FIVM Seminar Series presents: Animal welfare audit programs -what does robustness look like?

Livestock and poultry welfare assessments and audits have been developed in response to increased public and consumer concerns about the treatment of farm animals. Animal welfare audits are increasingly part of the North American business landscape for eggs, meat and milk. As these auditing programs emerge and mature, it is valuable to discuss the hallmarks of what makes a program robust, effective and trustworthy.

On Friday, March 17, Dr. Cassandra Tucker will divide the key characteristics of robust animal welfare auditing programs in 5 categories for us: 1) clear and explicit goals, 2) meaningful standards, 3) integrity in the audit process, 4) transparency and accountability, and 5) connected, committed people. The illustrative examples will be drawn from the dairy industry, but the principles apply to all sectors.

Professor Cassandra Tucker leads a research team focused on cattle behavior and welfare. She aims to understand the effects of housing and management systems from the animal's perspective. Dr. Tucker is particularly interested in how the behaviour of dairy cattle changes in response to controversial procedures (e.g., tail docking, disbudding), management decisions (e.g., stocking density), and housing design (e.g., type and quantity of free-stall bedding, effects of inclement weather). Dr. Tucker also works as a consultant to help private and non-governmental organizations develop animal care standards as well as training and auditing programs. Through these activities, the scientific information informs the day-to-day lives of cattle. Dr. Tucker received her PhD in Animal Science at University of British Columbia in 2003 and is currently a professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Animal Science, and director of the Center for Animal Welfare.