«The certification Welfair® has objectified the measurement of animal welfare, establishing valid and measurable indicators that exceed those required by law.

The certification Welfair® has revolutionized the way we understand animal welfare in the agri-food industry. In this interview, Toni Velarde, director of IRTA's animal welfare program, highlights the need to update legislation to incorporate scientific advances. He also analyzes the impact of certification. Welfair®, which has transformed the perception of animal welfare and turned it into a tool for continuous improvement for producers and valued by consumers.

A path marked by research and innovation 

Toni Velarde found his calling in animal welfare during his veterinary studies. "What I liked most about the program was the research, especially in the areas of animal behavior and welfare," he says. After completing his studies, he pursued a doctorate at IRTA and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​focusing on animal welfare during slaughter, evaluating different stunning systems.

This experience led him to Cambridge, where he completed a postdoc at Cambridge Veterinary School. There, he delved deeper into the study of the emotional state of animals. "That's when IRTA suggested I open the animal welfare line, and we began working on projects that would define robust and applicable assessment protocols."

One of the most notable projects was Welfare Quality, launched in 2004, which developed specific protocols for assessing the welfare of pigs, cattle, and poultry. "At IRTA, we led the development of the pig welfare protocol. The key was to prioritize animal-based indicators, as they more directly reflect their welfare," Velarde explains. The next step was to turn these protocols into practical tools: "We decided that they wouldn't remain an academic project, but rather that they would be the basis of a certification system useful for production, livestock, and society." This is how the initial idea of ​​what certification would become in the future was born. Welfair®».

The current state of animal welfare legislation

For Velarde, European Union legislation is an international benchmark: "We can say it's the most comprehensive and developed. Its objective is to ensure that housing, handling, and other aspects, such as transport and slaughter, follow harmonized criteria for all member countries, with general and specific legislation for species such as hens, chickens, pigs, among others," he explains. However, he points out the need to update this legislation, which is already 25 years old: "Despite being one of the most advanced, it needs to incorporate the scientific advances that have occurred over the years."

“As I've already said, current legislation is comprehensive because it considers all five domains of animal welfare, giving it a multidimensional and holistic approach,” he explains. Even so, the researcher anticipates a shift toward more specific regulations, driven by the scientific opinions of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA): “EFSA prepares reports that constitute the scientific basis for new legislation, which must also consider economic, social, environmental, and other aspects that are not strictly scientific.”

Furthermore, Velarde points to priority issues such as eliminating cages in production systems, reducing mutilations (such as tail or beak docking), and making them mandatory under anesthesia and analgesia. "There is also a growing interest in meeting animals' behavioral needs through environmental enrichment or increasing available space," he adds.

Certification Welfair®: beyond the legal prerequisites

The certification Welfair® has brought about a significant change in the way animal welfare is perceived and managed in the agri-food sector. "Its impact on the continuous improvement of animal welfare is remarkable," says the researcher. One of its main achievements, he explains, has been raising awareness of the importance of animal welfare among all stakeholders, from farmers to consumers. "It has changed the perception of welfare: from being seen as an obstacle to economic performance to being considered a business opportunity. Having an animal welfare certification allows producers to access new market niches and sales channels that were previously unavailable," he concludes.

In addition, he states that Welfair® has objectified the assessment of animal welfare, establishing valid, clear, and measurable indicators that make it more understandable for both farmers and consumers. This not only benefits farmers, who can optimize their practices based on the specific welfare issues identified, but also consumers: "They can now identify products that meet welfare standards higher than those required by law," adds Velarde.

Regarding the differences between legislation and certification criteria, Velarde explains that both have complementary but clearly differentiated functions. "Legislation establishes a red line that delimits what is legal and what is not," he explains. Below this line, he clarifies that production is prohibited because it does not meet the minimum standards required for animal protection. In contrast, the certification scheme Welfair® operates above this line, encouraging voluntary improvements that go beyond what is established by regulations. "Certification drives continuous improvement, promoting standards that not only meet but exceed regulatory requirements," Velarde concludes.

Sector challenges and future vision

Despite the progress, the researcher points out several challenges facing the agri-food industry. One of the main challenges is the growing demand from consumers, who demand high standards of animal welfare. "This requires constant evolution and additional efforts on the part of producers," he comments.

On the other hand, there is the need to adapt to new regulations, some of which are not yet defined but which could bring significant changes to the sector, as well as competitiveness against imported products from countries with less stringent welfare regulations. "If these products have access to the local market, they can represent unfair competition for domestic producers who meet higher standards. It is essential that governments implement mechanisms to protect local producers and ensure that consumers know which products meet animal welfare standards," he emphasizes.

Finally, Velarde emphasizes the importance of modernizing and digitizing livestock farming through advanced sensors and evaluation systems. "This not only improves animal welfare but also optimizes other production parameters, offering benefits for both producers and the food industry as a whole."