This event is for members of the Poultry Science Association (PSA).
Join Dr. Darrin Karcher, Poultry Extension Specialist at Purdue Univeristy, Dr. Andrew Harig, Vice President of Tax, Trade, Sustainability, and Policy Development for FMI, and Dr. Michelle Hunnifor, National Animal Care Specialist at Burnbrae Farms, for their discussion on current directions in laying hen welfare.
Presentation Description: The Poultry Science Association's “Poultry Welfare Committee” offered the first of its kind “Think Tank” on laying hen welfare in 2023. This virtual meeting was held to bring divergent views together in a small setting to discuss issues in hen production wellbeing from different perspectives, with the ultimate goal of finding common ground and working together to drive continuous improvement in hen welfare based on science. Now, we would like to offer all PSA members the opportunity to be involved in this discussion. The webinar will begin with a short highlight from individuals in differing stakeholder groups – producers, food retail groups and academics. From there, the floor will open to questions from the membership audience.
Speakers:
Dr. Michelle Hunniford
National Animal Care Specialist
Burnbrae Farms
Born and raised in Cambridge, Ontario, Michelle Hunniford attended Queen’s University and then the University of Guelph to follow her passion for working with animals. After graduating with a PhD in Poultry Behaviour and Welfare from Guelph in 2017, Michelle moved to the Brockville area to pursue a career with Burnbrae Farms.
Dr. Andrew Harig
Vice President of Tax, Trade, Sustainability, and Policy Development
FMI - the Food Industry Association
For the last 20 years, Harig has been responsible for representing FMI’s members before Congress and the Administration, with a primary focus on agriculture, taxes, trade, sustainability, food prices, and pensions.
Harig is the staff director for FMI’s Sustainability Executive Committee (SEC), which is comprised of thirty industry sustainability professionals. In this capacity, he also serves as the retail lead for the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, a joint coalition of the Food Marketing Institute, Consumer Brands Association, and National Restaurant Association.
Prior to joining FMI, Harig was an associate trade advisor and speechwriter for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee under its Chairman, Max Baucus (D-MT). From 1999-2001, he was the senior research associate for the Global Economic Policy Project at the New America Foundation, a Washington, DC-based think tank. Harig started his public affairs career in Washington, DC as a research assistant at the Economic Strategy Institute, a non-partisan public policy research organization.
Harig holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and earned his master’s at DePaul University in Chicago.
Dr. Darrin Karcher
Poultry Extension Specialist
Purdue University
Darrin Karcher's research and extension programs at Purdue University focus on extensive housing systems for laying hens. This includes the intersections of nutrition, management, food safety and well-being.