Nathan Stevens: OMAF to host a forum on How Animal Welfare Works in Ontario

The CFFO strongly supports efforts to ensure that proper animal welfare standards exist, and that appropriate oversight exists for the industry. If we look back at the last few years, the issue of animal welfare has received a lot of attention. Throughout it all, the one thing that is for sure is that there is a lot of confusion out there regarding how the system works. In an effort to concisely explain how the system really works, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Rural Affairs are hosting an Animal Welfare forum on January 30 in Guelph.

The vast majority of farmers take great pride in the care of their animals, and ensuring that they meet the expectations of the codes of practice is a given. Moreover, they recognize that healthy animals are more likely to be productive in the long run. However, there are always a few bad actors out there that must be dealt with for the good of the industry. For this reason, reasonable standards are needed and an enforcement agency needs to exist to deal with the rare bad actors.

The forum will be a walk-through of what currently exists when it comes to this important matter, and what will be coming in the years ahead. For example, Dr. Tina Widowski will share her insights into the science behind animal welfare and how to translate the science into practical animal care practices. Then a panel of distinguished industry leaders will share their insights into the Codes of Practice for a wide variety of livestock industries.

In the afternoon, Mike Siemens of Cargill will share insights into ensuring proper animal welfare practices are in place as animals are moved to slaughter-plants. There will be a myth-busting sessions that will separate what you may have read in the papers around animal welfare enforcement and how things are really done on the ground. And finally, the session will share the perspective of transporters of livestock and how matters are addressed when animals are moved from one location to another in Ontario.

Animal welfare has been a hot button topic for farmers in the last number of years. The science behind animal welfare is changing and animal care requirements are shifting over time. The Animal Welfare forum is a great opportunity to learn about the system and the approaches of industry. Visit the CFFO Facebook page to learn how to register for this interesting and informative event.

Source: CFFO