Animal Welfare Science Centre attracts national and international
interest
DPI news June 2006
It’s been a big month for the Animal Welfare Science Centre
at DPI Werribee.
The science centre, a joint venture of DPI, the University of Melbourne
and Monash University, has received international funding for a
joint venture with the Ohio Pork Producers Association, Ohio Poultry
Association, Ohio Dairy Producers and the Ohio State University
Extension Service to address public concerns about animal welfare.
The project will develop and institute educational programs on
animal welfare for caretakers of pigs, poultry and dairy cows; improve
understanding of public concerns about use of animals for food production;
enhance knowledge of the value that all animals bring to the wellbeing
of society; and use scientific knowledge to inform government decision
makers about animal welfare legislative issues.
The venture addresses how key elements in the human diet - pork,
poultry, and dairy products - are produced, and how to further enhance
production of quality food products using high standards of animal
welfare.
The centre has also received funding from the European Union to
develop a suite of training packages for livestock industries to
improve farm animal welfare. The package will be produced in English,
Dutch, Spanish, French and German. A similar package for the laying
hen industry may be developed in the future.
Closer to home, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines
Authority (AVPMA) met scientists from the centre recently to discuss
animal welfare and pest management.
The AVPMA initiated the meeting at Werribee to discuss how the
centre could help assess the welfare consequences of pest management
tools. Centre staff will work with the AVPMA to develop collaborative
research efforts as a result of the exchange.
For more information Please contact Mariko Lauber: mariko.lauber@dpi.vic.gov.au
The Animal Welfare Science Centre was established by the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. The Centre focuses and coordinates the research and academic resources of the three collaborating organisations, providing the animal industries, animal users, the farming community, Government, the general community and the academic community with an internationally competitive research, teaching and training resource in animal welfare.
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