Producers urged to drive animal care change

Livestock producers must continue to aggressively tackle animal care issues in the face of society’s greater expectations for the welfare of food animals, Dr. Harold Gonyou, a leading animal care researcher, told the recent Alberta Pork Annual General Meeting.

Groups from outside agriculture have shone the public spotlight on animal care issues, resulting in rising public awareness and sensitivity about how food animals are raised, said Gonyou, a researcher at the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon. In turn, major restaurant chains and the retail food industry are establishing new standards that will address animal care practices from production through to the processing segment of the market chain.

Ethics will continue to shape the debate and the nature of animal welfare standards, he said. This issue, like many in society, is now defined by an ethical shift in society. In 1900, treatment of animals was a matter of personal choice for each producer. Today, animal care clearly rests in the societal sphere.

Humane societies and other groups from outside of agriculture have become involved in the issue and are vocal proponents of enhanced farm animal care regulations. In the U.S.A., major restaurant chains and the retail food industry are driving animal care standards, he said. McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s have established welfare standards for meat suppliers. These initial independent efforts appear to be leading to a broad effort in the restaurant and food industry that will result in a uniform set of standards that can be independently audited.

Gonyou commended Prairie hog producers for proactively tackling food animal care. They have established groups in each province which promote proper animal care practices. A few livestock operations in Western Canada have established animal care committees to set up standards for their operations and ensure staff is aware of the standards and follows them. “These are positive steps.”

The positive steps producers have taken will be strengthened by clear action, he said. Producers must look for ways to prevent stressful incidents and practices, provide quick diagnosis and treatment of health conditions and reduce the time of suffering. For example, producers should promptly and humanely, euthanize an animal if it is irreversibly sick or injured.

When a producer clearly steps over the line, there should be zero tolerance, he said. “Every time an incident of improper animal treatment hits the news, our industry needs to say we have standards and this producer did not meet them.”

Another step the livestock industry should take is to ensure those affiliated with the industry are informed about animal care standards, he said. Investing in research is another way to improve animal care and stay ahead of societal expectations about how food animals are treated. “It can take years to build a solid research program, so be prepared to stick with it.”

Karl Chomlak, an Alberta Pork Director from Beauvallon, who also chairs the organization’s animal care committee and is a long-time worker on food animal care, says Alberta pork producers are aggressively tackling animal care.

“Alberta Pork is a founding member and a strong supporter of Alberta Farm Animal Care, an organization dedicated to promoting proper animal care practices,” he said. “In the past several years we helped develop extension education and training efforts, including a humane handling and trucking course and a soon-to-be published manual for helping producers and anyone who handles hogs identify those animals that may not be suitable for movement off the farm and require euthanasia.

“The fact that we invited a speaker such as Dr. Gonyou to address our members is just one more example of our commitment to responsible animal care,” he says.

Alberta Pork information at www.albertapork.ca

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