The concept of farm animal Codes of Practice started in 1980 when the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies began coordinating the process to develop standard guidelines for the care and handling of livestock species in Canada. The Canadian Agri-Food Research Council took over the process from 1993-2003 until the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) was formed and facilitated consultations for an updated Code process.

Today, NFACC is a world leader in bringing together stakeholders with different perspectives to develop robust and sound Codes of Practice.

While the Codes were thought to be just recommendations in the past, more recent Code editions have been enforced by the individual commodity groups through the development of animal care programs. For example, Chicken Farmers of Canada’s Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program is a mandatory program that includes all the relevant requirements from the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens and Turkeys.

This mandatory program has been implemented on Canadian chicken farms since 2009 and is a national standard that ensures consistency on all chicken farms in Canada. The Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program includes annual farm audits, uses enforcement mechanisms in cases of non-compliance and offers the additional assurance of being third-party audited.

The Code Development Process

The Code Development process includes multiple steps. A Code Development Committee (CDC) is established, which includes representatives from a broad range of stakeholders (farmers, scientists, veterinarians, processors, retail associations, restaurant associations, transporters, animal welfare associations, and provincial/federal governments), all working together in collaboration and toward consensus. A Scientific Committee is also assembled to conduct a literature review of priority welfare issues to be covered by the Code, with findings provided to assist the CDC’s deliberations. Working together, committee members identify evidence-based solutions that address farm animal care concerns, meet market needs, and are implementable by farmers. The next step is the launch of a public comment period with all Canadians encouraged to take part and provide input. The CDC carefully considers all input and viewpoints gathered and agrees on the final version of the Code. The revised Code is submitted to NFACC and published, and industry begins the process of outreach and implementation.

The most recent Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens and Turkeys was released in 2016. Various animal care programs are available and promoted in Canada. The benefit of the Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program is that it uses the credible and science-based NFACC development process. It is the only program that reaches all 2,800+ chicken farms in Canada; no other program can achieve this reach.

For more information on the Codes, check out NFACC’s videos:

Key features of the Code Development Process
Raising the Bar: The Codes of Practice Development Process