94406 - Risk Analysis In Animal Welfare

Learning outcomes

Students will acquire deep understanding on what animal welfare is and why it is matter. Students will develop skills in assessing welfare in livestock using the most recent welfare assessment tools developed around the world. Animal welfare indicators will be described along with new technologies developed for monitoring animal behaviour and welfare. Particular emphasis will be given on animal welfare issues (i.e. housing and management, transportation, stunning and killing), and using scenario based learning the students will learn how to minimise stress and sufferance of the animals during those phases of life. Students will become familiar with the current European regulations on animal care ‘from farm to fork’ and with the most common infringements of the European laws. The nexus between animal health and welfare, human health and wellbeing and environment will be also described. Therefore, at the end of the course students will be able to identify all possible hazards and risk factors for poor animal and human health and welfare.

Course contents

• Animal welfare definition
• Animal welfare assessment tools
• Animal welfare issues (housing and management, transport, stunning and killing)
• Identification and analysis of the main hazards/stressors during animal production life
• Most common zoonosis: nexus between welfare and immune system
• Nexus between animal welfare and food quality
• The European Union legislation on animal welfare
• Risk assessment (risk factors for poor welfare, health and productivity from birth to slaughter)

Readings/Bibliography

Notes of lectures; scientific publications

 

Fraser. Understanding animal welfare science, UFAW

Teaching methods

Student-centred approach, active learning approach, face-to-face lectures, scientific seminaries, on farm visits, tutorials, scenario-based learning, problem-based learning

Assessment methods

This course is part of the integrated subject "Risk Analysis IN the FOOD chain and Animal Welfare”. Final grading of the entire integrated course is calculated as an average of the scores obtained in the two courses of "Risk Analysis in Animal Welfare" and "MICROBIAL GENOMICS FOR RISK ANALYSIS". The examination commission includes teachers of both courses.

The oral examination will verify the theoretical and applicative knowledges of the student. Particularly positive will be evaluated the ability to move within the different topics and the achievement of an organic knowledge of the topics presented during the lessons.

Teaching tools

Projector, computer, internet resources, videos

Office hours

See the website of Barbara Padalino