Question to AFAC Board

Animal welfare should be included on the Alberta government sponsored Environmental Farm Plans in detail. On farm handling, transport and facilities maintenance is essential to the focus of the EFPs.

Building on the strong messages delivered by Drs Webster and Pajor it is clear that quality on farm assurance programs need to include animal care assessment tools. Industry leadership is needed to recognize the value of the success of the EFP initiative as a model for on-farm verification programs. Some of our industries have on-farm animal welfare programs that are tied more closely to the on-farm food safety program. This is linking animal health and animal welfare. Our speaker last year, Earl Dotson, CEO of Validus Services, challenged the industry to blend it on-farm verification programs that include the environment, animal welfare, animal health and food safety.