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Spotlight on welfare. Alberta Farm Animal Care board member Dr. Duane Landals.

International developments and new opportunities for collaboration were showcased at the Livestock Transport Conference, Jan. 29, in Calgary, Alta. The conference, themed "Are we there yet?" was hosted by Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC).

Livestock care is a growing focus of industry and consumers worldwide, and livestock transport is one of the most critical and visible components, AFAC board member Dr. Duane Landals told a packed house of 130 people including transporters, livestock producers, researchers and other industry leaders. "Today there is increasing focus on animal welfare globally. But the people in this room have shown we don't need a global spotlight to force us to take care of the issues. When it comes to livestock care and livestock transport, we do what is right, because it is right."

Below is a collection of key comments from Livestock Transport Conference presentations. Articles on many of the presentations are available on the Certified Livestock Transport Web site.

Finding the right balance. Dr. Terry Whiting of Manitoba Agriculture and Food: "We have to do all we can to meet today's expectations while still getting our work done efficiently and making it pay."

"Transportation is an inconvenience for animals. We need to address the challenges with ideas that combine both scientific and practical knowledge. Experience in transporting livestock has at least as much to offer as the science examining livestock transport." — Dr. Terry Whiting of Manitoba Agriculture and Food, who discussed the special challenges of transporting high risk livestock.

"Some see an audit as a curse, but we see it as a blessing. It's not okay now to just say what we do – we have to prove it. Good livestock care leads to good meat quality. That's what drives everything."
— Bryan Hay of Maple Leaf Foods in Brandon, Man., who discussed how good systems at the plant level can help. Brandon's Maple Leaf plant has observed animal welfare protocols for years and now conducts regular humane handling plant audits, which include animal unloading.

Livestock care is everyone's interest. Training and certification programs for livestock transport have been developed and implemented in both Canada and the U.S. through cross-sector cooperation.

"Our philosophy is that optimal livestock care is good not only for livestock but for business."
— Dr. Ashley Peterson of the American Meat Institute (AMI), which recently developed livestock transport audits for unloading at meat plants.

"A key to progress is keeping up a dialogue with the transporters. That why CLT is set up not just as a training program but really as an ongoing service. We communicate regularly through a dedicated Web site, www.livestocktransport.ca, regular emails and other methods to let our transporters know what they need to be up on."
— Susan Church, Manager of Alberta Farm Animal Care, which lead development of the Certified Livestock Transport program.

Getting the job done right. Susan Church, Manager of Alberta Farm Animal Care, says industry-driven progress and streamlining of programs is the right path forward.

"If we say 'we're there,' that we've done all we need to, I think we're limiting ourselves. We're never there. We have great opportunity to continually improve and do a better job."
— Daryl Toews, who supervises all load coordination and health protocols for Lester Reimer Trucking.

"Animal care must be foremost in every transporter's mind. It takes just as much preparation to move an animal two miles down the road and do it right as it does to move it across the country. Programs such as TQA and CLT are excellent. I think the future of our industry is training, training and more training, to continually get better."
— Dave O'Rourke, former owner of Ontario-based O'Rourke transport and currently Ontario Farm Animal Council's livestock transport specialist, who emphasized the importance of ongoing transporter education.

Telling the trucker story. Keith Horsburgh (right), owner of Alberta-based Grace Cattle Carrier's Inc.

"What we've heard today from all the speakers has been so positive, and we need to build on that. As transporters, we are a critical component between the producer and the consumer and we are probably the most visible component of this industry. Livestock are moved a lot in their lifetime, and the efficiency of the system is one area we can address with our industry peers. No-one likes change, but sometimes change is a great opportunity to improve things."
— Keith Horsburgh, owner of Alberta-based Grace Cattle Carrier's Inc.

The Livestock Care Conference was hosted by Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). It was sponsored by National Cattle Feeders' Association, Animal Transportation Association, Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Program. A broad range of information on the conference and livestock care in general is available through the AFAC Web site at www.afac.ab.ca.

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Caring for livestock during transport: Truckers, producers and industry talk the issues