“The central objective must never be lost sight of: the true well-being of animals.”
George Stilwell He is a veterinarian and associate professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMV-ULisboa). He also coordinates the Animal Behavior and Welfare Research Laboratory at the same university and is a key figure in advancing the welfare of farm animals, combining teaching, applied research, and fieldwork. In this interview, he talks about his career, the changes in animal welfare in Portugal, and the role of certification. Welfair® and the challenges of the future.
Career from veterinary practice to research
“I began my professional career as a clinical veterinarian working with farm animals,” explains Stilwell. For 17 years, he practiced in two regions in central and northern Portugal before joining FMV-ULisboa in 2001, where he currently teaches “Clinical Farm Animal Practice” and “Bioethics.”
Her research has focused on the health and well-being of ruminants, as well as the teaching of evidence-based medicine. Her doctoral thesis focused on pain in cattle, a topic that remains one of her main focuses of research.
He has coordinated or participated in numerous European and national projects on ruminant welfare, among which his role in AWIN – Animal Welfare Indicators, leading studies on dairy goats and publishing the welfare assessment protocol for this species. Likewise, "I was a member of several European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) working groups on dairy cow and calf welfare, including the groups responsible for the Scientific Opinions that underpin the review of legislation on dairy calf and cow welfare," he highlights.
The state of animal welfare in Portugal
In the 80s and 90s, Stilwell was already talking about animal welfare with farmers “when very few people were even thinking about it.” At the time, many perceived welfare as a threat to the economic viability of farms. “Our duty as veterinarians was to show that welfare was the best way to ensure the success of their farms,” Stillwell says.
One of the milestones was the design of an assessment protocol for the Happy Cows Milk Program in the Azores, one of the first structured approaches in the country. “At first, many dismissed it as a joke, but it quickly became clear that welfare assessment and certification was the way forward,” explains Stilwell. Thanks to this work, and increased consumer awareness and demand, he explains that the situation in Portugal has improved substantially. Today, good practices are more common, and most farmers are convinced that they must promote welfare to survive as producers.
However, Stilwell is clear: "We are moving in the right direction, although we have not yet reached the ideal scenario," notes Stilwell, who emphasizes that some shortcomings remain that need to be improved.
The introduction of protocols was key. "They allowed for a more systematic and scientific evaluation, in addition to encouraging industry participation," he says. In this sense, Welfair® was a pioneer in Portugall, by certifying the well-being of different species and at different stages of the food chain. By becoming a "recognized and credible" label, it promoted "healthy competition" among producers, companies, and distributors.
Welfair® and the role of the Welfare Quality Network
Stilwell is an active member of the Welfare Quality Network (WQN), and his participation stems from his work at AWIN and as an expert in EFSA groups: “The role of the WQN is essential: it promotes the harmonization of standards, supports the implementation of certifications throughout Europe, and generates training material to ensure a transparent and standardized process,” he explains.
Current challenges include maintaining the system's credibility, strengthening or even increasing standards, and developing new protocols for partially covered systems (such as suckler cows, dairy calves, or extensive production): "The most serious risk for any certification is losing credibility. We must maintain or increase the standard to preserve all previous work, as lowering it would undo all efforts to create a transparent process," Stiwell emphasizes.
Internal evaluation: an effective tool?
Stilwell led a recent study on simplified self-assessments on dairy farms, within the framework of Welfair®The objective: to determine whether these tools actually help prepare producers for external audits.
The results are clear: Yes, they work, but only if there is real commitment. Self-assessment facilitates participation and helps identify weaknesses. For example, the study identified farms that performed dehorning (the removal or prevention of horn growth in animals) without anesthesia. After the audit, some began training and improved their final score. Those that didn't implement the changes didn't improve: "Self-assessment is fantastic, but it's only useful if the farmer believes in it," says Stilwell.
Continuing education: the key to well-being
Likewise, the education of farmers and veterinarians is essential. “If they don't understand the animals' needs, if they don't know how to identify behaviors or signs of stress, they won't be able to improve their well-being,” he asserts. A clear example, he explains, is that scientific evidence shows that calves improve their cognitive development if they are grouped together from an early age. “Farmers must understand that this is not a whim, but a real necessity.”
As for future veterinarians, many have negative ideas about animal production. “My goal as a teacher is to show them that they can be part of the change. They shouldn't stay away from farms, but rather get more involved to achieve better practices.” Therefore, he insists they should visit certified farms and learn about welfare from an early age. “Veterinarians have an enormous influence on farmers. If they trust welfare assessments and work to improve them, certification will be much more effective,” he concludes.
Looking to the future of animal welfare in Europe
Stilwell is optimistic, but also realistic: “The pressure to improve legislation and sustainable food systems is growing, but few consumers are willing to pay more. Therefore, those who implement good practices must receive financial support.” In this context, he highlights the role of certification not only as a tool for transparency and improvement, but also as a valuable mechanism for identifying and rewarding farms that are truly committed to animal welfare: “Certification is also an excellent way to select those farms that deserve to be rewarded with government financial support,” he adds.
Furthermore, he argues that science will be decisive: understanding what animals need, how to translate their experience into objective indicators, and which systems are truly sustainable.
Finally, for Stilwell, the central objective must never be lost sight of: the real welfare of animals"It's not about selling more, or marketing, or calming consciences. It's about ensuring that animals live a life worth living," he concludes.