Outcome of the event on Pig welfare in the Americas: Implementing Global Guidelines into Regional Practice.
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)