RED DEER – Most of the world’s meat production happens in less industrialized nations, creating challenges for those concerned with animal welfare.
That has drawn the attention of both the OIE, the world animal health organization, and the World Bank, said David Fraser, an animal welfare professor at the University of British Columbia.
“We have seen increasing attention to animal welfare issues at the official level,” he said at the Alberta Farm Animal Care annual meeting in Red Deer March 24.
The OIE code for 2005 added chapters on animal welfare guidelines covering the basics on slaughter for meat and disease control, as well as transport of animals by land, sea and air. The guidelines are similar to what appears in Canada’s livestock codes, but unique because they were supported by 167 member countries, many of which have no animal regulations.
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“This represented the first time many countries in the world had adopted animal welfare guidelines,” Fraser said.
The International Finance Corp., which is the investment arm of the World Bank, has discussed international animal welfare since it has invested $300 million in livestock production, particularly in less developed nations.
“When the World Bank becomes involved as an agent of change in animal welfare, we realize we have entered a different world,” Fraser said.
Some parts of the world are moving ahead of international guidelines.
The European Union announced a new plan for animal protection for 2006-10. It wants existing standards upgraded for better enforcement and for international trade. It wants standardized welfare indicators to form the basis of a new food labelling plan. Increased education and exchanges among producers, scientists and consumers are needed to build trust and share information. As well, international initiatives are needed to solve transboundary issues and trade in animal welfare-friendly products with less industrialized nations.
As the world’s largest pork producer, China is becoming more informed about expectations on hygiene and welfare from its richer trading partners.
There exists a myriad of guidelines and regulations throughout the world. Canada has a set of voluntary codes and guidelines. Developed by industry groups, these have no legal status unless cited in legislation.
“When codes were first developed I think they really helped in terms of public assurance but in time, public attitude has shifted to skepticism as to how well the codes are actually followed,” Fraser said.
The American Meat Institute, which is an umbrella group for processors, has developed guidelines and created a set of audit standards. Audit results are posted on a website without identifying the individual company.
Some countries are pursuing strong regulations because the public complained industry was not keeping up with new attitudes or following its own codes of practice. For example, Sweden has banned sow stalls and requires grazing systems for dairy cattle.
The EU will ban narrow veal calf crates in 2006, standard cages for laying hens in 2012 and stalls for pregnant sows by 2013. Stalls will still be allowed for the first four weeks of pregnancy.
Consistency is needed in international agreements.
The United Kingdom banned the narrow veal calf crate but continued shipping calves to the continent where the crates were used. Trade agreements made it impossible to block the veal from coming back to England.
Corporate responsibility programs to show good citizenship and higher standards for animal production and processing have been developed. McDonald’s Corp. in the United States was the first to apply animal welfare standards to its suppliers after a court case in the U.K. found some farming practices were cruel. Other restaurant companies have followed suit.
