The Animal Welfare Foundation
(AWF) is a charity attached to the British Veterinary Association, which aims
to improve the welfare of animals through science, education and debate. An
important part of this is the Annual Discussion Forum, where there are debates
and presentations on important veterinary topics relating to animal welfare.
JMICAWE has worked closely with AWF in recent years, firstly as the recipients
of a grant to understand more about welfare priorities for animals in the UK,
and more recently through JMICAWE Director, Cathy Dwyer, who participates in
the committee which manages the grant awarding process.
Cathy was also a debate speaker
at this year’s Discussion Forum in September 2021, speaking against the motion
that ‘Intensive farming is good for animal welfare and sustainability’
alongside Dr Carmen Hubbard from Newcastle University and the UK’s Animal
Welfare Committee. Cathy and Carmen resoundingly defeated the motion, with
nearly 80% of the participants agreeing that intensive farming is not good for
animal welfare. Although welfare can be improved by agriculture in comparison
to life in the wild, for example through improved veterinary care, better
access to food and protection from the elements or predation, unfortunately
more intensive practices reduce welfare. For example, high stocking density,
close confinement in cages or crates, and lack of environmental resources to
encourage natural behaviour can all cause welfare compromise and may lead to
animals showing grossly abnormal behavioural responses such as tail biting and
repetitive behaviour (stereotypy). These responses can also affect the
sustainability of farming practices as immune responses are suppressed and
intensive agriculture is also accompanied by a high rate of use of
antimicrobials, contributing to increasing resistance.
An important part of the science
and education component of the work of the AWF is the scheme to support student
projects in animal welfare. This is currently open for undergraduate students
studying degrees in veterinary medicine and other subjects relating to animal
welfare, with a closing date of 31st January 2022. If you are a
student with a great idea for a short project to improve animal welfare then
this is the perfect funding call for you! More information can be found here:
https://www.animalwelfarefoundation.org.uk/student-grants/
