Programme
Second Welfare Quality® stakeholder conference, 3-4 May 2007, Berlin
Assuring animal welfare: from societal concerns to implementation
3rd of May 2007
08.15 Registration
09:00 Opening by Prof. Dr Andreas Hensel, President of the Federal institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
09:15 Key introductory note by Thijs Berman, member Socialist Group in the European Parliament, Commitee on Agriculture.
09:40 Welfare Quality®: context, progress and aims, by Prof. Dr Harry J. Blokhuis (Animal Science Group of Wageningen UR, The Netherlands, and Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Sweden; coordinator of Welfare Quality®)
10.10 Session 1: Turning societal concerns into a welfare initiative
Introduction by chair: Prof. Lawrence Busch (Michigan State University, USA)
This session addresses the concerns that society, and various stakeholders within it, currently have over farm animal welfare. The concerns expressed by various stakeholders and in policy initiatives are presented and the Welfare Quality project shows how such societal concerns can be included in the rationale behind a welfare assessment scheme.
10:15 Societal concerns on farm animal welfare, by Mrs Unni Kjaernes (The National Institute for Consumer Research, Norway)
10:40 Coffee – Tea break
11:10 Rationale behind Welfare Quality® assessment of animal welfare, by Dr Isabelle Veissier (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France)
11:35 The approach of the European Union, by Dr Andrea Gavinelli (Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection, European commission)
12:05 General discussion ‘How to turn concerns into action in a way that is socially acceptable and economically viable.‘
12:35 Lunch
13.45 Session 2: Turning welfare principles into practice: approach followed in Welfare Quality®
Introduction by chair: Prof. John Webster (University of Bristol, UK)
Session 2 concentrates in the Welfare Quality® approach and results so far. The monitoring scheme is presented and how that can be employed in a product information system. We also explore more concretely how that can be done in practice, as seen from farmers’ and retailers’ point of view, and the benefits that can come out of that.
13:50 Turning welfare principles into practice: approach followed in Welfare Quality®, by Prof. Linda Keeling (Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Sweden) and Dr Bettina Bock (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)
14:15 Practical strategies to improve on-farm animal welfare, by Dr Xavier Manteca (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain)
14:40 Construction of product information from animal welfare assessment, by Raphaëlle Botreau (Institut de l’Elevage, France) and Dr Isabelle Veissier (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France)
15:05 Exploration of strategies to implement welfare schemes, by Dr Andrew Butterworth (University of Bristol, UK) and Unni Kjaernes (The National Institute for Consumer Research, Norway)
15:30 General discussion on turning welfare principle into a practical monitoring system
16:00 Coffee - tea break
16.30 Workshops
1 Improving welfare through product information
Chair: Mr. Aldin Hilbrands (Royal Ahold, The Netherlands)
When promoting animal friendly products it seems logical to do so by providing relevant information on the product itself, preferably in a manner which is easy to read and speaks to consumers’ imagination. On the other hand we know that consumers already complain about the amount and inconclusiveness of production information. Moreover, consumers seem to have little faith in the reliability of production information. They tend to distrust producers, manufacturers and retailers because of their vested interests and because it is often difficult to distinguish between objective information and advertisement. This workshop wants to discuss how production information could be provided in a way that warrants consumers’ trust and interest in this information. One option is to integrate animal welfare in those existing production information systems that are among the highly trusted ones, such as those dealing with issues of sustainability and food safety. Again it is, however, pertinent that information about theses issues is indeed highly reliable and perceived as such by consumers in order to safeguard the very basis of production information – its trustworthiness.
2 How to reconcile producers and society on welfare grounds
Chair: Prof. Joerg Hartung (University of Veterinay Medicine, Hannover, Germany)
Society increasingly worries about the welfare of animals in modern farming and fears that animals’ needs are ignored for the sake of production. Farmers consider that they know how to treat animals and to take good care of them. In the same time they feel blamed for the effects of modern agriculture that society itself supports for the sake of cheap food. This workshop wants to deal with the opportunity to realign farmers and society in their interest of taking good care of animals. It is an interest they share, although they may define and perceive animal welfare in different ways. Specific animal welfare production schemes seem to offer the opportunity for a cooperative approach and a good starting point for a new dialogue about how to combine and respect both – society’s concerns for animals and farmers’ professional knowledge and interest. Among others, this requires a discussion about the definition of animal welfare and its various dimensions. In addition, an exchange about the value of animal welfare in terms of food quality and price is essential, as well as an agreement about how the costs of animal friendly production could be shared across the whole food chain.
3 Globalising animal welfare
Chair: Mr. Brian Marchant (Directorate General Trade, European Commission)
Food chains are globalizing and so are the production, manufacturing and trade in animal products. Meat produced in Europe is exported to Japan and chickens raised in Brazil are sold in Europe. The globalisation of animal production and trade and resulting competition of producers and retailers on the world market, makes of animal welfare a global issue as well. One of the major concerns of European farmers is the increasing competition with foreign products produced under lighter animal welfare regimes and imported by the very same retailers that enforce stringent regulations on European farmers as part of retailers led production schemes. But competition on animal welfare is also taking place within Europe, where as a result of the common market farmers from member-states with lighter regulations may enter more heavily regulated markets through the backdoor. Equalizing national legislation and regulation in order to realize a level playing field within the EU market and preferably at global level is the pressing demand of farmers throughout Europe. Costly animal friendly production needs protection against the import of cheap and animal unfriendly production in their view. This is another demand of farmers to national and European governments – to make sure that also imported products have to live up to the same production rules and norms. Both demands, however, touch upon the core of the retailers’ liberty and the profitability of agricultural trade. This workshop wants to encourage a discussion about the question how to safeguard farm animal welfare on a global scale in a time of trade liberalisation and globalisation.
18.30 End of Workshops
19:00 Dinner at the conference location
4th of May 2007
9.00 Session 3: Animal welfare schemes as key elements for society
Session 3 turns to how society at large can adopt a welfare scheme. Main issues addressed will concern are the challenges a welfare scheme may face, the improvements expected from a welfare scheme, and the cost/benefit considerations involved.
09.00 Introduction by chair: Prof. Bosse Algers (Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Sweden)
09:05 Animal welfare and certification schemes: the view of animal protectors, by Mr. Dil Peeling (Europgroup for Animals)
09:30 Retailers dealing with welfare schemes, Dr Paul Ingenbleek (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)
09:55 Challenges experienced in practice when implementing a welfare scheme, by Mr. Keith Kenny and Mr. Patrick Holm-Thisner (McDonald’s Europe)
10:20 Coffee- tea break
10:50 Benefits and costs of improved animal welfare, by Dr Ina Enting (Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR, The Netherlands)
11:15 General discussion on difficulties, costs and benefits of implementing strategies in animal welfare
11:45 Synthesis of workshops: Summary of each workshop and discussion
12:45 Conclusive remarks, by Dr Tim Hall (Directorate General Biotechnologies, Agriculture and Food, European Commission)
13:00 End of the conference
