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GOAL #1: Provide information to improve
animal care skills and promote responsible animal care.
Time proven goals continue to drive AFAC forward
AFAC Member & Industry Contact
Demands for information, comments and articles from industry, media, students and researchers have growth significantly over the past year. The AFAC website (www.afac.ab.ca) has generated local, national and international feedback. The AFAC UPDATE was upgraded and distribution expanded. Member organizations are now including portions of this Update in their industry publications.
Livestock Handling and Quality Assurance
AFAC co-sponsored a Dr. Temple Grandin lecture with Olds College. Over 400 attended. Dr. Grandin was the keynote speaker for the Provincial 4H Beef Leaders conference. AFAC co-sponsored this event.
Livestock Protection System
Funding contracts are now in place between AAFRD/Alberta SPCA and AAFRD/AFAC. Industry extension and training is now clearly AFAC’s responsibility. The Alberta SPCA hired a new Director of Enforcement. AFAC believes this will help with province-wide consistency and reporting. A Task Team, involving AFAC, submitted recommendations to streamline and improve the livestock protection service in Alberta.
Producer Extension
AFAC staff and board executive attended/presented at 35 livestock industry events.
ALERT Line
AFAC continues to operate the 1-800-506-2273 line to respond to animal care concerns. The service responded to drought concerns (over 400 calls) and handled 84 cases; double from previous years. The livestock emergency response program was set up by AFAC with funds received from Drought Aid 2002 and SAY HAY. As a result of ALERT calls, two industry protocols were endorsed to fix animal handling/care problems.
Industry driven change
Guidelines for Humane Handling Of Unfit Livestock
AB Pork producers together with AFAC completed the guidelines for the swine industry. They were released at the Swine Technology Seminar in Red Deer. The guidelines for beef and dairy are in the final draft stages.
Olds College: Animal Welfare Curriculum
AFAC worked hand-in-hand with Peggy Johnson at Olds to develop a new Animal Welfare Curriculum. This course will be compulsory for Ag. Production students.
GOAL #2: Advanced producers’ awareness of
emerging animal welfare issues.
Momentum built must be maintained
Bill C-10 (formerly C-15b); Criminal Code Changes to Animal Cruelty
The Bill yet to pass and is being debated by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee. AFAC continues to lobby for wording changes to ensure explicit protection for generally accepted practices. Animal rights groups used opposition to the bill to deliver negative messages about animal agriculture.
Livestock Care Conference (June 25, 2002) Research-Refine-Rethink-Retool-Reassure
Held in conjunction with the University of Alberta, the conference addressed current livestock care issues and featured speakers from Burger King and Canada Safeway. It was well attended by local, regional and national participants. Media coverage was extensive.
Farm Animal Welfare News
Three editions of Farm Animal Welfare News have been prepared and sent across Canada. Demand for reprints has increased and three universities are using the articles in their animal welfare courses. This is Canada’s only newsletter providing insights into livestock welfare issues.
Issues/Reports
AFAC partnered with the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors and Farm Animal Care Saskatchewan to investigate the need to incorporate animal welfare verification into quality assurance programs. A discussion paper – Animal Welfare Verification in Canada was completed, translated and distributed nationally. I attended a national meeting on farm animal welfare and was asked to introduce the final session. The discussion paper was made available to all attendees.
AFAC lobbied to raise the awareness of farm animal welfare in the Quality component of the National Ag Policy Framework.
Other Reports prepared by AFAC and Industry include (see afac.ab.ca/reports.htm):
- Handling of Cull Dairy Cows
- Disposal of Spent Hens in Alberta – Revised
- Livestock Transportation in Alberta (drafted)
- A literature Review of Alternative Sow Housing
- US Border Closure Contingency Plan (drafted)
- Broiler Chicken Welfare (drafted)
- Summary of Animal Protection Laws & Enforcement Across Canada (drafted)
- Foreign Animal Disease Outbreaks –Animal Welfare Implications (drafted)
GOAL #3: Provide information for greater public understanding
of producers’ commitment to humane care for their animals.
Awards of Distinction Program
AFAC’s Awards of Distinction went to Tim O’Byrne of Calico Beef Consulting for Communication and Innovation; and to Manfred Kanehl and his family of Holborn Poultry Farms Ltd. for Industry Leadership.
Classroom Resources: Phase I and II
We continue to distribute the Elementary Resource package. Classroom Agriculture Program (CAP) volunteers request these materials annually. The Phase II - Junior and Senior High School Classroom Resources are completed. A new video — “In Search of Livestock Welfare in Alberta” is now available. (www.afac.ab.ca/education.htm)
Farmer’s CARE Program
AFAC’s I CARE program and interactive display was set up at 6 major fairs and exhibition events throughout the province, reaching large numbers of children and adults with a clear message. The consumer response at Klondike Days was most responsive. Direct contact was made with producers at Farm Fair. Display panels were modified to target different audiences: producer groups or urbanites.
Livestock Industry Development Fund
AFAC received funding from the Livestock Industry Development Fund for enhanced communication projects.
GOAL #4: Support scientific research to
enhance livestock well-being.
Animal Welfare Research Projects
A first-ever Livestock Welfare Research Partnership, with AFAC, Agriculture Canada and AAFRD has been set up. Several key projects are underway. The website set up to provides details of studies and results.
- Humane Spent Hen disposal
- Bison dehorning
- Redesigning cage systems for laying hen welfare
- Early diagnosis system for stress and disease (cattle)
- Impact of velveting and transportation stress on elk meat quality
- Alternative sow housing
- Estimated leveraged value is ten-fold.
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