Establishing Global Animal Welfare Standards

Establishing Global Animal Welfare Standards

The World Animal Health Organization or OIE is responsible for establishing standards for animal disease, treatment and eradication. In recent years, this international agency has been updating animal welfare standards. Sherrie Webb, who is the National Pork Board director of animal welfare, says the challenge is finding standards that are acceptable across production and cultural standards of the many different countries.

Webb: "The trick with the OIE is that they have 157 member-countries around the world and as they write these standards they have to make sure that they are outcome based and applicable regardless of the type of production system that a farmer may use because the standard has to be applicable not only to developed country such as the U.S. and some of the European countries but also developing countries such as farmers in Africa and Southeast Asia."

Putting together animal welfare standards for the entire world is a not an easy job.

Webb: "When you consider social differences, religious differences and economic differences among member-countries it certainly adds an interesting dynamic to the task. The timeline is that they have the chapter on pigs written and they anticipate in sending it out to member countries for comment later this fall or earlier winter."

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