Livestock Care Conference 2010

Media Releases

Awards of Distinction

LCC Future is now

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Article

Lessons from the timber industry Alberta case study: H1N1 and lessons from crisis Big picture shows rising ‘culture of standards’ for farm animal care Growing trend fueled by pets, dollars and ‘ag alienation’ Windows to the world of farm animal care innovation

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Speaker Presentations

Market Access: Developments in Animal Welfare and Why They Matter - Dr. Ed Pajor Reality is Reality - Sam Hines, Michigan Pork Producers Assoc. With Vision, There is Hope - Bruce Vincent (presentation not available) Livestock Transport Issues & Emergencies - Cpl. Dave Heaslip, RCMP K Division Livestock Investigator. Dr. Heather Willis, CFIA Animal Health Inspector. Protecting Our Industry from the Unknown: H1N1 Crisis - Paul Hodgman The Alberta Dairy Hoof Health Project - Emily McDonald> Early Disease Detection Research - Dr. Clover Bench Early Disease Detection in Cattle - Al Schaefer, Lacombe Research Centre Detection of Diseases of Swine by IRT - Nigel Cook, Alberta Agriculture Emerging Euthanasia Technologies for Livestock - Jeff Hill Challenges in the Horse Industry

Livestock Care Conference 2009

Media Releases

Milestone Livestock Care Conference builds on 15 years of AFAC progress

Dedicated Alberta champion of farm animal welfare honored at Livestock Care Conference

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Articles

On the ground wisdom helps CFIA walk the welfare high wire, featuring Anne Allen AVMA tackles ‘the big dog in the room’, featuring Gail Golab ‘Asking the cows’: A new approach to livestock care innovation, featuring Dan Weary AFAC: Reflections on 15 years of leadership, featuring Susan Church Connecting through values to win the image battle, featuring Matt Sutton-Vermeulen Responding to crisis: Lessons learned from pigeons, featuring Crystal Mackay

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Speaker Presentations

Providing Practical Leadership for the Animal Welfare Evolution - Gail Golab, American Veterinary Medical Association Science, Consumer Perceptions & the Animal - Dan Weary, U of BC Delivering Consistent Animal Care at Canada’s Meat Plants  - Anne Allen, CFIA Horse Meat Plant Closures in the US, the Impacts  - Susan Church, AFAC Lessons learned from Pigeons, a crisis management scenario - Crystal Mackay, Ontario Farm Animal Council Defining Sustainability and Connecting through Values - Matt Sutton-Vermeulen

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Q & A

At the conference we ask attendees to list questions they had for the speakers. Following are the replies. Gail Golab Q - How do you define welfare evolution? A - What I’m really talking about is an evolution in how we approach animal care practices and animal welfare assurance. In making decisions about how to best care for animals, we need to consider what information is available from science, what society’s expectations are, and what practicalities exist that may influence what knowledge and social expectations we can and cannot directly accommodate. We also need to recognize that just because we have done something for 30 years and it works well it doesn’t mean that we can’t do a better job using another approach—we always need to be on the lookout for the better way. Incremental change (evolution) has historically been shown to be a better approach to improving animal welfare than making major and immediate shifts from one set of animal care practices to another (revolution). When we do the former, it gives us the opportunity to change those aspects of systems that are problematic, while retaining those aspects of animal care systems that are good. On the other hand, when we do a dramatic shift from one type of system to another, we run the risk of simply exchanging one set of animal welfare concerns for another. Q - Where is the AVMA’s stance on horse slaughter for human food? A - We believe horse owners have a responsibility to provide humane care throughout the lives of their horses; however, we also recognize that a small percentage of horses are ultimately unwanted because they are no longer serviceable, are infirm, dangerous, or their owners are no longer willing or able to care for them. The AVMA has endorsed the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ policy on transportation and processing of horses and agrees with them that “the processing of horses is currently a necessary aspect of the equine industry and provides a humane alternative to allowing the horse to continue a life of discomfort and pain, and possibly inadequate care or abandonment.” We encourage responsible ownership and management that will reduce the number of unwanted horses and commend the efforts of equine retirement facilities and adoption groups in related efforts. Q - Issues A - Humane Transportation? Formal AVMA policy on the humane transport of horses is available here: www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/equine_transport.asp. A - Horses being abandoned? So far, there have been an increasing number of media reports of horse neglect and abandonment. In addition, there are many articles about equine rescue facilities, already understaffed and underfunded, turning away horses because they are already at full capacity. For a compilation of articles, please go to www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/unwanted_horses/default.asp. We acknowledge there are many factors at play in these situations. Recent droughts have caused hay prices to soar, and more and more people are having trouble finding affordable hay for their horses. Hay prices have at least doubled in many areas of the United States. As more unwanted horses remain in the horse population, hay shortages and high costs will increase the cost of care and further deplete resources. It will cost more to care for these horses, and many rescue facilities are already financially strapped. This adds to the AVMA's concern that these animals may be more likely to be abandoned or neglected. A - Overpopulation of or by horses? The American Horse Council estimates there are 9.2 million horses in the United States. We do not have reliable statistics on the total number of horses that become unwanted each year. We do know that 90,000 to 100,000 unwanted horses were sent to slaughter annually, when slaughter was a disposition option for horses in the United States, and that the total number of unwanted horses is substantially greater than this. Q - Did the AVMA support closure of the slaughter facilities? A - No it did not. AVMA believes that rescue and euthanasia are preferable dispositions for unwanted horses; however, there are simply more unwanted horses in the United States than can be accommodated by these options. Slaughter is another, although less desirable, means by which horse owners have chosen to dispose of their unwanted horses. With the closing of the equine slaughter plants in the United States, horse owners choosing slaughter as an option must arrange to have their horses shipped to either Canada or Mexico; the additional cost of shipping reduces the value of these horses even further. Recent media reports describe horse auctions where horses have been shot by the owners of the auction house because the horses were not sold and were abandoned at the auction by the sellers. The costs involved in feeding, caring for, and shipping these horses simply exceeded their market value. As much as we wish this were not the case, it is the reality. Dan Weary Q - What do we know about what is the natural life of every species? A - As I reviewed in my talk, animal welfare includes three types of concerns. is the animal functioning well, is the animal feeling well, and is the animal able to live a reasonably natural life. For some, judging the natural living criteria may seem clear – simply allowing animals to live as naturally as possible. But this approach as probably naive; some natural conditions such as exposure to climatic extremes, disease, parasite infections and predator attacks cannot be seen as good for the animals. Thus we need to know which aspects of the natural life are really important to animals and how might this be evaluated. We might like to know a great deal about the natural life of every species, or at least the key domestic animal species we work with, but our approach has been to focus on a few clearly identified welfare problems and use the study of natural behaviours to help inform solutions to these problems. For example, dairy calf calves often fail to gain weight during the first few weeks in life, and this is a time when mortality rates are very high. Dairy producers typically feed calves just twice a day, a total of about 4-5 L /d. In contrast, when calves are left with the cow they will often nurse 4-8 times a time and consume 10 or more L milk / d. Keeping the calves with the cow is not practical for many producers, but feeding more milk through a simple nipple-based feeding system can allow the same behavior. Calves fed with this system gain much more milk, and also do not show the same signs of hunger that are shown by the conventionally fed calves. This example shows how knowledge of the animals natural behaviour can sometimes provide simple and practical solutions to important welfare problems. Jennifer Woods Q - Are you addressing poultry industry human transport / handling audits? A - "Poultry are not currently addressed on the AMI Transportation Audit" as poultry are not considered livestock in the U.S. and do not fall under the umbrella of the AMI. There are some existing transportation audit points for poultry though through the U.S. poultry audit program that is taught by PAACO. I do think we will see the poultry industry develop a more comprehensive transport audit program as the red meats are released and as customers begin to demand it as part of the existing verification programs."

Livestock Care Conference 2008

Media Releases

Top animal welfare experts highlight record Livestock Care Conference

Alberta livestock care leaders honored with Awards of Distinction

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Speakers

2008 Conference Speakers | Speak Bios Dr. John Webster Learning & profiting from animal welfare trends | Pdf of Presentation Dr. Ed Pajor Global approaches to farm animal welfare hit home| Pdf of Presentation Dr. Terry Whiting The challenge of animal welfare legislation in Canada | Pdf of Presentation Dr. John Church Farm animal welfare is ‘job one’ for Alberta | Pdf of Presentation Dr. Temple Grandin Seeing things from the livestock point of view | Pdf of Presentation Dan Murphy Media battles: changing the view of livestock production | Pdf of Presentation

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Key Conference Quotes Prepared by Dan Murphy

• Dan's perspectives of the LCC presentations

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Q & A

Click here for a pdf of all of the questions and answers

Read the essay: In praise of Euro-wisdom Read: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Activists

Livestock Care Conference 2007

Conference put the spotlight on progress, fresh thinking

Mar 27, 2007 ... Fresh ideas and perspectives to drive continued progress for Alberta's livestock industry in supporting animal care were the focus of the Livestock Care Conference ... continue reading

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Speakers

National Farm Animal Care Council Summary of Conference - English | French Science & ethics – when do they overlap? Ray Stricklin, University of Maryland addressed the science of animal behaviour and related how animal welfare is a combination of science, ethics and politics - PDF of PowerPoint | article Pig personalities, performance, audits and people. Tina Widowski, University of Guelph addressed audits using animal outcome measures and bring us practical advise on the continuous improvement of livestock well being - PDF of PowerPoint | article Kiwi codes and considerations on pain management. Joe Stookey, Western College of Veterinary Medicine shared his observations of animal welfare practices and Codes of Welfare in New Zealand and highlighted research on pain management - PDF of PowerPoint | article 1 | article 2 (Western Producer) AFAC as a risk management tool & new livestock welfare framework - article Audits: obligation or opportunity. Earl Dotson, CEO, Validus Services - PDF of PowerPoint | article | Value Added Opportunities Based on Animal Care paper Communication that works for us and against us. Jeff Goodwin, Director, 4-H and Youth Development, Colorado State University - article

Livestock Care Conference 2006

Mar/06 ... AFAC's 2006 Conference aimed to provide some building blocks for an integrated livestock welfare strategy. The presentations linked together:

• how other countries are approaching animal welfare;
  
• how animal–based measures fit with future Canadian Codes of Practice, on-farm verification and future regulatory changes;
  
• how livestock care training ties in and improves economic outcomes, and;
  
• how targeted communication and research can work for the industry.

AFAC appreciates funding support in part for this conference from:

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Media Release

Orcas, ‘Freedom Food’ and the World Bank What they mean for the future farm animal welfare and Canada’s livestock industries. UBC’s Dr. David Fraser... April | Media Release | Full Feature Livestock care progress linked to economic opportunities The livestock industry in Alberta and across Canada has helped to strengthen its economic future by championing responsible animal care...March | Media Release Transport tops agenda of key livestock care initiatives High standards to support the well-being of livestock during transportation are a top priority of the livestock industry...March | Media Release Livestock care leaders recognized with Awards of Distinction Alberta’s livestock industry saluted three leaders...March | Media Release More stories on the Livestock Care Conference: Livestock care progress linked to economic opportunities Transport tops agenda of key livestock care initiatives

Livestock Care Conference 2005

Livestock Care Conference offers window on progress, challenges for Alberta

Apr 5, 2005 ... Alberta's livestock industry has made great progress with initiatives to support animal care, but there's more work to be done and key challenges ahead in this rapidly evolving, increasingly high profile area, reported speakers at the Livestock Care Conference, April 1, in Red Deer.

"The Alberta livestock industry is dedicated to responsible animal care and we've made a lot of progress to ensure and strengthen this in our production and handling practices," says Susan Church, Manager of Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC), which hosted the Conference. AFAC is a partnership of Alberta's major livestock groups, with a mandate to promote responsible, humane animal care within the livestock industry.

Among recent achievements, AFAC has worked towards changes to Alberta's Animal Protection Act, improved rural animal protection services through communication with Alberta SPCA, improved handling of non-ambulatory and unfit livestock and funding for a Livestock Care Response consulting veterinarian, says Church. AFAC has also secured new funding to support further research in the science of animal welfare.

"A major highlight for AFAC has been progress on the issue of dealing with unfit livestock," she says. "This has been the focus of a campaign of this organization for the last five years. The industry put its shoulder behind this issue, saying that it's unacceptable to be shipping unfit livestock. The industry and AFAC have delivered a series of guidebooks on humane handling of different livestock species."

Strong, auditable animal care standards, in addition to supporting industry-driven animal care goals, also open potentially lucrative market opportunities, reported Anne Malleau of Whole Foods Market, a Texas-based retailer with 166 stores in the U.S, Canada and the U.K. Whole Food's business approach is based primarily around one of its stated core values - selling the highest quality natural and organic foods available. Implementing animal welfare standards for its meat suppliers has become a major new initiative for the company.

"The most important thing is that we create standards that are based in science," says Malleau, Executive Director of Whole Foods' new Animal Compassion Foundation. "We also recognize that welfare costs money. The idea is that any producer that meets the standards will receive an additional premium, as a profit-sharing approach." Whole Foods' expects to have standards in place for all key livestock by 2008, she says.

Another featured speaker was Tim O'Byrne, who has investigated the livestock transportation issue for many years in Alberta and is now based in the U.S. O'Byrne summarized the Livestock Transportation Review study he conducted for AFAC, and his recent presentations to the American Meat Institute and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

"One of the greatest benefits of our work in the transportation area has been to better understand the complex relocation process," says O'Byrne. "Also, we have established a strong communication link between the transportation sector and the livestock industry that will be essential to implementing realistic, proactive animal care initiatives in that area."

O'Byrne also reported on his participation, on AFAC's behalf, in a course on Practical Anti- Terrorism Training for the Food Industry, highlighting key security strategies that will help the Alberta livestock industry deal with the threat of animal activist campaigns.

"Our stand has always been changes need to be industry-driven changes - not ones dictated by those outside of our industry coming in and using questionable tactics," says Susan Church. AFAC is supporting several initiatives on the livestock transport issue, including work by O'Byrne and direct efforts with the Animal Transportation Association, an international non- profit organization dedicated to the safe and humane transport of animals.

In other action, Morris Seiferling, Director of Technical Services for Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) announced proposed changes to the Alberta Animal Protection Act and discussed their implications to the industry. Morris Airey, Director of Enforcement of the Alberta SPCA, provided an update of the types of cases handled by Alberta SPCA Peace Officers and new organizational plans for an extended rural service, building on recommendations from producers.

Livestock Care Conference 2002

Media Release
Livestock Care Conference signals rising importance of farm animal welfare

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Speakers

Research—Refine—Rethink—Retool—Reassure Applying the 3 R’s to Farm Animal Management - J Church Improved Tracking Procedures for Cattle - M Price Livestock Transportation in Alberta - T O'Byrne Poultry Selection Criteria: Is This Industry Sustainable? - F Robinson Farm Animal Housing: Time for change - M Appleby Animal Welfare: What Does It Mean In Burger Kingdom - C England New Pressures – New Expectations: Safeway’s Role & Commitment in an ever-changing marketplace - T Oswald IBP Beef Welfare and Handling Program - W Klymchuk Codes and Standards - J Church Producer Initiatives Driving Change - A Okkema June 25, 2002 ... AFAC’s Livestock Care Conference (LCC) was a huge success. A record number of AFAC registrants attended (over 140) along with about 75-100 CALAS participants. The LCC was also well covered by the media, including urban sources, (i.e., three articles in the Edmonton Journal). Key themes emerged from the presentations: Animal welfare is becoming increasingly important to the public, producers and the corporate world; Consumers want assurances that food animals are treated humanely; Corporate driven change – major food companies are demanding assurances of humane treatment and quality control; Measurable and auditable standards for animal care are necessary; Animal care standards must be grounded in science – not emotion; Animal welfare is an integral component of quality assurance; Globalization of animal care standards is on its way.

Livestock Care Conference 2001

Media Releases

• Fast food retailers take lead on farm animal care agenda
• Livestock care guidelines integral to food quality assurance
• Biotechnology may bring animal care benefits, challenges
• Proper livestock care means healthier profits for producers

Fast food retailers take lead on farm animal care agenda

Jun 13, 2001 ... Fast food giant McDonald's Corp. and other fast food retailers are quickly becoming the agenda setters for improved farm animal care practices in North America. This new interest in how farm animals are treated, signals that the issue is moving quickly to the front of public consciousness, two animal welfare experts told the Livestock Care Conference. The conference, held on June 7 at the University of Calgary, was organized by the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association (AFAC).

McDonald's has jolted many in food animal production with the standards for animal welfare practices that it demands from its meat, poultry and dairy suppliers. "We in the academic community can lecture about these things for 15 years, but it takes one news release from McDonald's to bring the issue to the forefront," said Dr. Janice Swanson, a Kansas State University animal welfare professor.

The McDonald's Blue Ribbon Animal Welfare Council advises McDonald's on animal care issues. It consists of a diverse mix of people, including representatives from the research community, animal protection interests and the industry. Other fast food outlets, such as Burger King, have also established similar bodies. Swanson sits on both the McDonald's and Burger King Corp. advisory bodies. "We act as advisors only," she said.

This new emphasis on animal care, sparked by increased public concern, has affected the industry, she says. Swanson cited the vast increase in the number of U.S. processing plants meeting acceptable standards in slaughter practices. In 1996, a United States Department of Agriculture audit of 24 slaughter plants showed only 36 percent met acceptable standards. Audits conducted in 2000, half unannounced, of 49 slaughter plants that supply McDonald's, found 89 percent met acceptable standards.

But the scrutiny is even reaching to the first link of the supply chain. McDonald's now audits laying hen operations to ensure producers are meeting their standards, she said.

While McDonald's has a staff of trained auditors, the food industry may find co-operation works best, she said. "McDonald's and some of the other fast food retailers are starting to talk to each other about industry-wide initiatives."

A third-party audit system could be the best option for the industry, she said. On the one hand, tougher animal care legislation is difficult to get through the American Congress and is expensive and time consuming to implement. On the other hand, voluntary assessment programs, some of which are already in place, don't necessarily satisfy the public. Instead, she sees an outside organization, perhaps set up by food retailers, auditing animal care practices.

"One of the big advantages is that it takes producers out of the policing loop and provides outside credibility. It would also work best if audit results are private and producers are given a chance make changes."

Whatever the approach, the culture is shifting toward increased awareness of animal care issues and the industry must be prepared for this changing attitude. Working together will be vital, she says.

While industry collaboration to address public concern about animal welfare is a significant step, Dr. David Fraser, a University of British Columbia animal welfare professor, who also sits on the Burger King Corp. animal welfare advisory body, suggested Canadian producers need help from the public sector as well.

"Increased research and development, infrastructure support, economic incentive and regulations all help bring about change," he said. "Canada used to be on par with the Europeans and ahead of the Americans in animal care regulations and support. Now we are behind the Europe and the U.S.A. has quickly risen to equal Canada."

Fraser did credit Alberta for being a leader in livestock care in Canada, but cautioned against the establishment of 10 different sets of wildly varying standards for each province. A national body that sets national standards, similar to the one in the United Kingdom, could be the answer. Somehow, the national body would have to account for the fact the provinces are the biggest players in ensuring proper livestock care, he says.

Though many issues face livestock agriculture, this shouldn't sway the industry from tackling the animal care issue. "Our views of acceptable animal care has changed considerably since the 1950s and we have to ready ourselves for the new phase."

The AFAC is a provincial organization, established by producers, to support and promote livestock care in Alberta. Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and the University of Calgary also sponsored the Livestock Care Conference.

Livestock care guidelines integral to food quality assurance

Livestock care guidelines combined with compliance measures are an effective part of programs developed to ensure food safety and quality, said a leading veterinary professor at the Livestock Care Conference, held June 7 in Calgary. The conference was sponsored by Alberta Farm Animal Care Association (AFAC), Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and University of Calgary.

Quality assurance programs in meat production are being created to respond to public concerns about agriculture production. “Food safety has become a major issue and there is no doubt animal welfare will follow,” said Dr. Thomas Blaha, a University of Minnesota animal science professor.

Food safety, environmental and animal care standards are the centre of the Minnesota Certified Pork program, partially developed by Blaha. “Food animal wellbeing can and should be an integral part of any quality management system and that is what we have tried to do with the Minnesota Certified Pork program.”

This program, with its Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-style measures, consists of only a handful of producers, the model is working and an enthusiastic buyer has been found for the pork. High standards have been adopted for the medical treatment, handling and general care of the animals, he said. “The program is also market driven, making the program responsive to specific requirements of different buyers.”

To ensure the highest standards in the quality assurance program are maintained, farms are audited monthly by University of Minnesota auditors. “Anyone can come in the middle night if they want and find animal care is at the highest level,” he said.

“Knowledge is good, but compliance is what is needed, and this program ensures compliance,” said Blaha. “The idea is to create the highest credible model for agriculture production and I think we have shown it’s possible. I would like to see this model adopted for the entire Minnesota agriculture industry.”

The Alberta elk industry has also found it’s possible to establish clear guidelines and maintain them when industry stakeholders collaborate, said Dr. Duane Landals, a member of the AFAC board and the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

The decade-long development of the Velvet Antler Removal Certificate Course wasn’t always an easy process, but the end result is a program that meets the needs of the industry while factoring in animal welfare, he said. “It’s a balance between economics and animal care.”

In the beginning, that balance may have seemed a challenge. Under Alberta law, only veterinarians can perform surgery, and the AVMA took the position that antler removal was a surgical procedure. Producers were concerned that the cost of hiring a veterinarian to perform the removal would be too high, especially considering the logistical and timing concerns. Antlers are harvested in June, with individual animals selected only when their velvet antlers are in their prime.

A compromise was reached. Producers are required to complete a course on the proper antler removal. Producers must sign the code of practice each year, signifying agreement to those practices. “This allows for the practices to be updated as new knowledge and technology is found,” he said.

As well, a veterinarian does not have to be present for the removal of the antlers, but each operation must have a designated veterinarian who is knowledgeable about the operation and its animals. “Both groups recognized the importance of this and both sides are satisfied with the results,” he said. “At the end of the day, these types of programs produce wholesome, safe and animal-friendly food products.”

AFAC is an industry-supported initiative dedicated to ensuring the province is a leader in farm animal care.

Biotechnology may bring animal care benefits, challenges

Bio-engineered livestock may bring many human health and environmental benefits, but the effect of bio-engineering on animal care is hard to predict, delegates at the recent Livestock Care Conference were told. The conference, sponsored by Alberta Farm Animal Care Association (AFAC), Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and University of Calgary, examined current livestock care issues.

Animal and human genome research and the transfer of genes into cells holds great hope for human health, said Dr. Gil Schultz, University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, Assistant Dean of Research. “The possibilities are only limited by our imagination. But the impact of those possibilities on animal care depends on how new technologies and knowledge are used.”

For instance, in the 1980s an experiment that boosted growth hormone levels in mice, generated very large mice, he said. When the experiment was conducted on pigs, the result was animals that developed severe arthritis.

Yet, advances in biotechnology could bring about new methods of immunization and other advances to livestock management practice and care, he said. “We are starting to get sophisticated enough to manipulate genes in specific tissues and at the right time. But if you do the wrong things at the wrong time, the consequences can be severe.”

To ensure animals reap benefits and do not suffer from bioengineering, the Expert Panel on Husbandry of Animals Derived from Bio-engineering developed guidelines and an assessment tool for industry and government. The panel finished its work in 2000 and was sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada.

“We wanted to determine how to address bio-engineered animal welfare, especially how it related to pain and distress,” said Dr. Dan Weary, a University of British Columbia animal welfare professor and member of the Expert Panel. The committee decided that a “precautionary approach” should be taken where the neutral effect on animals must be proven first and not assumed.

Animal movement, performance, health, reproductive capacity were some of the criteria identified by the panel to assess how bio-engineering affects animals, he said. As well, if strategies to reduce negative effects on any of those areas were unlikely to be adopted by producers, then the animals shouldn’t be allowed into commercial production, he said.

Research is critical to assessing the effect of bio-engineering on livestock animals as it is with all livestock care issues and practices, said Weary. “As animal welfare researchers, we are interested in the effect of restraint, immediate pain from a procedure and post-operative pain.”

Ultimately, said John Church, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development provincial animal welfare specialist, the effect of the manipulated gene on the animal’s physical and psychological well-being is what should be considered. “We need to assess this on a case-by-case basis. The assumption that bioengineering in animals means poorer welfare is not necessarily true.”

AFAC is an industry-supported initiative dedicated to ensuring Alberta is a leader in farm animal care.

Proper livestock care means healthier profits for producers

Proper livestock care benefits not only animals, but the producer bottom line, said a manager of a large feedlot speaking at the recent Livestock Care Conference in Calgary.

Producers, researchers, extensions and others in the industry attended the Conference, sponsored by Alberta Farm Animal Care Association (AFAC), University of Calgary (U of C), and Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD).

“The livestock industry at all levels should be aware that proper animal care is not only the right thing to do, it has economic benefit as well,” said Page Stuart, of Highland Feeders Ltd., located near Vegreville, Alta., Canada’s sixth largest feedlot.

“Proper facilities and management techniques can help reduce animal stress, encourage proper food intake and improve animal health. Each of these results has a clear economic benefit.”

The Highland Feeders operation has several strategies to improve livestock care. One example is stocking density. “We have no more than 250-300 animals in each pen, because we know density affects stress levels and stressed animals don’t perform as well.”

Proper facilities are also important to Highland. As a relatively new feedlot, Highland was able to take advantage of the newest knowledge in site design and maintenance. Special attention was paid to drainage at the time of site selection and design. Proper pen landscaping is an ongoing management priority.

“Factors, such as the depth of mud in pens, affect feed intake,” she said. “If cattle are standing in more than eight inches of mud, their feed intake can be reduced anywhere from 15 to 30 percent, which is disastrous for any operation.”

The Highland feedlot also has wide, well-surfaced handling alleys and modern cement handling facilities in the loading and processing area, she said. This helps reduce stress.

Proper medical care is also important, she said. The latest animal clinics on the feedlot feature slatted floors and bright lighting. As well, antibiotics are given only when necessary and only at the proper levels. All treatments are carefully tracked in the operation’s extensive record keeping system, she explained. “We are sensitive to the antibiotic resistance issue and the issue of antibiotic residues in the environment.” 

Training is also key to Highland’s animal care strategy. “We see the jobs at our facilities as careers and careers require training. “Around 80 percent of our staff have been through the AAFRD Green Certificate Program, which includes recommendations for cattle handling.”

Besides training staff, Highland also helps educate its suppliers. “An operation of this size has access to considerable up-to-date management information and we try to pass that on to our suppliers, the cow/calf producers.”

Highland also does its part to support AFAC, collecting donations on behalf of the organization, from tour groups that visit the operation, said Stuart.

Continuing with the theme of learned behaviours and animal management practices, Brenda Ralston, an AAFRD Beef Specialist outlined new research tools to assess the effect of oilfield and other industrial pollutants on cattle.

Ralston and two U of C researchers have completed a preliminary study on the effect of hydrogen sulfide on calf memory and learning. They will proceed with a full-scale trial this summer and fall.

AFAC is an industry-supported initiative dedicated to ensuring the province is a leader in farm animal care.

Livestock Care Conference 2000

Media Releases

• Food purchases can drive farm animal care - Dr. John Webster
• Food company “animal handling audits” ensure proper animal care - Dr. Temple Grandin
• Harvesting The Stars - Students learn agriculture, educate others through acting
• “Value chains” are good news for animal care - Jerry Bouma

Jan 19, 2000 ... Animal welfare has become a critical component of today’s agricultural production. A major conference on the subject concludes that consumers, more aware of animal care issues, and producers, more aware of the economic and ethical benefits of animal welfare, will drive a new generation of livestock management.

The Livestock Care Conference held in Edmonton January 12 was organized by the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association. AFAC is a broad-based, cross industry organization representing producers, government, processors and industry dedicated to leadership in animal welfare education.

“As Alberta’s livestock industry expands, our job is to ensure animal welfare continues to evolve with it,” says Susan Church, AFAC manager. “This conference is an annual event designed to bring animal welfare issues to producers, industry and the general public, and help chart industry direction.”

Many countries are proactively addressing animal welfare issues, Church says, and the leading animal welfare specialists from around the world brought together at this conference are an example of real and responsible progress.

“Dr. Temple Grandin’s research into animal handling and animal behaviour has literally revolutionized the industry,” says Church. “Today across Alberta and in many countries around the world, farms, ranches, auction markets and processing facilities have redesigned handling systems to reduce stress for animals.”

Grandin now also works as a consultant with McDonald’s and Wendy’s restaurants designing animal handling audits for suppliers to ensure responsible animal handling.

UK animal care researcher, Dr. John Webster, is one of the developers of the “five fundamental freedoms of animal welfare,” and a leading researcher on animal welfare. He says consumer trends in that nation already show a marked interest in buying meat from suppliers officially sanctioned for responsible animal care. And Edmonton-based marketing consultant, Jerry Bouma, who has studied value chains in Canada and other countries, says animal welfare must be accommodated in the rapidly expanding value chain mentality in Alberta.

“The good news is that Alberta and Canada are in a better position than ever to capitalize on a market more conscious of animal care,” says Church. “That’s because there has already been a focused and directed education effort on animal welfare across the entire industry, and that is supplemented by a growing interest from all sectors.”

The 2000 Livestock Care Conference attracted its largest attendance ever. It was sponsored by AFAC, the Alberta SPCA, and Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

For more information contact: Susan Church, Manager AFAC info@afac.ab.ca

Food purchases can drive farm animal care

Dr. John Webster ... Animal welfare is improving, and the best way to ensure those improvement continue is to convert existing consumer desire for animal-friendly products into demand at the cash register, says a UK animal researcher.

“The people most obstructing farm animal welfare are not producers – it's consumers,” says Dr. John Webster. “Producers will produce whatever sells, but consumer demand is not yet strong enough.” Ninety percent of UK consumers want food products from animals that have been treated well, but fewer than 10 percent actually buy products that can prove it.

Webster's fundamental belief that animal welfare must consider the animal's point of view was clear as he spoke at the Livestock Care Conference, organized by the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association in Edmonton January 12. The presentations at the conference are expected to influence the course Alberta follows to integrate responsible animal management with livestock growth.

A former University of Alberta professor and now a professor of animal husbandry with the University of Bristol in England, Webster is a leading animal care researcher. He was involved in developing the five freedoms of animal welfare. The five freedoms are: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury or disease; freedom to express normal behaviour; and freedom from exhaustion or distress. They now constitute a framework for the analysis of animal welfare.

Studies in the UK have shown that the cost of industry-wide improvements to implement minimum standards for animal welfare would result in an average increase of less than one percent in food costs – the equivalent of one dollar per $100 grocery bill. “If the message got out that this cost was so small, it would be possible to convert that desire into demand,” Webster says.

There have been advances toward widespread animal welfare improvements in Europe, and the improvements are now moving to the marketplace. Some supermarkets in the UK are demanding improved standards of quality control and using this as a marketing tool. This kind of change will open the door for large-scale animal welfare improvements through independent, professional, rational audits.

“These UK supermarkets say 'our food is kinder food,' and they market it that way,” Webster says. “But this quality assurance needs to be independently audited in some way. You can't just say it, you have to be able to prove it.”

Legislation in Europe has been recently changed to improve minimum standards. Laying hen cages are now required to be larger and must include litter for dusting, a nest, perches and claw shorteners.

But forcing producers to comply by writing laws won't do it alone. Farmers should have the assurance that they don't have to “hide” from the public. Through the implementation of audits and quality assurance, he says farms should become open, giving producers a measure of pride in their systems.

“I really am feeling more optimistic than ever, about the genuinely good progress we've made, which ensures better welfare standards for the animals and maintains and restores the pride in the producer,” Webster says.

Despite advances, there is still much room for improvement in animal welfare. Among the examples Webster covered were chronic leg pain in broiler chickens and lameness in dairy cattle. “If we're going to consider animal welfare, we have to consider the welfare of the animal as defined by the animal,” he explains.

To illustrate his point, Webster turned to a study of leg strain in broiler chickens. Birds selected food with pain relievers, even at the mildest degree of pain visible to humans. “It was worse than we thought,” Webster says.

But the overall picture is improving, and it has “really started to motor” in the past five years, Webster says. If consumers begin to turn some of their desire for animal welfare into demand, large companies will follow suit, and implement the quality assurance and auditing practices necessary to make the changes happen.

Food company “animal handling audits” ensure proper animal care

Dr. Temple Grandin ... Major food companies will set new standards for animal welfare in the future by demanding that suppliers prove animals are properly cared for, from the farm level through to the processing plant, says a leading animal care specialist.

In fact, says Dr. Temple Grandin, animal handling audits of supply chains now required by major restaurants such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s have resulted in dramatic and immediate improvements since they were initiated in 1998. But, she says, that will continue only if the systems for handling animals are measurable, and if monitoring techniques are manageable.

Grandin was speaking to the Livestock Care Convention in Edmonton on January 12. It was organized by the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association, a cross-industry organization of producers, industry, government and researchers established to chart a course for animal welfare as Alberta’s livestock industry expands.

Grandin’s research has revolutionized animal handling in many countries. An assistant professor in animal science at Colorado State University, she was one of the first to study animal psychology to determine how they react to handling. By evaluating handling from the animal point of view, she worked back from that animal level to design systems and approaches that minimize stress. Today, her kinder, gentler, common-sense tactics have been widely adopted by farmers, ranchers, marketers, transporters and processors who recognize these approaches also make good business sense.

However, these handling practices are only valuable if they have the capacity to be measured, and if effective audit procedures are in place to ensure standards are met.

“People manage what they measure,” Grandin says, adding that even the most well-trained animal handlers can “get sloppy” unless measurement methods are implemented to keep them up to speed.

It’s important to start animal welfare handling early. If an animal’s first experience in handling is a good one, Grandin says that animal will be much easier to handle. Animals judge things by first experiences, and bad experiences can be remembered for a considerable time.

Grandin’s research demonstrates that simple and inexpensive changes are sometimes all it takes to improve animal welfare. For instance, cattle can be moved by walking behind animals and waving a flag on a pipe outward, into their line of vision. That is a gentler approach than using electric prods. Using curved loading chutes with solid sides eliminates light patterns that cause animals to balk, and encourages them to keep moving.

Animal socialization is also important to welfare, Grandin says. A horse kept as a solitary animal shouldn’t suddenly be introduced to a yard full of other horses. Fighting between horses has caused significant bruising.

Improving animal welfare at processing plants, Grandin adds, isn’t necessarily costly. Only two of 42 U.S. plants Grandin visited during her work for the restaurants required expensive changes to meet the American Meat Institute handling guidelines.

Overall, Grandin says 1999 was a good year in animal handling improvements – “the best it’s ever been” since she has been in the industry. She’s adamant that continued change will come as consumers demand accountability from companies.

“I think the big wholesale customers are going to be the driving force in the future on quality standards, and animal welfare is part of that quality,” Grandin says.

Harvesting The Stars, Students learn agriculture, educate others through acting

A new youth theatre production aims to educate young people about complex agriculture issues through comedy and music.

The play, called Harvesting the Stars, is a production of the Multicultural Heritage Centre’s youth theatre group. Delegates to the Livestock Care Conference, organized by the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association, got a sneak preview of the one-hour musical in Edmonton on January 12.

WIC television has agreed to make the play into a one-hour special for prime-time air in the spring. The video will be distributed to all Agriculture in the Classroom programs across Canada.

The idea for the play came from discussions between the Heritage Centre and Agriculture in the Classroom. Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and Growing Alberta, a not-for-profit program designed to increase awareness about agriculture in Alberta are partners in the project. Betty Gabert, head of Agriculture in the Classroom, and the Heritage Centre’s Judy Undershultz outlined the play at the conference.

Twenty-one students make up the cast of the play, which tells the story of an urban family that returns to the family farm when their grandfather’s health deteriorates. The play is written, directed and cast by students.

Before the cast could act out a musical explaining agriculture to audiences, they had to understand agriculture themselves. They spent seven months researching the play, heard expert speakers organized by Alberta Agriculture, and spent time talking with two women who had spent all their lives on the farm.

“They tore down all this information, they wrote the play and they cast it,” Undershultz says. “We’re seeing agriculture through a young person’s eyes.”

“I think one of the things that helped me most was Temple Grandin’s visit,” says Joel Bazin, a grade 11 student. Bazin and grade 10 student Kyle Laske entertained the delegates at the Livestock Care Conference with an impromptu scene from “Speaking Agriculturally,” a dialogue between the eccentric Dr. Bob (Laske) and his off-beat assistant Gibble (Bazin).

Bazin and Laske are excited about the WIC television special and the video. They say their experience with Harvesting the Stars helped them learn about a field they had never thought of before. They say some of their peers also changed their views about agriculture after seeing the musical.

“They think about things more,” Bazin says.“They don’t just jump on the bandwagon of ‘killing animals is bad, so I am going to be a vegetarian.’”

Gabert says the whole idea of the play is to create an appreciation of the connection between farming and the food we eat. By setting a positive example, the youth act hopes to help their peers make educated choices about the food they eat. It seems to be working -- audiences at the Edmonton Fringe festival gave the musical scores of three or four stars.

“When we smile, we learn,” Gabert says. “Entertainment leads to retention of knowledge.”

“Value chains” are good news for animal care

Jerry Bouma ... The winners in the marketplace of the future will be those who work together well. Animal welfare will be just one beneficiary if the agriculture industry adopts effective value chain planning, says an Edmonton management consultant.

Jerry Bouma, who has worked with value chains in the Alberta agriculture industry, explained the concept to the Livestock Care Convention organized by the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association, held in Edmonton on January 12. AFAC is a cross section of agriculture built to plan animal welfare strategies as Alberta’s agriculture industry expands. Bouma says those strategies can learn much from the concepts of the value chain system.

Value chains are strategic “organizations of organizations” built for the purpose of meeting strategic market objectives. A fast food restaurant that works with limited suppliers of chicken or other meat and is involved in the suppliers’ production processes from start to finish, is a simple example of the value chain concept.

These value chains represent a “reversal in the system,” Bouma says. “Everything is upside down.” An affluent society basking in an overload of information and with unprecedented choice represents a fundamental change in the market system. In the past, the system flowed from the producer to the processor to the retailer to the public. Today that is reversed; the consumer is king.

With an established value chain system in place, industry is better able to respond to changes in the challenging marketplace of today. “The real push for value chains will come from major companies,” Bouma says. “They will set the agenda for higher quality assurance.”

Animal welfare will benefit from value chains, Bouma says, because a system driven by consumer demand will eventually necessitate good animal practices. The value chain system between McDonald’s and its suppliers has resulted in animal welfare improvements. By establishing quality assurance within a supplier and auditing them, McDonald’s ensures the animals in that system have been treated well. In turn, this satisfies a growing customer demand for quality.

The challenge for the Alberta industry is to continue building foundations that will allow a pursuit of quality in every aspect, including animal care. By first building a shared vision of quality, Bouma says the industry can move toward identifying and implementing foundations including food safety, quality control and quality assurance.

In the end, the value of any product is made up of two parts: intangible and tangible value. Tangible value relates to physical costs; intangible value relates to issues such as image and brand awareness.

“A can of Coke, for instance, may have two cents of tangible value and 98 cents intangible,” Bouma says.

The path to building that intangible value is a four-step process. Listening to and learning from the consumer, using the best and most innovative technologies or systems as benchmarks, and enrolling many stakeholders to brainstorm and seek solutions are the first three important steps, Bouma explains. He adds that not letting extremist opinion – such as animal rights activists – influence the course is also important.

“You can’t be all things to all people. Be clear on strategy before you engage in tactics, and don’t promise what you can’t deliver,” he adds.

Value chains are the way of the future, Bouma says. “The strategy is in the structure. It’s the result of two basic questions – what is happening now, and what are we going to do about it?”

Livestock Care Conference 1999

Taking the Offense on Animal Welfare
AFAC Livestock Care Conference focused on united effort

The 1999 AFAC Livestock Care Conference featured some of North America’s most prominent speakers on animal welfare and handling issues. One of the strongest messages that emerged was that the agricultural industry must remain united and be prepared to defend responsible practices in the face of accusations from animal rights activists.

The 1999 Livestock Care Conference hosted by the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association proved to be a shining example of strength in the union of an industry. Animal care specialists and representatives from all sectors of the agricultural industry, including beef, horse, poultry, hog and specialty meats, came together to examine animal welfare topics and issue a call-to-action against misconceptions being perpetuated by animal rights groups.

Above all, the agricultural industry must unite to launch a successful response to accusations from outside the industry, speakers told the audience at the Sheraton Cavalier in Calgary March 12. AFAC was formed to promote that united effort, says manager Susan Church.

“It surprises me when people from one segment of the livestock industry make negative comments about another segment of the industry,” Church says. “We all have to take the time to learn about each other, because if we’re divided on animal welfare issues, we won’t succeed.”

AFAC was formed in 1993 out of a partnership of livestock producers in Alberta. The mandate of the organization is to promote responsible, humane animal care within the livestock industry, to engage in discussion with the public about today’s animal agriculture, to monitor and participate in issues and legislation that affect animal care and to encourage research relevant to animal care.

To achieve those goals, AFAC has developed educational materials for students, the general public and the livestock industry. These resources include 4-H L.A.W. (Learning about Animal Welfare), the video “Farm Animal Welfare - Changing Attitudes,” various humane handling awareness and training courses and the annual Livestock Care Conference.

“AFAC realizes that discussions about sensitive animal welfare issues can often become heated and emotionally charged,” explains newly-elected AFAC chairman Mike Hart. “That’s why we set out to encourage open dialogue, based on facts and education, to help opposing groups reach an understanding.”

The Livestock Care Conference is a focal point of that mission. The 1999 conference was proof that all sectors of the agricultural industry can come together to promote the proactive, responsible animal welfare strategies of the entire industry.

Speakers provide food for thought

The speakers at the 1999 Livestock Care Conference challenged the audience and the entire industry with their presentations on animal welfare issues, the tactics of animal rights activists and response strategy. At the same time, presentations celebrated the successes of the livestock industry in improving animal welfare and humane transportation systems to date.

Complacency is not an option when it comes to dealing with the animal rights movement, speakers told the conference audience. The mornings speakers presented several examples of how developing a response to animal rights activists can preserve and even strengthen an industry. At the same time, refusing to respond can topple industries. Speakers in the afternoon, who represented various processing plants, told the audience how their companies redefined handling practices for better business and improved animal care.

Following are highlights of the presentations:

Defend responsible animal use, speaker tells animal care conference

Animal use groups should be prepared to defend responsible agricultural and experimental practices in the face of claims by the animal rights movement, says Patricia Guyda, president of the Montreal-based Canadians for Health Research (CHR).

Although CHR is focused primarily on educating society on the responsible use of animals for health research, she says the agricultural industry can benefit from much of what they’ve learned. The public has no reason not to believe what they are being told by animal rights activists if they are only hearing that side of the story, Guyda says.

She says it is crucial to distinguish between animal welfare and animal rights. The animal welfare movement has a long and respected tradition with the belief that humanity has the right to use animals, but equally asserts that humanity has a responsibility to ensure that all animals are properly treated. Guyda says that most people, including animal users, uphold these principles, even if they are not directly involved with the animal welfare movement.

The animal rights movements believes in the basic equality between human and animal life. That includes the belief that animals have a right not to be used by humans in any way.

The two groups differ significantly in their beliefs and in the methods they use to relay their messages to the public. Guyda says that, even though she is discouraged by the fear-related tactics sometimes used by animal rights extremists, there is some credit due to the animal rights movement. That’s because they’ve succeeded in getting the public and animal user groups to think about how animals are used, she says.

In order to effectively respond to animal rights claims, animal use groups have to identify ways to deliver their messages to the public. Credibility and accuracy, plus a knowledge of opponents and their approaches are critical, she advises.

PMU industry developed response to critics

In the face of a major attack from the animal rights movement, the pregnant mare urine (PMU) industry was able to launch a response, says Norm Luba, executive director of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC). The NAERIC approach was based on SWOT, or “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats,” as well as an openness to the public, Luba says.

Starting in 1994, animal rights groups launched a campaign based on claims that horses were abused in the process of developing the PMU product. The critics wrote letters to gynecologists, demonstrated, retained celebrity spokespeople for their cause and published articles against the PMU industry in Canada and the pharmaceutical companies in the United States.

He says the pharmaceutical companies should have seen the criticism coming. However, they didn’t respond quickly enough, partly because of product security concerns, and partly because licensing restrictions from the Food and Drug Administration prevented them from doing so.

The response the industry developed, through NAERIC, was initially aimed at identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and eventually helped to build a stronger, more responsive industry for the future.

The agricultural industry will continue to be scrutinized, Luba acknowledges. He says that to develop effective responses, groups must take allegations from critics seriously, be proactive, think “outside the box,” and never sit back thinking enough has been done.

Alberta can learn from Atlantic experience, minister says

The animal rights movement has destroyed a vital way of life for generations of Newfoundlanders who depend on the ocean for their livelihood, says John Efford, Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture for Newfoundland and Labrador. The danger is that public policy can be influenced by the animal rights movement and their accusations, rather than the truth about how the industry operates, he says.

As happened in Newfoundland, a group unrelated to an industry can drive the decision-making process and craft public and media perception of that industry, says Efford. Unless steps are taken now, the agricultural industry in Alberta could experience the same treatment.

In the late 1970s, an anti-sealing animal rights group came into the province with a public relations campaign and began portraying Newfoundlanders and Labradorians as barbarians. From 1977 to 1995, no seals were hunted in Newfoundland. During that time, the seal population grew from about two-and-a-half million in total to in excess of six million in one species alone. In the meantime the cod fishery was shut down due to overfishing.

The growth of the seal population blocked the anticipated regeneration of the fishery. Efford says that’s because one seal will annually consume about two tonnes of fish, including valuable cod, herring and mackerel.

“After seven years, in 1999, the biomass of northern cod stocks is worse today than when we closed the fishery in 1992,” he says. “There’s only one answer for it - seals are eating our cod and the cod are not getting a change to return to commercial numbers.”

Efford says he realizes that people in Newfoundland and Labrador are responsible for contributing to overfishing and also for failing to respond to the animal rights publicity campaign. He hopes other industries across Canada can learn from their experiences.

Alberta meat processing plants develop humane systems

Alberta’s major beef, hog, poultry and specialty meat processing plants have discovered that incorporating specialized animal handling programs is good business and at the same time gives valuable support to a public increasingly interested in animal welfare.

Speakers representing Maple Leaf Poultry, Fletcher’s Fine Foods, Cargill Foods, IBP (Lakeside) Beef, and Bouvry Exports outlined how their companies have redefined animal handling procedures.

Barry Schneider, live operations and procurement manager with Maple Leaf Poultry, was instrumental in helping to develop a new handling and trucking program for the company. He says Maple Leaf began looking at improving its live haul system in 1991.

The new modular live haul system developed by Maple Leaf makes it easier to catch, load and transport the chickens. The system which was critiqued and endorsed by United States animal care specialist Dr. Temple Grandin, reduces handling and temperature stress on the birds and increases air flow through the truck. The end result is a significant reduction in bruising and deaths upon arrival at the plant.

Fletcher’s Fine Foods has also recently implemented a new handling system for the hogs that arrive at the plant for processing, says Dr. Matt Schoonderwoerd, a veterinarian with Fletcher’s Fine Foods in Red Deer.

Fletcher’s new processing system was developed in the Netherlands and approved by Dr. Temple Grandin. The system, which uses state-of-the-art stunning equipment, has been operational since September, 1998. The plant kills about 32,000 to 33,000 hogs per week. Fletcher’s goal in developing the new handling facilities was to process hogs in a manner that optimizes efficiency and minimizes stress for the animals.

Minimizing animal stress at each stage of processing is also a priority for Cargill and IBP (Lakeside Packers), Tim O’Byrne discovered on a recent tour of both plants. O’Byrne, a livestock handling consultant, shared his experience with the Livestock Care Conference audience.

He said the workers he observed at the facilities were experienced cattle handlers and the cattle were very quiet and calm as they walked to the processing floor. O’Byrne says the challenge for these companies is getting the facts out to the public in the midst of misconceptions perpetuated by animal rights activists.

Claude Bouvry, owner of Bouvry Export Limited, agrees that the agricultural industry is on the front lines as it defends responsible practices against the accusations of the animal rights movement. Bouvry’s Fort MacLeod facility processes horse, bison and ostrich meat.

There is a public perception that the horse meat industry is a very secretive one, but Bouvry says he regularly opens his facility to tours for the public and the media. He says that consumers of all types of meat products worldwide want a quality product, but more than ever before they also want to know that the animal has been raised and processed humanely.

The road ahead

“Each Livestock Care Conference we’ve had shows how far the livestock industry has come in understanding the importance of animal welfare in day-to-day business,” says Mike Hart, chairman of AFAC. “It also becomes clear how far we have to go.”

“There’s no room for complacency in ensuring our messages of responsible care reaches the public,”  he adds. “That communication will also make us better managers in the process.”