NFACC Information Update December 2025

In this issue:

NFACC WELCOMES NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER 

NFACC is pleased to welcome Slipacoff's Premium Meats as new associate members!

UPDATES ON CODES OF PRACTICE UNDER REVISION 

Beef Cattle Code Update

The last in-person beef cattle Code Committee (CC) meeting for 2025 was held in October in Calgary. The CC met to finalize discussions on updates to Code Requirements and Recommended Practices and review all draft sections of the Code to date. At this meeting, the CC reached consensus on all Requirements, Recommendations, and content within the draft Code. The group left Calgary feeling very accomplished and pleased with the progress made thus far.

Through November, minor details were finalized and the Code was sent for final approval by the Code Committee. Approval was received to send the Code for Public Comment Period (PCP) preparation, which includes copy editing and French translation. The beef cattle Scientific Committee (SC) Report has successfully undergone peer review and is now also in preparation for publication and release, alongside the beef Code, during PCP. Priority Welfare Issue (PWI) topics that will be covered by the report are available here.

With PCP preparation underway for both documents, NFACC is pleased to announce that the Public Comment Period for the beef Cattle Code of Practice will begin on March 2nd, 2026.

Previous progress updates can be found here.

Equine Code Update

The Equine Code Committee is very pleased to announce that it has now reached a consensus on the draft version of the Code update. The Code will now be prepared for a 60-day public comment period scheduled to launch on January 12th, 2026. Equestrian Canada and NFACC would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the Code committee for the extraordinary dedication, commitment, and expertise that each member of the team has contributed to this effort.

The Scientific Committee’s peer-reviewed report on priority welfare issues will be published alongside the draft Code at the outset of the comment period. The report will no doubt serve as an important reference document during the review window as it did for committee members throughout their deliberations.

Previous progress updates can be found here.

Sheep Code Update

The “naughty” and “nice” members of the Sheep Code Committee 

As we move into the season of sorting out who’s “naughty or nice,” the Code Committee gathered in Ottawa for its third meeting, held December 9–11; exactly one year after its inaugural session. At the Committee’s request, this meeting stretched to three full days, including an evening working session, to keep pace with an ambitious work plan.

The agenda was packed with substantive deliberations on subcommittee progress for the Feed and Water, Health Management, Husbandry, and Euthanasia sections. The Committee also devoted focused time to discussing Code areas informed by the Science Committee’s chapters on Pain Mitigation, Neonatal Care, and Endo-parasitic and Ectoparasitic Infection, using these chapters to guide and ground their conversations.

Throughout the sessions, members maintained a strong spirit of collaboration and problem-solving, working steadily toward to reaching consensus to stay on track for the targeted PCP readiness in May.

Previous progress updates can be found here.

Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens, and Turkeys Code Update 

 It’s been a bustling fall for the poultry Code Committee, with an intensive stretch of subcommittee work throughout September and October leading into the second in-person meeting held in mid-November.

The two-day session was full and productive. The Science Committee presented the Stocking Density chapter, and the Code Committee completed its first review of the subcommittees’ initial recommendations for the Personnel Knowledge and Skills section; as well as the Flock Health section. The long days were spiced up with some good-natured, competitive brain and body breaks led by Nadine (Code Manager) and Krysta (Code Assistant Manager); an energizing way to keep everyone sharp and smiling.

Subcommittee efforts will continue into the first quarter of 2026, laying the groundwork for the next in-person meeting, anticipated for early April.

Previous progress updates can be found here.

Pig Code Update

The first in-person meeting of the Pig Code update was held in Ottawa in late October. All members of both the Code Committee (CC) and Scientific Committee (SC) were in attendance. Over the course of two days, participants reviewed key tenets of the NFACC Code process, discussed the results of the Top-of-Mind survey, and were provided with a brief overview of the pig industry in Canada. CC members also discussed plans for how the update would unfold.

The focus of the meeting revolved around the Code’s “Priority Welfare Issues” (PWI’s). PWI’s refer to 4-6 welfare-related topics that the members of both committees agree (i) are important for pigs and that (ii) would be of benefit to the CC were the SC to prepare and submit an up-to-date summary report reflecting commensurate scientific literature within one year. After a wide-ranging discussion five PWI topics were agreed upon. Subsequent to final wording refinements the PWI topics will be available here. The SC will embark on a one year-long research review before submitting a final summary report to the CC next fall. The CC will also receive interim progress updates during in-person meetings throughout the forthcoming year.   

Following the October session, all members of the CC attended their first online meeting together in mid-November. During this meeting, members of the CC collectively began to review and discuss existing Code content. Online meetings of the entire CC will continue monthly. In-person meetings will continue quarterly.

Previous progress updates can be found here.

NFACC HOLDS SEMI-ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING IN OTTAWA 

NFACC held its semi-annual members meeting in Ottawa on December 2nd and 3rd.  Members gathered for two days to deliberate on a variety of topics, including a panel discussion on NFACC’s value proposition. Following up on festivities held in Vancouver, NFACC members continued celebrating NFACC’s 20th birthday by sharing stories about favorite NFACC memories and learning more about the steps that led to the organization’s creation.

In addition to the NFACC governance committee undertaking a full review of the Code process, the NFACC Code Reporting Working Group also presented their recommended guidelines to support sectors in publicly communicating about the implementation of their Code. The meeting ended with two informative presentations, one by Dr. Dan Weary entitled “Animal Welfare Frameworks: R's, freedoms, domains and spheres” and the other by Dr. Elizabeth Cox discussing the history and implementation of California’s Proposition 12.  Thank you to everyone who joined us in Ottawa! 

NFACC celebrated 20 years with a birthday cake!

 

Financial support was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the AgriAssurance program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

 

Questions or comments? Contact us at info@nfacc.ca.   


NFACC is a division of Animal Health Canada

 

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