Strengthening resilience in Canada’s food systems with AgriAssurance support

While the safety of Canada’s food supply chain starts on the farm, it doesn’t end there. Important partners—including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), provincial and territorial governments, industry associations and veterinarians—all collaborate to build a strong food system, prepare for emergencies and manage outbreaks.

This work is made possible thanks to the leadership of Animal Health Canada (AHC), supported through funding from AAFC’s AgriAssurance Program - National Industry Association Component. AHC leads projects to provide a cohesive, functional and responsive farmed animal health and welfare system in Canada.

About Animal Health Canada

Angus cows grazing (Credit: FarmPhotos.ca Photo Library)

AHC is the only national organization that brings together industry with federal, provincial and territorial partners to collaborate on farmed animal health and welfare topics. Their collaborative efforts ensure a consistent, responsive approach across Canada. With AgriAssurance Program funding, AHC leads three major initiatives:

• Advising on national animal health surveillance priorities and disease patterns through its Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) division
• Enhancing the emergency management capabilities of Canada’s livestock industry through its Emergency Management division
• Leading farm animal care and welfare initiatives in Canada through its National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC)

Animal Health Canada’s partnership with AAFC has been a long and critical one. In addition to funding, AAFC and the CFIA sit on the AHC Board of Directors as advisory members.

Improving disease detection and monitoring

The Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) positions Canadian industry and government partners to monitor and prepare for disease outbreaks involving animals. The CAHSS monitors global trends, detects diseases that may impact Canadian farm animals, and provides data and early warnings. This is critical to planning a coordinated response.

“With AAFC funding, we’re assessing the disease surveillance needs of our members. What does surveillance look like before, during and after an outbreak?” says Colleen McElwain, former Executive Director at Animal Health Canada. “We need to understand who leads, who takes the samples, and the processes in place for the sample collection. This will allow us to respond quickly and ensure labs have the capacity when an outbreak takes place. AAFC funding is helping us get a clear picture for an effective and coordinated response.”

The funding is also improving Canadian data integration between provincial labs, while improving Canada’s disease detection and monitoring capabilities.

Preparing for animal health emergencies

Piglets play with a toy in a barn (Credit: FarmPhotos.ca Photo Library)

AHC’s work is essential to strengthening Canada’s ability to respond to animal health emergencies, given the significant impact that animal diseases have on the health and welfare of infected animals, agricultural sustainability, trade, and, in some cases, human health.

AHC is currently leading several projects aimed at improving emergency management in different sectors for foreign animal diseases should they be discovered in Canada:

• Preparedness planning: Coordinating hog sector partners to test plans and sector recommendations through exercises involving multiple partners for African swine fever mitigation
• Cattle biosecurity: Collaborating with the Beef Cattle Research Council to plan for foot- and-mouth disease management

Leading Canada’s animal care Codes of Practice

Chickens (Credit: CFC-Froese Family)

With funding from AAFC, the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) coordinates a national approach to farm animal welfare across Canada. Their work involves developing and updating the Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals.

Given that animal health and welfare practices evolve, as does the science, NFACC reviews and updates the codes every five years. The group is currently updating the Codes of Practice for beef cattle, sheep, equine (horses), pigs and poultry.

“We use a multi-partner, consensus-based process to update these standards and address evolving consumer concerns,” says McElwain. “Public trust is crucial for the success of individual businesses in Canada’s animal agriculture sector. This collaborative and science informed approach allows the animal agriculture sector to mitigate risks and seize new market opportunities while ensuring responsible and ethical farm animal care.”

Looking ahead: What’s next for animal health in Canada

Animal Health Canada will continue to strengthen the national multi-partner collaborative model it has put in place to keep Canadian animals healthy and manage farm animal care. They will continue to develop the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System, expanding the data platform for wider usage. Their work to update the Codes of Practice sets the tone for how Canadian industry partners can come together with a common purpose.

“It’s really exciting to be applying that model of collaboration to disease surveillance and emergency management. We move so much faster together than we do apart,” says McElwain.

“The work we do would not be possible without AgriAssurance Program funding. Our success depends on it. There is significant public good to the work we do because emergency preparedness, disease surveillance and animal care impact the safety and security of our food, and support our economy and provide jobs. These are all issues that are important to Canadians.” – Colleen McElwain, former Executive Director, Animal Health Canada