The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in partnership with 14 industry partners (one of the largest partnerships of its kind) and the University of Saskatchewan provided funding for a 5-year research program in swine welfare. The program led by Dr Yolande Seddon the NSERC Industrial Research Chair aims to answer important questions about swine behaviour and welfare that can inform practical solutions for the Canadian Swine Industry while contributing to and supporting a sustainable, ethical, and efficient food production for Canadians.
The NSERC Industrial Research Chair investment enables partnerships and collaborations that connect industry with scientists and their research capabilities. This researcher-industry partnership established by NSERC will help inform research & development and solve scale-up challenges within the industry. In addition, the investment and partnership provide an enhanced experiential learning environment for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, as they are exposed to research challenges unique to this partnership.
Farm Animal Welfare Matters
Farm animal welfare has become a priority for the food supply chain, this includes the industry, food companies, retailers and restaurants, who are responding to consumer demand. This increased interest lies in societal changes driven by humanitarian, traceability and transparency concerns in the food production system. Animal welfare is about acknowledging that animals are sentient beings capable of feeling positive and negative emotions that cannot only affect their physical but also their mental state; and in the short or long term affect the production and sustainability of the food production system.
Understanding the contribution of early life management practices to pig robustness, sociability and welfare outcomes in the growing pig.
Identify whether the promotion of play can be used as a production tool to increase physiological and psychological robustness in pigs.
Identify and validate biomarkers of welfare state in growing swine.
Animal-based post-mortem indicators: Linking abattoir data to live animal measures.
Dr. Seddon is an Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine with specialized training in animal behaviour and scientific assessment of animal welfare. Her research career has focused on addressing welfare challenges in farmed swine. Her previous research has involved the management of sows in group housing, pain control, early disease detection, and high welfare farrowing systems.
