UFAW International Animal Welfare Conference 2024
10 – 11 July 2024
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal
In July, we held the 2024 UFAW International Animal Welfare Conference in Porto, Portugal. The conference showcased a diverse array of presentations and posters highlighting the latest advancements in animal welfare science.
The talks covered a wide range of topics, addressing the welfare of wild, laboratory, farmed, and captive wild animals. Approaches to understanding and improving animal welfare were equally varied, encompassing cutting-edge technology, social science, and legal frameworks, among others.
Participants were from 35 countries including: Vietnam, Rwanda, Egypt, Somalia, Maldives, Hungary, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kazakhstan, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Romania, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, and the UAE.
In addition to the submitted talks, we featured three invited keynote speakers: Clare Palmer (Texas A&M University, USA) delivered a thought-provoking presentation on the ethics of wild animal welfare, while UFAW award winners Bob Elwood (Queens University Belfast, UK) and Vikki Neville (University of Bristol, UK) shared their remarkable work. Bob talked about his influential work investigating whether crustaceans feel pain and Vikki spoke about harnessing technological advances to study rat welfare.
We also hosted a valuable workshop for early-career researchers focusing on applying scientific skills outside of academia. Attendees engaged with panellists, including UFAW CEO Huw Golledge, about transitioning to careers where their animal welfare research skills can be utilised.
Download the full programme and abstract book here
Many thanks to Paulo Vaz-Pires Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto and Anna Olsson i3S, University of Porto and to ICBAS for hosting the meeting.
A special thank you also to our conference assistants Marisa Esteves Monteiro (ICBAS) and Ana Jacira Madureira Carvalho (ICBAS) for their support.
If you want to watch any of the talks then please visit our YouTube channel.
