35530 - Animal Welfare and Production Quality

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed to enable students to:1) Assess the welfare level of farm animals by means of validated systems; 2) Recognize the relationships between animal welfare, rearing system and the quality of animal-derived products.

Course contents

Course introduction and description of final examination rules.

The concept of animal-derived food quality (consumer perspective, industrial perspective, ethic implications).

Animal welfare: concept, indicators and methods for its assessment (ANI, Welfare Quality, Classyfarm score systems).

The role of animal welfare on product quality.

The perception of animal welfare by consumers.

The quality of foods deriving from non-intensive farming systems: the example of the Organic Method (Reg. 848/2018)

Practical activity performed at the Faculty dairy farm aimed to assess the welfare level of animals by means of validated score systems, design of "animal friendly" labels, self-evaluation by each student of his/her perception of animal welfare as a consumer.

 

Readings/Bibliography

1) Slides and notes available online in the course web site

2) Further reading:

Sandrucci A., Trevisi E. (2022). Produzioni Animali. EdiSES (NA).

Caccioni D. e Colombo L. 2012. Il Manuale del Biologico. Edagricole (BO)

Fraser A.F. e Broom D. 1997. Farm animals behaviour and welfare. CABI Publishing (UK).

Napolitano F., De Rosa G., Grasso F. 2007. Comportamento e benessere degli animali in produzione zootecnica. Aracne Editrice. Roma

Webster J. 2011. Management and welfare of farm animals (5th ed.) Wiley-Blackwell (UK)

 

Teaching methods

Blended learning (face-to-face classroom practices combined with computer-mediated activities).

The course consists of formal lectures, supervised individual work mainly dealing with welfare assessment of dairy cows and/or pigs kept in the Department facilities (carried out in person and followed by the use of on-line available tools), self-evaluation of animal welfare perception and design of labels for "animal friendly" foods.

 

Assessment methods

Oral exam aimed at identifying the level of knowledge and competence achieved through general and species-specific questions. In addition to knowledge, the skills of expression and connection will be as well evaluated.

During the exam, the output of the individual work carried out within Module 2 will also be evaluated.

Both modules have an equivalent impact on the final mark.

In detail, here is the score grid for oral examinations:

- in-depth knowledge of the topics addressed in the course, together with high skills of critical analysis, connection and a sure command of specific terminology, will be evaluated with the maximum score (30-30L);

- good knowledge of the topics addressed in the course, together with good analytical and critical skills and the possession of a sure command of specific terminology, will be evaluated with good marks (27-29);

- technically adequate preparation and a sufficient analytical capacity, even if not particularly articulated, expressed in a correct language, will produce fair evaluations (23-26);

- sufficient preparation and capacity for analysis, expressed in a barely formally correct language, will determine the sufficiency (18-22).

Booking for the examination can be esclusively done by means of Alma Esami web system.

The examinations take place every month (indicatively).

 

Teaching tools

Teams platform, PC slides, internet, laboratories and in-farm activities.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanna Martelli

See the website of Eleonora Nannoni