News

Brescia, Italy – Dr. Heleen van de Weerd, representing Cerebrus Associates, delivered a keynote presentation at the International Symposium "Animal Welfare and Health Indicators: Potential to Further Reduce Antimicrobial Usage in Farming". The event, held at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) in Brescia, was organised under the Italian Presidency’s G7 programme, attracting high-level experts from the European Commission, the Ministry of Health, and leading international organisations.

Florence, Italy – Working together with MatPrat, Animalia, NMBU and  Chronos Sustainability, Dr. Jon Day presented groundbreaking research at the 9th International Conference on the Welfare Assessment of Animals at Farm Level (WAFL). His presentation, "Identifying Optimal Combinations of Welfare Indicators," showcased a data-driven approach to optimise welfare monitoring across diverse animal production systems.

Recognising sentience in crustaceans: In recent years, growing scientific consensus has affirmed the sentience of cephalopod molluscs (such as octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish) and decapod crustaceans (including crabs, lobsters, and crayfish).
Following an independent review commissioned by Defra and published by the London School of Economics in 2021, the UK government recognised these species as sentient under the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.

Leipzig, Germany – Dr. Heleen van de Weerd of Cerebrus Associates delivered a keynote presentation at the 2024 International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) and European Symposium of Porcine Health Management (ESPHM) Conference. Her talk, "The European Approach to Advanced Pig Welfare," highlighted the European Union’s leadership in animal welfare, key policy strategies, ongoing challenges, and future opportunities to enhance pig welfare standards.