2019’s Expert Forum on Farm Animal Well-Being held in Prague

Boehringer Ingelheim’s 12th Expert Forum on Farm Animal Well-Being attracted more than 100 animal scientists, retailers, veterinarians, producers and industry experts from 17 countries to discuss the latest challenges, research, and visions on improving the welfare of animals that supply global food chains.
Topics of debate covered the different desires of consumers and citizens in relation to ethical food supply chains and whether the current farm assurance schemes meet consumers’ expectations for better animal welfare. Dr Lynn Frewer from Newcastle University said: “Concerns associated with farm animal welfare and production may not correspond to purchase and consumption practices, with sales of welfare friendly products much lower than the reported levels of concern. This suggests a discrepancy between an individual’s role as a citizen and as a consumer, such that citizens and consumers have different concerns in different contexts.”
Other topics included ethical beef production, sustainable supply chains, the importance of global benchmarking schemes on farm animal welfare for global food companies, changing professional and farmer behaviour to make high animal welfare more attainable, the World Organisation for Animal Health’s Global Animal Welfare Strategy, and the need for greater collaboration between veterinarians and farmers to ensure supply chains are both sustainable and maximising farm animal welfare. Dr Laurent Goby, BI’s senior global marketing manager, said: “We are dedicated to finding ways to improve farm outcomes through supporting farm animal well-being. Such events are pivotal in bringing the best in the industry together to explore, discuss and enlighten others on how we can collaborate better to achieve this for industry professionals, farmers and most importantly, consumers.”