AGRIBUSINESS SPECIAL: AN INDUSTRY COMMITTED TO ANIMAL WELFARE

The newspaper Agribusiness includes in its latest issue a special dedicated to Animal welfare, in which our interprofessional has participated with an opinion article that includes our main actions in this important commitment of the entire poultry industry. Can access the full content of the special on its website. We reproduce here the entire tribune of Jordi Montfort, secretary general of Avianza.

A responsible, innovative poultry industry committed to animal welfare

The Spanish poultry industry is a international benchmark for innovation capacity, transformation and adaptation to the new challenges posed by consumers and the agri-food value chain itself. Occupying this position has been possible thanks to a constant commitment of investment in all production processes, from genetics, raising birds on our farms, logistics and transportation, processing and manufacturing of products, or final marketing. And all this in addition, generating a important contribution to our economy, as well as the revitalization of business activity in rural areas.

Our farms, production centers and the entire ecosystem of companies in general are increasingly more professionalized, more technical, and even more prepared to address the process of internationalization to even more demanding markets, if possible. And in this evolution, Having an “Animal Welfare Commitment” seal is a priority for everyone. Because a large part of the homework has already been done. We are talking about the ability to transparently show that consumer that, for years, our companies and professionals have complied beyond and beyond with the principles set by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in terms of animal welfare, as well as the regulations. of the European Union, such as the European Convention for the Protection of Animals on Livestock Farms. They are facts.

Having an “Animal Welfare Commitment” seal is a priority for everyone

Avianza

For this reason, our interprofessional actively participates in different work committees, both in our sector and with other interprofessionals, to create the common framework that allows us to promote a seal that represents to our consumers the guarantee of poultry production which is governed by the highest standards of animal welfare, as well as ethical criteria. Standards that are applied in areas of biosecurity, food, accommodation and facilities, or animal management.

It is a common responsibility, which is nourished by the improvements proposed by the entire ecosystem of the meat industry, committees of experts involving universities and technology centers, certification entities, operators and the animal protection and defense organizations themselves. Dialogue and respect must be the basis of improvement.

Because in the European Union we have one of the most demanding and advanced regulations in the field of animal welfare, and our companies are guarantors of compliance. When our poultry products compete in international markets, and also the national one, it should be an important competitive advantage, especially given the threat of low-cost poultry meat from markets that are more lax in their production policies. And this is something that we want to highlight in a positive way: Spanish poultry meat is a healthy, safe and quality product.

Our companies and professionals have spent years transforming their facilities into highly advanced complexes, where innovation and digitalization help to control and improve each part of the production process, with a significant investment in traceability. Technologies such as blockchain, or the governance and adoption of data for making better decisions, are part of this transformation process, and their practical application can contribute to giving elderly solidity and transparency to initiatives such as our quality and animal welfare seal.

We have the opportunity to harmonize the certification processes so that the consumer recognizes in a single seal that reality of which we are so proud.

Avianza

From Avianza We want that when consumers go to their shelves they have the guarantee that purchasing a poultry product produced in Spain is synonymous with all the values that we have mentioned previously. And also the efforts of thousands of anonymous professionals and families who work every day to guarantee that Spanish poultry meat is part of the gastronomic heritage of our country.

In 2021 we address important challenges in the internationalization of our products, focusing on markets such as Japan, Hong Kong, the Middle East or the EU itself, especially with a Premium product, and the ability to communicate more widely, efficiently and transparent the good practices in terms of animal welfare that we have applied in all links of the value chain of the meat industry.

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