Document type : Press release from the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Author: Julien Denormandie's Press Office
Preview: In January 2020, the Government made a commitment to appoint an animal welfare advisor on each farm who would have specific and compulsory training in these issues. After extensive work with the industry to design this training component, this measure will be effective from 1 January 2022, according to the published timetable. Details of its delivery have now been provided in a decree that appeared in the Journal Officiel today.
In 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food began its consideration of how to increase awareness of animal welfare in livestock farming and to introduce training. This process resulted in Decree No. 2020-1625 of 20 December 2020, which stipulates that each farm must nominate an animal welfare advisor by 1 January 2022 at the latest. The decree specifying the procedure for nominating this advisor was published today.
Thus, as of 1 January 2022, all farms and breeders of domestic animals (livestock, pets, equines) and of wild animals that are tamed or kept in captivity must nominate an animal welfare advisor.
This new obligation is accompanied by a training requirement for advisors in pig and poultry farming. Advisors in these sectors will have to take part in a training programme that is approved and paid for by the Vivéa and OCAPIAT organisations. These bodies will ensure the quality of the content and the trainers.
The nominated advisors from pig or poultry farms will have 6 months from 1 January 2022 to start the training course, and will have 18 months to complete it. In light of actions taken since the beginning of 2018, certain previously completed training courses may be recognised as part of the training programme. In other sectors (cattle, sheep, etc.) not yet covered by the requirement, animal welfare training may be taken voluntarily by the advisors.
Training is an important lever to support practice. For this reason, the France Relance plan will also support awareness-raising for livestock farmers of animal welfare issues by financing training, particularly through measures relating to abattoirs and the biosecurity and animal welfare pact. For example, using the measure on abattoirs in the recovery plan, more than 1,800 employees were able to follow training courses in 2021.
"Announced by the Government in 2020, this is now a reality: all farms will have an animal welfare advisor by 1 January 2022. I salute the work of all stakeholders and, in particular, that of the sectors that responded to our call to help; develop this measure. Given the criticisms to which livestock farming is regularly subjected, the implementation of this awareness-raising and continued development programme, which has been produced by constructive dialogue between the State and the livestock farming world, represents a contribution to the renewed relationship of trust that is being built between our farmers and the public. Gainsaying those who seek to cast aspersions on an entire profession by ignoring the realities of farm practices, the world of livestock farming is once again demonstrating its full commitment to transition," announced Julien Denormandie, French Minister of Agriculture and Food.
