proAction Animal Care framework consistent with national standards, says NFACC

January 9, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) - In a letter to DFC this November, the National Farm Animal Care Council confirmed it has independently reviewed the content of the DFC’s proAction® program and found it to meet all requirements of Canada’s Animal Care Assessment Framework. This national framework was developed by consensus among multiple stakeholders and sets a credible process for developing animal care assessment programs.

“This declaration from NFACC serves as further recognition that the best management practices followed by Canadian dairy farmers under the proAction program are consistent with the highest standards of animal care,” says DFC President Pierre Lampron. “Under proAction, Canadian dairy farmers produce high-quality, nutritious milk in accordance with some of the world’s most stringent standards. proAction builds on robust federal and provincial regulations, instilling confidence that every drop of Canadian milk was produced with care.”

The Animal Care module of proAction is based on the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle, which is a science-based, nationally developed guideline containing both requirements and best practices for dairy cattle care and handling.

DFC recently issued its 2022 Progress Report on proAction, highlighting progress made by the dairy sector over the past year in the program’s six priority areas: milk quality, food safety, animal care, livestock traceability, biosecurity and the environment. It also draws links between proAction and DFC’s Net-Zero Strategy. To view the 2022 proAction Progress Report, please visit dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/proAction.

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