What's New
OAC Partners with Egg Farmers of Canada in Poultry Welfare Research
May 12, 2011
As concern for the welfare of food animals is increasing worldwide, OAC has gained a new partnership to establish the Egg Farmers of Canada Research Chair in Poultry Welfare. Tina Widowski, professor in Animal and Poultry Science and director of the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (CCSAW), will collaborate with researchers on laying hen welfare and egg production.
“A lot of scientists in Canada are doing work in dairy, beef and swine welfare,” says Widowski. “Through industry support we can now also focus on poultry welfare and specifically the laying hen.” As director of CCSAW, Widowski leads the largest concentration of animal behaviour and welfare researchers in North America. The Centre was the first of its kind on the continent and the second in the world, and in addition to research offers graduate and undergraduate programs that can provide professional leadership to industry.
“Dr. Widowski is globally recognized for her innovative research that supports our on-going commitment to animal behaviour and well-being in commercial agriculture,” says Robert Gordon, dean of OAC. “Furthermore her leadership in building a truly world-class animal welfare and behaviour capacity at the University of Guelph has provided an exceptional foundation for world-class student training opportunities.”
Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) is a not-for-profit national organization that represents over one thousand regulated egg farmers in all ten provinces and the Northwest Territories. In addition to promoting eggs, EFC forecasts market demand and develops national standards for egg farming.
“Egg Farmers of Canada is very pleased to be teaming up with Tina Widowski, an outstanding researcher we’ve had a chance to work with in recent years,” said EFC Chair Peter Clarke in a press release announcing the appointment.
“Eggs are an important food source globally,” says Widowski. “They are cheap good protein. At the same time the world is changing. Systems need to respond to concerns about animal welfare while being economically viable and environmentally responsible.”
“It’s a balancing act,” she says. “People in the broader community are aware of these issues but don’t realize there is a whole scientific discipline devoted to animal welfare research and finding solutions.”
Concern for the welfare of food animals is increasing worldwide, she says, but consumers often don’t realize how complex the issues are. There are expectations about the ways that food animals are housed and cared for, but at the same time people expect food costs to remain low. Any changes need to translate into real benefits for the animals’ welfare.
“We need the brightest minds in our academic institutions to guide our industry forward, which is why we’re delighted to partner with the University of Guelph on poultry research,” said Clarke.
The funding agreement took place in March 2011 and runs through January 2017.
