig, beef cattle and broiler husbandry using structural equation modelling. An online survey n = 1208 was carried out. Results confirm the assumed negative effect of animal treatment concerns and the positive impact of perceived benefits on acceptance. While a direct effect of trust on acceptance is only revealed for cattle, there is for all three husbandry systems an indirect effect of trust on acceptance via animal treatment concerns and perceived responsible conduct. Hence, the derived conceptual framework is partly confirmed. Thus, the results of the study can help actors in the supply chains and political decision makers how to possibly regain societal acceptance of animal husbandry.

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The concept of 'social licence to operate' (SLO) is relevant to all animal-use activities. An SLO is an intangible, implicit agreement between the public and an industry/group. Its existence allows that industry/group to pursue its activities with minimal formalised restrictions because such activities have widespread societal approval. In contrast, the imposition of legal restrictions-or even an outright ban-reflect qualified or lack of public support for an activity. This review discusses current threats to equestrianism's SLO and suggests actions that those across the equine sector need to take to justify the continuation of the SLO. The most important of these is earning the trust of all stakeholders, including the public. Trust requires transparency of operations, establishment and communication of shared values, and demonstration of competence. These attributes can only be gained by taking an ethics-based, proactive, progressive, and holistic approach to the protection of equine welfare. Animal-use activities that have faced challenges to their SLO have achieved variable success in re-establishing the approval of society, and equestrianism can learn from the experience of these groups as it maps its future. The associated effort and cost should be regarded as an investment in the future of the sport.

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Technology is empowering advances in health care, extending beyond the clinical interface to the collection, collation and use of personal data. While this advance has the potential for population-wide benefits, there are legal and ethical challenges which carry the risk of both individual and collective harms. This section critically appraises the existing approach to the governance of health data in Australia. This approach is grounded in the principles of autonomy, privacy and respect for individual choice. This section then identifies the broader imperatives of social good, public health, improvement of outcomes and advancement of knowledge and the importance of balancing individual and collective interests. Central to this discussion are the concepts of social licence and avoiding ethical debt. A significant challenge to the appropriate sharing and use of health data are the existing regulatory barriers (both perceived and actual) and these are explored in some detail.

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The COVID-19 global pandemic-related restrictions during 2020 severely impacted the Australian seafood industry, including essential scientific monitoring to support stock assessment and to demonstrate sustainability. Here we detail a novel, collaborative monitoring program between scientists and the seafood industry to generate length and age compositions that were representative of one of the largest, most valuable, and controversial fisheries along eastern Australia, the pre-spawning ocean run fishery for Sea Mullet Mugil cephalus that is predominantly a roe fishery. The standard approach to monitoring this fishery has been to base trained scientific staff at the major processing facility for M. cephalus, where they access whole fish from entire catches to generate representative length and age compositions during the peak season, April to May. Covid-19 restrictions prevented this approach for 2020 in eastern Australia. In recognition that in addition to the high-value roe, all components of the female fish are utilized (heads and guts for bait, bodies for human consumption), a multi-stage, spatially stratified sampling design was investigated. Female heads were retained from randomly selected catches from each of the three major fishing zones and transported to the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries fish laboratory based in Sydney. Head lengths (HLs) were measured and converted to Fork Lengths (FLs) using a HL to FL relationship. The resulting fish length compositions from each catch were subsequently combined based on: (i) relative catch size of females within an ocean zone, and; (ii) the relative reported landings of females in each ocean fishing zone. Otoliths were randomly collected from heads sampled from each ocean zone and used to estimate age. The resulting ocean zone to age matrix was combined with the relative reported landings of female fish in each ocean fishing zone to generate a total female age composition for the fishery. The estimated age composition of females were typical in being mainly between ages 3 and 6, with a strong presence of 4-year olds. This stronger cohort was present as 3-year olds in 2018/19 and 5-year olds in 2020/21, thus providing confidence that our sampling was representative of the fishery. The study reinforces the positive outcomes that can be generated through co-management between scientists and the seafood industry.

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BACKGROUND: The rise of Big Data-driven health research challenges the assumed contribution of medical research to the public good, raising questions about whether the status of such research as a common good should be taken for granted, and how public trust can be preserved. Scandals arising out of sharing data during medical research have pointed out that going beyond the requirements of law may be necessary for sustaining trust in data-intensive health research. We propose building upon the use of a social licence for achieving such ethical governance. MAIN TEXT: We performed a narrative review of the social licence as presented in the biomedical literature. We used a systematic search and selection process, followed by a critical conceptual analysis. The systematic search resulted in nine publications. Our conceptual analysis aims to clarify how societal permission can be granted to health research projects which rely upon the reuse and/or linkage of health data. These activities may be morally demanding. For these types of activities, a moral legitimation, beyond the limits of law, may need to be sought in order to preserve trust. Our analysis indicates that a social licence encourages us to recognise a broad range of stakeholder interests and perspectives in data-intensive health research. This is especially true for patients contributing data. Incorporating such a practice paves the way towards an ethical governance, based upon trust. Public engagement that involves patients from the start is called for to strengthen this social licence. CONCLUSIONS: There are several merits to using the concept of social licence as a guideline for ethical governance. Firstly, it fits the novel scale of data-related risks; secondly, it focuses attention on trustworthiness; and finally, it offers co-creation as a way forward. Greater trust can be achieved in the governance of data-intensive health research by highlighting strategic dialogue with both patients contributing the data, and the public in general. This should ultimately contribute to a more ethical practice of governance.

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Mining companies use environmental sustainability reporting to inform their stakeholders about their position in relation to environmental sustainability. This paper explores how these companies include topics related to the environment and its protection in their annual reports. The 100 largest mining companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) were included in the research sample, using market capitalisation as the size indicator. The investigation was performed by means of quantitative and qualitative content analysis of annual reports to identify relevant keyword occurrences. Results revealed that topics related to protection of the environment, emissions, carbon footprint, and climate change are addressed in companies' annual reports. In line with research in other industries, this study confirmed that the intensity of communication about these topics varies with company size. A new methodology was developed to assess the extent to which mining companies inform the stakeholders about their environmental protection initiatives and to address the limited applicability of the GRI G3 disclosure checklist for sustainability reporting, thereby enhancing the theory of social licence to operate.

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Biodiversity offsetting with associated aims of no net loss of biodiversity (NNL) is an approach used to align economic development with conservation. Biodiversity offsetting may be more challenging in marine environments, with recent evidence suggesting that the current application of the approach in Australian marine environments rarely follows 'best practice' and is unlikely to be meeting stated policy aims. To understand how and why this deviation from best practice is taking place in marine systems, we analysed current practice in Australia through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 31 participants with professional experience in the development and implementation of associated policy. Thematic analysis of results indicated that, despite commitment to best practice in principle, practitioners recognised that operationalisation of marine biodiversity offsetting was inconsistent and unlikely to be meeting stated goals such as NNL. Participants described the central barrier to the adoption of best practice as the technical complexity of assessing and quantifying biodiversity losses and gains, and uncertainty in restoration in marine contexts. With offsetting described as an integral part of development consent for marine economic development, both these barriers and their navigation presents threats to users setting off a chain of accepted activity leading away from best practice. These threats were perceived to arise from low governmental capacity or prioritisation for environmental management, institutional needs for a social licence to operate, and overarching demands for economic growth. We conclude that marine biodiversity offsetting has come to be ambiguous in its practical definition, with a range of conflicting factors influencing its use and preventing the standardisation required to meet rigorous interpretations of best practice necessary to ensure biodiversity protection and NNL.

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Governments are investing in precision medicine (PM) with the aim of improving healthcare through the use of genomic analyses and data analytics to develop tailored treatment approaches for individual patients. The success of PM is contingent upon clear public communications that engender trust and secure the social licence to collect and share large population-wide data sets because specific consent for each data re-use is impractical. Variation in the terminology used by different programmes used to describe PM may hinder clear communication and threaten trust. Language is used to create common understanding and expectations regarding precision medicine between researchers, clinicians and the volunteers. There is a need to better understand public interpretations of PM-related terminology. This paper reports on a qualitative study involving 24 focus group participants in the multi-lingual context of Singapore. The study explored how Singaporeans interpret and understand the terms 'precision medicine' and 'personalised medicine', and which term they felt more aptly communicates the concept and goals of PM. Results suggest that participants were unable to readily link the terms with this area of medicine and initially displayed preferences for the more familiar term of 'personalised'. The use of visual aids to convey key concepts resonated with participants, some of whom then indicated preferences for the term 'precision' as being a more accurate description of PM research. These aids helped to facilitate dialogue around the ethical and social value, as well as the risks, of PM. Implications for programme developers and policy makers are discussed.

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Ensuring the sustainability of agriculture under climate change has led to a surge in alternative strategies for crop improvement. Advances in integrated crop breeding, social acceptance, and farm-level adoption are crucial to address future challenges to food security. Societal acceptance can be slow when consumers do not see the need for innovation or immediate benefits. We consider how best to address the issue of social licence and harmonised governance for novel gene technologies in plant breeding. In addition, we highlight optimised breeding strategies that will enable long-term genetic gains to be achieved. Promoted by harmonised global policy change, innovative plant breeding can realise high and sustainable productivity together with enhanced nutritional traits.

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The aim of this paper is to present a brief historical analysis of the Australian mining industry and the development of its social licence to operate. Commencing with the discovery of coal in the 18th century, to gold and copper and base metals in the 19th century, to the world class iron ore, mineral sands and diamond mines of the 20th century to the current day, the paper will attempt to determine how and why an industry, formerly well-respected by the public, is considered to be a pariah in the eyes of many sections of society. The theory of social licence and its use in the Australian minerals industry is briefly described and a working definition of "an honest, transparent engagement resulting in a beneficial outcome to all parties before, during and after mining" is adopted throughout the paper. Case studies illustrating examples where mining operations were, and continue to be sustained for decades, provide clear evidence of having a social licence to operate. On the other hand, examples are provided illustrating where poor environmental management practices, tailings dam failures, disputes with landowners, and/or government intervention have resulted in the loss of the social licence and early, unplanned closure. The paradox is that despite the industry's acknowledged contribution to the Australian economy, particularly in times of global ructions such as the GFC and the current coronavirus pandemic, there is considerable antipathy towards the industry by the public. Furthermore, the Australian mining industry's approach to environmental management and sustainable development is regularly used as a model for emerging mining economies. The industry has pioneered remediation and rehabilitation on challenging sites, including prime agricultural land, forests, riverine and beach environments. Successes are rarely acknowledged however but failures are highlighted, by the media, opponents of the industry, and governments. Clearly, the business as usual approach is not enough. Mining industry leaders need to take strong measures to ensure the industry is sustainable and maintains its social licence including eliminating all fatalities and serious injuries, ensuring the safety and stability of tailings storage facilities, accelerating progressive rehabilitation particularly on open cut coal mines, successfully closing mines, and lifting the environmental performance of all mines, not just a few.

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There is significant public interest in the Australian live animal export industry and a need to develop a program that can measure and monitor animal welfare throughout the supply chain. An online survey of stakeholder opinions of this industry and animal welfare measures was carried out in 2015 with 921 respondents: 30% from the public who identified as animal welfare advocates (AWAs); 44% from the public who did not identify as AWAs (general public; GP); 26% live export industry (LEI) workers. AWA and GP respondents expressed greater concern than LEI respondents for animal welfare throughout the supply chain but had less concern for animals at Australian feedlots than in other parts of the supply chain. The majority of AWA and GP respondents believed data collected on animal welfare should be made public and should be collected by independent welfare officers and used to regulate the industry and impose penalties for poor welfare. LEI workers believed that data should be confidential, collected by LEI workers and used by the industry to self-regulate. AWA and GP respondents rated the importance and practicality of a number of welfare indicators greater than LEI workers, while respondents shared an analogous view of the importance and practicality of these indicators. Results can be used to develop welfare assessments that ensure a better understanding between industry members and those not in the industry, while facilitating welfare improvements and promoting greater transparency for the live export industry.

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Around the world, especially in rapidly developing countries, many higher education institutions of various forms are being established. In China, many new universities have been created, including by upgrading existing tertiary education institutions. This process creates economic displacement, with livelihood consequences and social impacts on existing employees and local communities. Using the proposed (but now cancelled) University of Groningen campus in Yantai, China, as a case study, we consider the social impacts that were experienced, or were likely to be experienced, by the employees of the pre-existing institution. Existing employees experienced many negative impacts from economic displacement. They were not satisfied with the compensation offered, their views and interests were not adequately considered, and many were afraid to express their concerns. The institutions involved in the project failed to fulfil their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) obligations to ensure no harm.

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Background: Cohort studies gather huge volumes of information about a range of phenotypes but new sources of information such as social media data are yet to be integrated. Participant's long-term engagement with cohort studies, as well as the potential for their social media data to be linked to other longitudinal data, could provide novel advances but may also give participants a unique perspective on the acceptability of this growing research area. Methods: Two focus groups explored participant views towards the acceptability and best practice for the collection of social media data for research purposes. Participants were drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort; individuals from the index cohort of young people (N=9) and from the parent generation (N=5) took part in two separate 90-minute focus groups. The discussions were audio recorded and subjected to qualitative analysis. Results: Participants were generally supportive of the collection of social media data to facilitate health and social research. They felt that their trust in the cohort study would encourage them to do so. Concern was expressed about the collection of data from friends or connections who had not consented. In terms of best practice for collecting the data, participants generally preferred the use of anonymous data derived from social media to be shared with researchers. Conclusion: Cohort studies have trusting relationships with their participants; for this relationship to extend to linking their social media data with longitudinal information, procedural safeguards are needed. Participants understand the goals and potential of research integrating social media data into cohort studies, but further research is required on the acquisition of their friend's data. The views gathered from participants provide important guidance for future work seeking to integrate social media in cohort studies.