Animal production must be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. This requires greater training for veterinarians, who are the main promoters of animal welfare in various production systems, ensuring sustainable operations and ethically acceptable animal products for consumers.
In this context, the National Service of Agri-Food Health and Quality (SENASA) of Argentina organized a training workshop on Animal Welfare (AW), promoting collaboration between various stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. The focus was on identifying the most relevant topics for this working space in poultry production facilities in the province of Entre Ríos.
The training workshop was held with the goal of updating concepts related to animal welfare, food safety, current sanitary regulations, and the work carried out mainly in poultry slaughter plants. It was part of a series of lectures promoted by the Regional Coordination for Agri-Food Safety and Quality of SENASA’s Entre Ríos Regional Center.
The lecture was given by Patricio García, professor of Embryology and Systematic Anatomy at the National University of La Plata (UNLP), professor of Processing at the Autonomous University of Entre Ríos (UADER), and member of the Animal Welfare Working Group for Broiler Chickens at SENASA.
What is Animal Welfare?
Animal welfare is not merely a market-imposed requirement but a tool within the value chain aimed at promoting product quality and food safety. It must be safeguarded comprehensively throughout the entire production chain in order to minimize issues, protect investments, and foster the sustainable development of livestock production—while also meeting the growing expectations of the general public and consumers of animal-based products.
What is the Scope of Animal Welfare?
This concept extends to food security, sustainability, and the environmental impact of animal production. During transportation, animal welfare depends on several factors — some intrinsic to the animal (such as body condition, age, physiological state, and health) and others external (such as handling and selection prior to loading, cage design and maintenance, weather conditions, and travel duration).
This makes it a crucial stage in the lives of most animals—especially those raised for food production, such as poultry.
Influence of Animal Handling on Welfare
Improper animal handling over just a few hours can undermine months of work by poultry producers. If not performed correctly, transportation can severely affect the birds’ health, cause significant economic losses, and greatly impact the quality of the final products. These factors must be considered and carefully managed to minimize stress and safeguard animal welfare.
Globally, consumers are increasingly concerned about how animals are treated—particularly those raised for food production—while many producers now view animal welfare as an integral component of product quality.
In line with this approach, SENASA Argentina continues to promote actions aimed at improving animal welfare throughout the production chain—thereby contributing to consumer health and environmental protection.
This virtual meeting included professionals from the Veterinary Inspection Service (SIV) of the regional centers of Córdoba, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Buenos Aires North and South, along with the Animal Welfare coordinators of those four provinces.
Source: SENASA – Argentina