Calendar
Conference on Global Trade and Farm Animal Welfare
The rules of international trade can have an immense impact on animal welfare, and mostly on the welfare of farmed animals.
The development of trade agreements can either undermine important legislative achievements, or offer relevant opportunities to promote animal welfare legislation and standards at the international level. Similarly, legislation approved by single countries and policies adopted by either farmers or retailers can have a major impact on the way farm animals are treated.
Billions of animals are still farmed in intensive systems, where their most basic needs are ignored. Battery cages, veal crates, sow stalls are only some examples. Many countries do not have mandatory requirements regarding proper handling and stunning of farm animals at slaughter.
Production methods prohibited in some countries - and the products derived from those systems - can be easily exported abroad, making even more evident the need for a global approach.
Dialogue between animal welfare organizations, governments, politicians, producers, retailers and consumers can help increase awareness and produce improvements in farming practices, consumer choice and legislation.
The 2008 Forum and 2009 Conference
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Eurogroup for Animals, Compassion In World Farming and World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), together with the Directorate-General for external Trade and the Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection of the European Commission, have decided to organise an International Forum on Global Aspects of Farm Animal Welfare on 22-23 April 2008 and a Conference on Global Trade and Farm Animal Welfare on 20-21 January 2009.
The aim of the events is to bring together different constituents from all continents, who will present positive experiences of inclusion of animal welfare in the trade environment.
Through exchange and sharing, the Forum and Conference should prepare the ground for and facilitate the adoption of similar policies worldwide. If the principle that farm animal welfare must be taken into consideration and improved is agreed, dialogue can lead to adapt to other countries choices already made elsewhere.