Dissemination of animal welfare practices in farmed ruminants

Many scientific studies and protocol development studies have been carried out worldwide especially in the European Union, to promote and assess farm animal welfare and thus improve animal product...

The project involved five partners from three countries. (Turkey, Portugal and Italy). All activities were planned and coordinated among partners through four Transnational Project Meetings in which the team members discussed the aims and strategies. The first project achievement was the publication of an Innovative Curriculum for courses on farm animal welfare. This publication provided a programme through more than 10 learning modules, focusing on animal welfare history, EU legislation, main concerns in ruminants’ farm or transport welfare, and ways to assess on-farm welfare, among other topics. The publication is available in four languages (English, Turkish, Portuguese and Italian). To accomplish the main objectives of the project, three Short-Term Learning/Teaching/Training (LTT) Activities or workshops were organized and implemented. These activities included on-class lectures and visits to farms, presenting the best practices to ensure high animal welfare levels. The first workshop on dairy and beef cattle took place in Portugal. The second and third LTT, in Turkey and Italy, respectively, focused on small ruminant best production practices and welfare assessment. These LTT aimed to demonstrate innovative approaches and practices that promote animal welfare, and which are recommended or mandatory within the European Union. The LTTs were planned to ensure that practices are reflected in practitioners' and technicians' professional skills. It was expected that after these trainings professional competencies, knowledge and skills of the participants would increase in the area of animal welfare. Also, this project provided participants with the opportunity to witness good practices to be applied in farms, institutions and organizations, in different countries, including their own country. Within the scope of the project, education and information were shared between researchers, practitioners, technicians and farmers, ensuring the economic benefits of animal welfare practices and their contribution to safe food production. The dissemination of best farming practices and guidelines for welfare assessment and promotion was also achieved through the edition and publication of dedicated handbooks for dairy and beef cattle, calves and small ruminants’ welfare. These publications are available in four languages (English, Turkish, Portuguese and Italian). These objectives were also ensured by the development and publication of interactive eLearning materials, consisting of 3D immersive interactive videos, on dairy and beef cattle, sheep and goats. These videos, as well as the handbooks and the innovative training curriculum, are freely available from the Welfaruminant website. Finally, scientific meetings were organized in each of the three partners’ countries. Farmers, practitioners, animal scientists and students were invited to participate in a one-day symposium in which speakers were asked to talk about their experience in promoting farm animal welfare, and the project results were made available to the participants. Thanks to the Welfaruminant project, EU animal welfare standards were transmitted to stakeholders in member states, but most importantly to those in Turkey, a candidate to join the European Union.