11th April 2013
Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street London NW1 0TU United Kingdom
There is increasing recognition that the earth's natural boundaries are being pushed to the limit, as the human population continues to grow in a world of finite resources. With a projected doubling in global meat consumption by the middle of the century, how can environmental impacts be minimised and animal welfare assured, as some quarters call for "sustainable intensification"? Leading experts at AWSELVA's Spring 2013 conference debated the role of animal agriculture in a world of climate change, including aquaculture and contentious large-scale dairy farming. In a day that also examined the welfare of dogs used in pet therapy, military dogs and competition horses, the conference included the usual AWSELVA mix of challenging topics, leading thinkers and thought-provoking discussion.
Schedule
| 09:30 | Registration and coffee |
| 09:55 | Introduction and Welcome - Ed Varley, AWSELVA President |
| 10:00 | Sustainable food - where's the ethical boundary? - Tara Garnett, Food Climate Research Network |
| 10:45 | Pushing the boundaries in competition and breeding horses - is there an alternative to abolition? - Dr Madeleine Campbell, Royal Veterinary College |
| 11:30 | Tea/coffee |
| 11:50 | Fish farming – a 3-dimensional animal welfare problem? - Dr Ben North, Pharmaq Ltd |
| 12:30 | Pushing the boundaries with army dogs? - Col Neil Smith, Royal Army Veterinary Corps |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Assistance dogs - how far should we push them? - Lee Stanway, Guide Dogs UK |
| 15:00 | Intensive dairy farming – how big is too big? - John Fishwick, Royal Veterinary College |
| 15:45 | Tea |
| 16:00 | AWSELVA AGM (members only) |
| 16:30 | Close |