Thank you, Jackie.
A small part of my presentation will be made in French.
Good morning. As Jackie has said, I am in fact chairman, as well as being a hog producer from Pike River, Quebec. I appreciate the invitation to provide the committee and other interested parties with NFACC’s perspective on issues around animal welfare.
I have been in the hog industry since the mid-1970s and I have held several national and provincial positions on behalf of my industry. Today, however, I am speaking to you as NFACC’s chair.
NFACC is seen as the go-to group for addressing animal welfare nationally and across sectors. The relationships have been cultivated among diverse groups that would not normally work together. This has created an environment of collaboration and trust that has been the cornerstone of NFACC’s success. Farm animal welfare is being addressed in a way that individual organizations could not easily do on their own.
I accepted the chairman position because I am determined that this organization should have the future that it deserves. NFACC has survived and delivered results in spite of limited funding and human resources. I believe that NFACC supports those involved in the livestock and poultry sectors to meet the challenges faced around farm animal care issues and seize the opportunities that exist. Too often it is the people directly responsible for the care of animals whose practical knowledge is left out of the decision-making process.
We have an opportunity, through NFACC, to set the course relative to Canada's farm animal care and welfare system. Change is happening and it will continue to happen.
In the absence of NFACC's rigorous science-informed stakeholders engagement processes, there is a greater risk of having multiple or competing standards or regulations. This is likely to put farmers at a competitive disadvantage and provide questionable animal welfare improvements.
Stakeholders are using NFACC's processes to identify evidence-based practical solutions that address farm animal care concerns, meet market requirements, and can be implemented by farmers. However, if transitions are needed on farms, farmers alone cannot bear the burden of change.
Other stakeholders must be involved where transitions are at high cost and put farmers at a competitive disadvantage. Full engagement is needed from veterinarians, governments, animal welfare advocates, processors, the retail and food service sectors, and researchers. Everyone shares in the responsibility and must be part of the solution.
In many ways, NFACC is now a victim of its own success. We are being challenged by increasing demands with a limited resource base. While there is recognition of the value that NFACC brings, financial sustainability remains elusive. The future of NFACC depends upon strong financial support from its members and the government.
Jackie mentioned how science informs our deliberations at NFACC. We are concerned about recently announced cuts to agriculture and agrifood research, particularly in the area of animal welfare. Research and the resulting tech transfer are critical for the ongoing development of animal welfare initiatives in Canada.
We hope this streamlining effort will be rechannelled to support important animal welfare work being done at universities and centres of excellence across Canada. I hope you share with me a determination to ensure NFACC has the future it deserves within Canada's animal care and welfare system.
Thank you for the opportunity to present NFACC's perspective on this important topic.