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Rethinking the Pre-Slaughter Phase in Broilers: Key Takeaways from the aWISH Workshop

On April 4th, at Ghent, Belgium, a dynamic and well-attended hybrid workshop about the pre-slaughter phase in broilers took place, bringing together a diverse group of experts, stakeholders, and policymakers.

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The workshop provided an essential platform to foster open dialogue, cross-sector collaboration, and the identification of viable solutions aimed at enhancing animal welfare without compromising operational efficiency.

The event commenced with a series of presentations highlighting current and past scientific research, posing the crucial question of how welfare can be improved during the pre-slaughter phase. The workshop showcased monitoring options and best-practice guidelines developed within the aWISH project. Additionally, insights from the KIPVANG project on various catching methods in Flanders (Frank Tuyttens, ILVO/UGent) and an overview of the pre-slaughter conditions in Norway (Käthe Kittelsen, ANIMALIA) were presented. The key takeaway from these presentations was clear: no single solution exists. A multifaceted approach, involving collaboration among all stakeholders and incorporating recent advancements in technology and knowledge, is necessary moving forward.

At the heart of the workshop was an engaging interactive session, where participants grouped across different roles discussed challenges and potential improvements in supply chain processes, scientific research, and policy frameworks. Major welfare concerns identified included human factors, genetic vulnerabilities in broilers, crate design issues, and inadequate transport conditions. Immediate recommendations encompassed enhanced training for handlers, standardized crate designs, and improved transportation conditions.

Participants also outlined longer-term strategies, such as genetic advancements for breeding more resilient birds and implementing innovative technologies, such as automated catching through robots, and the implementation of artificial intelligence.

Regarding research and policy, there was clear consensus on prioritizing technological innovations, such as AI-based monitoring systems and optimized catching machinery, highlighting their practical and economic feasibility in industry settings. Participants acknowledged that existing regulatory frameworks sometimes unintentionally impede welfare improvements due to ambiguities or insufficient clarity. Therefore, they suggested clearer guidelines and stricter regulations, particularly concerning transport density, handling practices, and international import standards, to foster a fair competitive environment and ensure consistent welfare improvements. Moreover, several groups underscored the
importance of learning from mistakes and transitioning from purely punitive approaches to systems that incorporate both penalties and rewards. Open dialogue, strategic thinking, and collective action were identified as essential for fostering stronger partnerships and improving overall welfare standards.

Following the interactive discussions, an insightful intermezzo featured three concise webinar-style presentations, offering practical and policy-oriented perspectives. Marien Gerritzen (WUR) addressed the prevalence and causes of catching-related injuries, Virginie Michel (Anses) presented regulatory and scientific insights from EURCAW-Poultry-SFA and EFSA, and Aurelia Zimmermann (Micarna) shared practical experiences with upright catching methods at the Swiss Micarna group, highlighting successes and ongoing
challenges.

Bas Rodenburg (University of Utrecht) moderated the concluding panel debate, which brought together diverse viewpoints from industry (Birthe Steenberg, AVEC), science (Käthe Kittelsen, ANIMALIA), policy and societal interests (Eelco Bos, Beter Leven), legislative frameworks (Karlien De Paepe, Flemish Government), and ethics (Koen Margodt, ethicist). The debate underscored critical themes, including the necessity of transparency in the sector and the importance of involving a wider range of stakeholders, notably technology providers, in welfare discussions.

Feedback from participants was positive, with many expressing a desire for an extended event—a testament to the relevance and impact of the discussions. Consequently, the event successfully highlighted significant potential pathways for improvement, creating a collaborative environment emphasizing innovation, clear policy and scientific guidance, defined goals, and shared responsibility. This collective approach is vital for advancing animal welfare in broiler pre-slaughter processes without compromising existing efficiency standards.

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1. aWISH Introduction

We would like to invite you to participate in the aWISH Expert Panel, as we believe that your experience and knowledge will contribute greatly to a key consultation body of the project. aWISH is a 4-year project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme. Before you decide to participate in the aWISH Expert Panel, please take the time to read this document carefully to understand what your involvement will be in our project’s activity. If there is anything you do not understand, please feel free to ask questions.

1.1 What is the aWISH project about?

In the EU, a challenge that still remains is to reconcile the social and moral demand for a high level of animal welfare with other pillars of sustainable livestock production. Indeed, 82% of Europeans believe that farm animals should be better protected than they currently are. A broad definition of animal welfare refers to the feelings and physical well-being of an individual animal. Broilers and pigs are the farm animals EU citizens care most about, and they are also the most important meat-producing animals in the EU and worldwide. Both pigs and broilers have significant welfare problems at all stages of production (on-farm, loading and transport, unloading and slaughter), leading a growing number of citizens to question the social license to produce. Ambitious and effective, but also practical and efficient solutions are needed. This is where the aWISH project comes in to fill this gap! The aim of aWISH is to develop and provide a cost-effective solution for assessing and improving the welfare of meat-producing livestock in Europe. The aWISH solution is based on the automatic monitoring of animal-related indicators at slaughter. The necessary technologies will also be developed to collect complementary data on farm or during transport. Pilot and development activities will be carried out in 6 broiler and fattening pig production chains across Europe using a lean multi-actor approach to test and validate the project results. A catalogue of animal welfare indicators will disseminate all validated indicators and standardised data collection methods. Best practice guides will be developed to improve key aspects of animal welfare in pigs and broilers and to help external stakeholders use aWISH technologies and tools. In this context, the aWISH project will set up expert panels that will be composed of representatives of actors from the entire farm to fork value chain across the EU. The expert panels will have the function to retrieve and share feedback on technology, processes, farming practices, industry, sector regulation and markets, as well as society and perceptions. In this way, stakeholder participation in expert panels could help initiate interdisciplinary dialogue, promote interaction with target groups and associations, and strengthen trust between different actors.

2. Useful Information

2.1 Is my participation voluntary and what does it involve?

Your participation in the aWISH project is entirely voluntary. If you decide to participate in an aWISH activity, we will ask you to sign an Informed Consent Form to collect and process your data. The project will last 48 months, but you will only participate for as long as you wish.

2.2 Purpose of personal data collection

As mentioned above, the expert panel will have the function to retrieve and share feedback on technology, processes, farming practices, industry, sector regulation and markets, as well as society and perceptions. In order to do this effectively, we need to process some of your personal data:
  • Your contact information
  • Demographic information (age, gender, country of origin)
  • Professional information (where do you work, what position do you hold, what is your area of expertise)
  • Personal opinions on the subject

2.3 What we will do with your data

The information you provide is confidential. Your consent form will be kept separate from the observations collected during the course of the project activity. We will share your data with other aWISH project partners involved in the data analysis and reporting process. Once the data is analysed, a report of the findings may be submitted for publication. The project's deliverables that will be derived by this activity will not include your personal data or any other information that could identify you. The results of this project activity may also be shared with representatives of the European Union (e.g. the Project Officer evaluating the project's or the reviewing EU agencies). Only broad trends will be reported and it will not be possible to identify any individuals.

3. Access, deletion of information or withdrawal of consent

Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to request to: (i) provide you with a copy of your data; (ii) correct your data if you believe they are inaccurate; (iii) erase your data; (iv) restrict or stop processing your data; or (v) provide your data in an appropriate format and transfer them to another organisation. In addition, you may withdraw your consent and therefore your participation at any time without consequence. Anonymous data already collected will be used as we cannot trace the information back to you. No further data will be collected or other procedures carried out in relation to your information. If you wish to have the personal data we hold checked, amended, corrected or deleted, or if you wish to withdraw your consent, you can contact the responsible partner listed below.

4. Contact Information

Partner name: WHITE RESEARCH SRL
e-mail: akyriakidis@white-research.eu

5. Informed Consent Form

I confirm that I understand that by ticking each box below I am consenting to this element of the study. I understand that it will be assumed that unticked boxes mean that I DO NOT consent to that part of the study. I also understand that by not giving consent for any of the elements, I may be deemed ineligible for participating in this project’s activity.
 

6. Declaration of Acceptance

I, the undersigned
acknowledge that I have read and agree to be bound by the aWISH Expert Panel Terms of Reference. I agree to participate in the aWISH Expert Panel in my individual capacity and, as such, may not assign or be substituted for any other person to perform the work without prior written agreement with the aWISH Expert Panel Consortium. I agree not to disclose any information given in the course of the Expert Panel’s work unless the aWISH Consortium agrees to releases me from this obligation, and to respects the confidentiality requirements. I declare that I fully and unconditionally accept my appointment as an aWISH Expert Panel member as described in the Terms of Reference. I agree that any contribution I make as an aWISH Expert Panel member may be used by the aWISH consortium for reporting purposes or to align project activities to the needs of relevant stakeholders. I consent to the processing of my personal data necessary for my participation in the aWISH Expert Panel.

Welcome to the awISH Project website

Before we dig in we would like to know a little more about you. Group that describes you the best is: