AVA Conference Adelaide 2016

Animal welfare policy in the UK has changed dramatically since the 1965 Brambell report. Despite this increased effort are the current governance arrangements fit for purpose? Do the changes seen in the UK and Europe have any wider relevance? Reflecting a wider global phenomena there has been a clear shift away from government to industry based policy in farm animal welfare. In some respects this has been beneficial for animal welfare because of the speed and capability for innovation in the market-place. However, for some issues government still has a role, including prosecution for cruelty, prohibition of certain systems and labelling products. The government funding of animal welfare science is also critically important. In the UK fundamental welfare science continues whereas policy-related research have been reduced dramatically. Has the EU stepped into the gap? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. By reviewing some exemplars of policy co-ordination, such as the Dairy Welfare Strategy, this presentation will attempt to understand how veterinarians can contribute to effective animal welfare governance