Recording:

Facilitator(s):  

• Anna Marry, Global Communications Manager, The Brooke Hospital for Animals  

• Delia Grace, Co-Lead, Human and Animal Health, International Livestock Research Institute 

• Rebecca Doyle, Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne 

• Robyn Alders, Professor, Australian National University; Senior Fellow, Chatham House 

• Klara Saville, Head of Global Animal Health, Welfare and Community Development, The Brooke Hospital for Animals 

• Kate Fletcher, Senior Manager, Global Animal Welfare, The Brooke Hospital for Animals 

• James Kithuka, Animal Welfare Officer, Brooke East Africa

• Vincent Oloo, Animal Welfare Capacity Building Officer, Brooke East Africa

• Samantha Opere, Veterinary Surgeon/ Head of Region, KENDAT (Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies)

Description and Learning Objectives

Considering livestock agriculture is of paramount importance to agriculture, nutrition and health (ANH) research and its application. Livestock directly contribute to agriculture and nutrition through animal source foods production and have a huge impact on human health (e.g. through food safety) as well as indirectly e.g. through generating income and/ or empowering women. This is true for both production animals such as dairy cows or poultry and working animals such as horses or donkeys that provide water for agriculture and transport agricultural produce.  

Animal welfare impacts animal health and productivity, being a critical, yet largely overlooked, aspect of livestock agriculture. This session will explore key concepts and issues in animal welfare in relation to ANH research and practice.  

Learning objectives:  

• Build understanding of animal welfare and its importance for research ethics  

• Introduce the concept of One Welfare and its application  

• Introduce tools and metrics used to measure animal welfare  

• Highlight the importance of animal welfare to getting published in high impact journals 

Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:

• Introduction to Animal Welfare and One Welfare (video)

• We need to drastically improve animal welfare standards globally to avoid another pandemic: https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/16/need-to-drastically-improve-animal-welfare-standards-globally-avoid-another-pandemic-view 

• What is One Welfare? https://www.onewelfareworld.org/ 

• Milk prices and welfare - comment: https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/8/186.full