Update for Welfare Outcome Assessment

If you keep hens, pigs or dairy cows, you will be used to the Welfare Outcome Assessment (WOA) we carry out as part of your annual inspection. This year, we will also start carrying out welfare assessments for broilers, beef and sheep. This means we will now be able to assess the welfare of all 6 main species of livestock we certify.

The WOA is a scientifically verified method of assessing animal welfare, and we believe it is the best and most accurate way of ensuring our Soil Association standards are being met. As Soil Association certified farmers, you will be able to directly benefit from the outcomes of this assessment, as it allows good practice to be highlighted and any issues to be quickly identified, and we can signpost the support available in finding solutions.

By focusing on welfare improvement across all our farms, we can assure consumers that they are getting a high welfare product. The information from your assessment also has wider benefits, as it has been used to feed into our standards review process, track scheme level improvements and identify areas where we can focus more resources.

If you would like to find out more or would be interested in receiving free advice from our Producer Support team, then please visit www.AssureWel.org or email animalwelfareadvisor@assurewel.org.