Measuring Welfare – Vital to Improve the Lives of Farm Animals

More than 100 experts including veterinarians, producers, industry advocates, and retailers from 10 different countries participated in the meeting held in Sydney (Australia) with the aim of discussing the latest ideas, challenges, and opportunities to improve the lives of billions of farm animals that provide us with meat, eggs, and dairy products.

In the words of Andrew Parker, National Director of Australia, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, “this forum is about creating connections, fostering debate, and reflecting on the role everyone can play in improving animal welfare.” 

Main Conclusions of the Forum

One of the speakers, Dr. Teresa Collins, an expert in animal welfare and veterinary ethics, summarized the main challenge discussed at the forum: “the industry wants to join animal welfare, and for that, we need measures that enhance transparency, promote evidence-based decisions, and can be quickly implemented. They also need to integrate with existing reporting requirements and work in very different environments.”

To this end, the speakers addressed the challenge of understanding welfare from the perspective of farm animals and the importance of differentiating between wants and needs, as only then can objective measures be developed.

Experts also concluded that a global approach is required that allows the industry to assess welfare throughout the animal’s life and not just at a specific moment, as in the words of those present, “small moments of pleasure do not equate to welfare, and small moments of pain do not equate to suffering.”

Regarding transportation, current research indicates that the way animals respond to stimuli from human interaction can vary depending on their previous experience, so a broader perspective can provide better insight into welfare.

Another important topic addressed at the event was the administration of analgesics during painful procedures, and there was broad consensus that the cost of providing pain relief does not always return in production gains, although there are measurable benefits in terms of how quickly the animal returns to eating or shows normal behavior.

It was also concluded that a considerable amount of data shows that consumers would pay more if animals achieved a higher level of welfare, although consumption data does not reflect this in the same way.

For more information: www.farmanimalwellbeing.com

About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

Since January 2017, Merial has been part of the Boehringer Ingelheim group. As the second-largest animal health business in the world, Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to making the industry more effective in improving human and animal health.

With more than 10,000 employees worldwide, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health markets products in over 150 markets and has a global presence in 99 countries. In its commitment to research, the company continuously invests in R&D approximately 12% of the net sales obtained in its animal health business.

For more information: www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/animal-health/animal-health