Training course on animal welfare in pig production

The event is financed by the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA) of the European Commission and is part of the initiative Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF), promoted by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO).

The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G.Caporale” (IZSAM) is signatory of a service contract with CHAFEA, which provides for the organization and execution of 14 training courses on animal welfare to be held during the period 2013-2014; In order to realize the two sessions on pig production, which are being held in Denmark, the IZSAM is cooperating with the University of Aarhus.

The course on animal welfare, envisaged by the BTFS initiative, aims to facilitate the harmonization process, the compliance with the Community law and international standards, which are already in force. It furthermore aims to develop and implement better practices in breeding.

The training course on animal welfare in pig production is addressed to the official veterinarians of EU Member States and several Third Countries. The 53 delegates, taking part to the event, will come from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic , Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, The -Former-Yugoslav-Republic-of-Macedonia, the UK and Ukraine.

Delegates of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) of the European Commission, the World Organization for Animal Health and the National Competent Authorities of Denmark, Spain and Sweden will participate in the course; Teachers from Universities and international Research Institutes, will facilitate the educational activities, which consists of face-to-face lessons, field exercises and discussions in groups or in plenary sessions.

This learning methodology will facilitate the achievement of the training objectives and allow the participants to develop the necessary competencies to interpret relevant EU legislation, apply scientific basis for proper housing management (including provisions of enrichment material, group housing of sows and gilts, feeding practices for dry pregnant sows and gilts, mutilation procedures such as tail-docking, tooth clipping and castration) and handling of pigs; monitor and control animal welfare by reaffirming how important a strong cooperation between competent authorities and stakeholders in the production chain can be to improve the welfare conditions of pigs at farms.

For further information link to www.sancotraining.izs.it