Animal Welfare and the Future of Sustainable Farming:
Balancing conflicting demands for Corporate Social Responsibility

What happens to animal welfare in a world that is increasingly concerned with climate change and finding enough resources for a growing human population? Is the welfare of farm animals a luxury we cannot afford or a necessity for the sustainable production of healthy food?

In these two modules, we examine animal welfare in the context of other drivers on food production such as food safety, pressures on the environment and the economic realities of farming. We look at whether these other drivers are in conflict with animal welfare or complementary to it. We look at animal welfare as one of several different components of Corporate Social Responisbility (CSR) and how the right sort of evidence can help us make difficult decisions about how animals should be farmed.

Each module occupies a block of four consecutive days. The successive days build on each other but we recognize that not everyone may be able to attend all 4, so we have made it possible to attend just one or two individual days. The course is primarily oriented towards those in the food industry (animal production, retailing, catering and food outlets) to help them meet the changing demands of their customers and so to ensure that they are at the forefront of delivering high quality food. We hope the course will also be of interest to those in the charity sector or indeed anyone with an interest in the future of animal farming.

The courses have been developed in conjunction with the Food Animal Initiative and will include opportunities to visit the FAI farm at Wytham, Oxford. We are offering two courses in animal welfare and sustainable farming:

Course Aims

We sugggest that people take both courses but each one is designed to be self-contained and so could be taken on its own. We have identified a number of key aims for the training courses we offer, including:

  • To discuss animal welfare in the light of current economic, environmental and political pressures
  • To provide a comprehensive view of animal production, both intensive and extensive, in commercial agriculture and the animal welfare challenges they face
  • To provide an understanding to the scientific approach to animal welfare and the role of research in improving it
  • To show how to read a scientific paper on animal welfare , evaluate conflicting research findings, set up trials and make the maximum use of data in a practical setting

Following the course, students should have an understanding of:

  • The realities of current food animal farming and how improvements in animal welfare might be incorporated into systems that are also commercially viable and environmentally sustainable (Course 1)
  • What constitutes good scientific evidence on animal welfare (Course 2).

Who is the course for?

The course will be accessible to participants from diverse backgrounds, and is particularly aimed at those actively engaged in the food industry in the widest sense – production, catering, retailing, or some other professional interest in animal farming. It is intended for graduates wanting to improve their understanding of food animal production.

Course Fees

£975 per 4-day training course; £300 per day if taken as separate days

How to apply

To apply, please visit the separate module descriptions below where you can apply online or via a paper-based application form.

If you require advice or more detail on any aspect of the course, you are welcome to contact us at any time.

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