Context: The WOAH aquatic code has a chapter on welfare during transport and welfare during slaughter. Both remain largely up to date in terms of being correct in their content, however both are limited to general principles and higher level guidance. They do not contain specific parameters for different species animals, for oxygen levels during transport or electrical stunning parameters for example. They could be expanded to reflect the much larger knowledge base we now have on species-specific parameters as well as available technology. The WOAH aquatic strategy to 2025 has an action point to review the welfare chapters for how up to date their science is. We would like to see an action to update these chapters in a future aquatic strategy. The aquatic strategy to 2025 set the objective to create a new chapter in the aquatic code addressing biosecurity. We are very keen to promote stress reduction, supporting natural immune function, and good environmental conditions as the basis, or at least an important part, of biosecurity in this ongoing standards development.

Improving the welfare of animals is an investment for future global health. In this event, we raise awareness about the UN Environment Assembly's call for a report on the nexus between animal welfare, the environment, and sustainable development. We also explore animal welfare as an effective means to prevent health crises, such as antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic outbreaks. Join us!

ICFAW side event at 99th WOAH General Session on Animal Welfare & One Health - Monday 22 May 2023 - 11:30-13:00

The recognition that there is a link between animal health and animal welfare is what has prompted WOAH to expand its mandate and start working on animal welfare. Similarly, the acknowledgement that animal welfare can contribute to addressing environmental challenges, promoting the One Health approach and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, has triggered a call from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to work in collaboration with the WOAH,  the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the One Health High-Level Expert Panel on matters related to animal welfare and its nexus with human health and the environment, through a One Health approach (see  Resolution (UNEP/EA.5/Res.1,).

This event aims to provide theoretical and empirical insights on the integration of animal welfare measures within One Health policies. The goal is to provide enough context and examples to make participants leave the event confident that adopting animal welfare measures is an investment in preventing health crises (such as AMR, zoonoses) rather than an additional cost to often limited public budgets.

Agenda

• Opening: Roly Owers, Chair of ICFAW

• Setting the scene: unveiling the Nexus & moderator: James Yeates, CEO of the World Federation for Animals

• Animal Welfare and the Sustainable development goals: Leopoldo Stuardo, Scientific Coordinator, Animal welfare, WOAH Standards Department 

• One Health Case studies in Africa: Manuelle Miller, Veterinary Without Borders

• One Health perception in Americas : Edilberto Britto, WOAH Delegate from Colombia

• Debate led by Moderator, James Yeates (CEO of WFA)

On September 28 and 29, 2022, the International Coalition for Animal Welfare (ICFAW), Regional Working Group for the Americas, co-hosted an event titled Pig welfare in the Americas: Implementing Global Guidelines into Regional Practice. ICFAW’s partner in the event was the World Organization for Animal Health Collaborating Center for Animal Welfare for Chile, Uruguay and Mexico and the event was held in Chile. 

The WOAH chapter 7.13 “Animal Welfare and Pig Production” served as a framework for the program and ten international speakers (six in-person and four online) covered the full array of chapter topics including the natural behavior of pigs, the prevention of abnormal behavior, environmental enrichment, group housing for gestation, pen farrowing systems, avoiding or refining painful procedures such as castration and tail docking, space requirements, weaning of piglets and biosecurity and animal health. In addition to the program of speakers, the event included small group work in afternoon roundtables. The event was held at O’Higgins University in San Fernando, Chile. A total of 247 people attended (mostly online, with seventy people in person). The spirit of the conference was solutions and the discussion focused on collaborating to overcome pig welfare challenges, together.

To bring the information to a wider, more diverse audience, the event was held and broadcast in three languages. The landing page with pre- and post-event contents, program, scientific background, speakers CV, registration form, in-person application form, and event videos were designed to include English, Spanish and Portuguese. The small group roundtables were also held in three languages. 

The event was truly a collaborative effort. The World Organization for Animal Health Collaborating Center for Animal Welfare for Chile, Uruguay and Mexico and the O`Higgins`s University of Chile helped to convene both global experts and local pig producers. O`Higgins`s University of Chile is a public institution located in a region where many pig producers are based, providing an opportunity for their participation. The university provided the venue and technical support for the online streaming. They also helped convene the academic community involved in pig welfare research, submitted surveys and workshop questions for ethical approval, and validated the academic hours for participation certificates.

Event sponsors included Chile Carnes (the Chilean Producers Association), the Livestock and Agriculture Service (SAG), the Agriculture Policy and Statistics Office (ODEPA), the Chilean Veterinary Board and the Ministry of Agriculture. These groups supported and strengthened the event by using their own channels and contacts to promote it. 

To keep the momentum going following the conference, information from the roundtable discussions was synthesized for publication. The ideas and solutions presented were analyzed along with a pre- and post-conference survey to measure impact. A scientific paper is planned to document the results and keep the conversation ongoing with governments, producers and academics to improve the welfare of pigs.  

The program and recordings from the event can be accessed on the website here: Home - Seminario Hibrido de Implementación de Directrices en la Práctica Regional (pigwelfareamericas.com)

Join us on 28 and 29 September 2022 for an international conference on Pig welfare in the Americas: Implementing global guidelines into regional practice. This is an hybrid event (online and in person at O'Higgins University, Colchagua Campus, VI Region, Chile).

This event is organized by the Regional Working Group for the Americas of the International Coalition for Animal Welfare (ICFAW), WOAH Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare and Sustainable Livestock Systems of Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico, and the University of O’Higgins, Chile.

Full program, list of speakers and the registration link can be found here.

In line with the WOAH mandates on animal welfare, the WOAH Sub-Regional Representation in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the International Coalition for Animal Welfare (ICFAW), organised a two-hours virtual webinar on animal welfare with special emphasis on camel welfare. 

Dromedary camels have a significant influence on people’s lives, as an essential source of food and entertainment in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the last decades, the way camels are kept the GCC is shifting from nomadic husbandry to modern farming and management systems while the availability of science-based information about camel-specific welfare standards and measurements remains scarce and limited, leading to a relative knowledge gap in the field of intensive and semi-intensive housing systems starting to prevail in the region.

Accordingly, the objectives of the webinar were

• To shed light on the WOAH welfare standards and global strategy, to strengthen the awareness and knowledge of national veterinary services including the veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals in the region, on the pillars of the WOAH strategy, and enhance their capacities to communicate this knowledge to the concerned government departments, animal owners and the wider public.

• To support member countries' capabilities of animal welfare policies development, implementation, and governance by fostering liaison with animal welfare experts and relevant international non-governmental organisations.

• To help the working veterinarian identify gaps and neglected areas that require the development of additional animal welfare standards; and provide overall guidance and advocacy for science-based animal welfare standards, using the best scientific and practical expertise on animal welfare. 

• To contribute to the implementation of the global and regional animal welfare strategies (RAWS) and provide species-specific mechanisms for developing animal welfare policies, legislation, and measurements appropriate to the regional context, via promoted understanding, communication, and training.

• To shed light on the Protocol for Scoring the Welfare Status of Dromedary Camels published by the ICFAW member Animals’ Angles and walk participants through the scientific bases of calculating a Total Welfare Index and relevant scoring system.

The webinar was opened by Dr. Montserrat Arroyo from WOAH Headquarters (DDG International Standards and Science) and included welcome remarks by Dr Mohammed Alhosani, Director of the WOAH Sub-Regional Representation in Abu Dhabi and by Dr Majd Mohamed Azmi Naser Alherbawi representing the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates. It furthermore included speeches by Leopoldo Stuardo, Scientific Coordinator – Animal Welfare, Standards Department at WOAH Headquarters, Prof Dr. Barbara Padalino from Bologna University, Prof Dr. Raziq Kakar, Livestock Specialist in Abu Dhabi and Julia Havenstein, Regional Lead for the Middle East of ICFAW. Participants had the possibility to ask questions via the chat and the session was concluded by polling questions to the audience and closing remarks by Dr Tariq Taha from the WOAH Sub-Regional Representation in Abu Dhabi. 

The event met with great interest among the veterinarians and experts in the region. Participants contribute to the discussion, highlighting relevant matters related to camel welfare. 

The take-home message of the event was that further research in the field of camel welfare is needed as well as the legal framework in all GCC countries to advance the implementation of the WOAH standards in the region.