"Audits not only evaluate, they also help standardize and improve farm practices."
The certification Welfair® is not just limited to complying with regulations; its purpose is to truly understand how animals live and feel. In this interview, Laura Pérez Sala, Lead Auditor of Welfair® shares his professional career, the keys to his daily work, and how this scientifically based certification scheme is transforming the agri-food industry to ensure a more ethical and responsible future.
A career marked by a passion for animal welfare
Laura Pérez began her career as a self-employed veterinarian, independently consulting in the swine sector. From the outset, she specialized in handling, biosecurity, and personnel management—critical areas for ensuring a healthy relationship between caregivers and animals. Five years ago, Laura discovered a new professional opportunity when she was told about a protocol related to animal welfare.
Ethology and well-being have always seemed fundamental to her within the veterinary profession. That's why she decided to train in protocol. Welfair®, completed the two modules specific to swine and began auditing. "I thought it was an exceptional job because it taught me how to observe again, something we veterinarians often lose over time. Plus, I felt like I was doing something important to improve the lives of animals," Laura reflects.
The role of Lead Auditor and responsibilities in the protocol Welfair®
As Lead Auditor, Laura's responsibilities include both technical supervision and training and administration. In her case, she is primarily responsible for modules related to pork, as this is her specialty.
Duties include resolving questions and issues raised by auditors, training them, accrediting them, and conducting annual audits. Calibrations are performed every five years to ensure standards remain consistent across all assessments. There is also a reporting component that involves managing non-conformities and reviewing reports.
Regarding the training required of auditors, Laura explains that they are required to have a degree, necessarily related to the sector, and, if possible, some experience. Furthermore, "basic knowledge of biosecurity and management is essential, especially since we observe, but also work inside, pens. You have to know how to treat and interact with animals and, of course, be familiar with farm conditions."
Laura emphasizes that the qualification of new auditors is an essential step. This process consists of a week of intensive training during which the protocol is taught, the measures are practiced, and theoretical and practical exams are conducted on farms. "Qualification is training, but it's also evaluative. If the auditor doesn't have the necessary skills, they can't perform the role, although most successfully complete this stage."
Auditor oversight is carried out in two ways: first, based on possible deviations detected in reports or monitoring, and second, through periodic annual oversights. These oversights allow for standardization of criteria and ensure that farm assessments are carried out consistently, regardless of the location or auditor.
How the audit process works in Welfair®
The seal of well-being animal Welfair® is completely voluntary. Farms join it voluntarily, either because they are convinced of the importance of animal welfare, because the slaughterhouse requests it, or because the end customer, such as food distribution chains, requests it. This protocol is based on the animal itself, following four principles (good nutrition, good housing, good health, and good behavior) and twelve criteria defined after years of scientific research. The measures applied allow for an objective and measurable assessment of animal welfare.
To select the farms to be audited, the square root of the total number of farms in a company is taken, thus determining a representative sample. "Internally, all of a company's farms are assessed each year. On the other hand, externally, certification bodies assess a representative sample. This sample is equivalent to the square root of the total number of farms in the company and is randomly selected based on the farm's characteristics," explains the Lead Auditor.
Although most audits are scheduled with the client, there is also a percentage of unannounced audits, which aim to ensure that best practices are applied daily and not just on the day of the audit.
Scientific criteria and their implementation in audits
The fundamental principles of the protocol Welfair® are derived from the five freedoms defined decades ago for animals. Each of them is measured by specific, observable criteria, such as ease of movement and absence of injury or disease.
“These measures are mostly objective and quick to assess at the time of the visit, as they don't require specific tools. For example, ease of movement is determined by observing the actual space available for each animal. This methodology ensures consistency and reliability in the audits, thanks also to the prior training the auditors receive,” Laura explains.
Audit results and communication with farms
The audit result is entered into a simulator that calculates a final score between 0 and 100 points. This score also breaks down the results by criterion and principle. To pass, you must reach at least the "good" level, in addition to meeting certain thresholds for the principles assessed. "It's a completely numerical issue, not an emotional one," Laura clarifies.
“As I have already said, obtaining certification Welfair It's a voluntary act, but one thing that's very clear is that we can't award it if a farm doesn't comply with animal welfare legislation. We have a checklist of prerequisites based on legal regulations and some additional biosecurity and management aspects. We don't evaluate that legislation, but rather verify that it's met as a necessary condition for conducting the animal welfare audit," he explains. Therefore, there may be farms that meet the protocol criteria observed in the animals, but fail to pass some point of the legal prerequisites. "Even if the protocol criteria have been met, we can't award the seal if the legislation isn't respected," he concludes.
In the event of non-conformities, that is, failure to meet protocol requirements, the auditor must explain them to the farmer, who has 30 days to submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). This plan is evaluated, and if necessary, additional actions or extraordinary audits are requested to verify its implementation. Non-conformities may also increase sampling by 25% within the certification scheme.
Challenges and future vision in animal welfare
One of the main challenges Laura faces in her work is explaining the role of the auditor and overcoming the perception that they are merely inspectors looking for faults. According to her, communication and empathy are key to ensuring farmers understand the process and collaborate on continuous improvement. "Farmers are the first people interested in the well-being of their animals, and when we give them tools to improve, they do so gratefully, because they know it benefits both the animals and their own operations," she concludes.
“When the protocols emerged Welfair® A huge and enormous effort was made: going from having nothing to having something that allowed us to measure animal welfare. We didn't just look at the facilities, we actually observed the animals, and for me, that was an impressive advance." Laura optimistically concludes that the collaborative work between farmers, veterinarians, and auditors is already making a difference, improving animal welfare and fostering a more ethical future for the agri-food industry. Even so, "the path forward must be based on developing protocols that allow for a more accurate and realistic assessment of welfare in the different types of production available in our country and in Europe."