Kiwa Grants the First Welfair® Certificate in Latin America
Kiwa recently had the honor of delivering the very first Welfair® certificate in Latin America. This big milestone was achieved by the Kiwa Latin American team and Kiwa Spain Livestock Scheme Manager, Mikel Peña.
The company receiving the certificate was Topigs Norsvin Ecuador, a leading swine genetic improvement company recognized for their innovative approach to obtaining profitable production. Evaluator Núcleo Borja lead the farm evaluation, which was located in the Ecuadorian town of Napo.
“This certificate is a testament to the company's commitment to animal welfare and quality in animal husbandry by implementing good management practices. Núcleo Borja has shown that it is possible to balance profitable pig production with animal welfare and sustainability, and this is something we should celebrate”, Patricio Ajitimbay, Country Manager of Kiwa BCS in Ecuador, pointed out during the certificate delivery ceremony, which was attended by a large representation of the Ecuadorian company, including its General Manager, Mirza González.
Satisfaction of Topigs Norsvin Ecuador
During the ceremony, the Director of the Genetic Nucleus of Topigs Norsvin Ecuador, Jorge González, also thanked the Kiwa team that worked on the project and helped turn it into a reality. “We receive this certificate with great pride and responsibility, we will make sure to continue to improve every day and guarantee quality genetics for our customers, healthy, responsibly produced meat, and a full life for our animals”, he added.
Welfair Protocol
The Welfair protocol is the result of the work of the Institute for Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA) and the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (Neiker), based on the European Welfare Quality and AWIN projects. The protocol evaluates the degree of welfare of animals on farms and slaughterhouses through their direct observation, and does so in accordance with the principles of animal welfare: good nutrition, adequate accommodation, good health and appropriate behavior. “ During the audit, the good human-animal relationship demonstrated by the sows became clear, as a result of the management and care of the Topigs Norsvin Ecuador team”, explains Mikel Peña, who was responsible for leading the certification process. Kiwa Spain's livestock expert has expressed his satisfaction for presenting this animal welfare assessment model to the Ecuadorian company " which has allowed you, with your experience and knowledge, to meet the requirements and obtain this certificate with an excellent score, comparable to those obtained by European farms that have been following this continuous improvement model for several years".
Congratulations from IRTA
The owner of this prestigious seal, IRTA, wanted to congratulate Topigs Norsvin, for obtaining the first Welfair® certification. "Topigs Norsvin represents research, innovation and the communication of its advances for the benefit of producers, in the same way that Welfair was born from scientific research, innovation and promotes continuous improvement to guarantee animal welfare in thousands of farms, centers of production and slaughter plants". IRTA also extended their congratulations " to Kiwa, for issuing the first certificate in South America".