Animal Welfare Research and Development for Australia - the path forward

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This draft report covers the activities of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy's (AAWS) Research and Development (R&D) Advisory Group and its recommendations for establishing an Australian animal welfare research agenda and centre.

Executive Summary
Background
AAWS R&D Advisory Group's Mandate and Activities
The Consultative Process
Essential Features of Future R&D - Drivers and Constraints
Priorities for Government Policy Making
Options Considered and their Merits
Structure of an Australian Animal Welfare Research Centre
Appendix

Executive Summary

The Australian Animal Welfare Strategy explicitly recognises research and development as central to delivering measurable, sustainable improvements in animal welfare.   The AAWS Advisory Committee established an R&D Advisory Group to consider existing animal welfare R&D in Australia and, in the context of the Strategy, advise how to best deliver high priority objectives.

The R&D Advisory Group visited a number of research facilities and consulted widely with universities and CSIRO.  It considered a variety of options for delivering future R&D activities.
The Group found the Australia is well-served by researchers with expertise in disciplines of animal biology, production and behavior, all of which can contribute to animal welfare.  Interaction between researchers sharing animal welfare interest is common; there is a high degree of openness and collaboration. 

There are however a paucity of national linking arrangements.  There is, for example, no professional ‘animal welfare research society’ and, crucially, there are no existing mechanisms to focus Australian animal welfare research on priorities identified in the AWWS Implementation process.

The AAWS is recognised by current researchers as offering a unique stimulus to improve collegiate linkages and provide impetus for cooperative action on priority animal welfare R&D issues.
The R&D Advisory Group recommends establishment of an ‘Australian Animal Welfare Research Centre’.  This Centre should:

1. have a separate, national, R&D identity, but should build on Australia’s existing skills and infrastructure
   
   
2. be created with the vision of a long-term entity, coordinating a strategic national research agenda
   
   
3. be collaborative and inclusive, with a core, but non-exclusive, group of research providers - the Animal Welfare Science Centre, CSIRO Livestock Industries and the Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, University of Queensland
   
   
4. focus on improving the scientific basis of animal welfare
   
   
5. cover all six AAWS sectors
   
   
6. have a balanced portfolio of research projects, postgraduate education and professional development activities.

The Centre should be governed by the AAWS Advisory Committee and its successor. 

It should be funded according to a co-investment model with Australian governments, research providers and animal production R&D corporations each contributing.  Animal welfare sectors are diverse – from companion animals, through fish and wild animals to the production sector.  All sectors, despite their different issues and needs, must be represented to achieve sustained, national, animal welfare standards.  Not all sectors have established means of funding R&D and consequently government’s role as initiator and social investor is crucial.

Important as the need to fill gaps in domestic arrangements is, an authoritative voice is also crucial in the international arena.  Evidence-based assessment of animal welfare is a cornerstone of ‘quality’ in trade.  It is in governments’ long-term interest to maintain Australia’s reputation as a socially responsible exporter of high-quality product.  The Centre should establish a position to promote Australia’s actions and principles at international meetings.  To achieve this, recognition as a ‘collaborating centre’ of the World Organisation for Animal Health (the OIE) would be advantageous.

Background

The Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS), launched in 2004, has three goals:

1. An enhanced national approach and commitment to ensure high Standards of animal welfare based on a concise outline of current processes
   
   
2. Sustainable improvements in animal welfare based on national and international benchmarks, scientific evaluation and research, taking into account changes in whole of community Standards
   
   
3. Effective communication, education and training across the whole community to promote an improved understanding of animal welfare.

Mapping and implementing a research agenda is recognised as being central to the success of AAWS. 

As the animal welfare stakeholder analysis¹ found:

“Achieving sound animal welfare practices is a key challenge for Australian governments, because different social sectors, organisations, the stakeholders affiliated with these sectors or organisations, and the wider community, have differing values, attitudes and belief systems. So ‘animal welfare’ is subject to varying interpretations, and what constitutes good animal welfare practices may be both controversial and contested. These varying values, interpretations and priorities may affect support for the AAWS and its implementation.”

Animal welfare decision-making draws on a number of sources – science, ethics, economics and socio-cultural values.  Research offers evidence-based information to assist decision making. 

Objective demonstration of the strengths and weaknesses of animal welfare practices is important in this setting. It also provides a logical and transparent basis for discussion and establishment of approaches for application across all six of the animal sectors.  It also provides discipline-based platforms within which to discuss Australian practices with interest groups in other countries in light of Australia’s particular characteristics and needs.

This report covers:

1. The AAWS R&D Advisory Group’s mandate and activities
   
   
2. The consultative process and assessment of current R&D in Australia
   
   
3. Essential features of an animal welfare research Centre – the drivers and constraints
   
   
4. Policy drivers, risks and international issues for governments and industry
   
   
5. The options considered and their various merits
   
   
6. The recommended path to establishing the Centre.

¹ Nicole A. Mazur, Cecily J. Maller, Heather J. Aslin & Robert Kancans,  Bureau of Rural Sciences, 2006. Australian Animal Welfare Strategy Stakeholder Analysis Phases 1- 4

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