Presentations made available from NFACC's June 2020 Board Meeting 

NFACC held its first ever virtual board meeting in June 2020. Two presentations from that meeting received accolades with the urging that they be shared more broadly. Opportunely, both were recorded, albeit not professionally. While the recording/editing is not polished, the presentations each make important contributions to the conversation on improving the lives of farm animals. Please watch both for maximum benefit.

Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk’s engaging one hour presentation (including Q & A), Working Toward Socially Sustainable Agriculture – what works and what doesn’t, outlines:

• research on the unintended effect of legislation meant to address on-farm incursions and other clandestine activities,
• the impact of education and engagement with the public,
• a path forward for developing a vision for agriculture.

Nina is a Professor at The University of British Columbia where she co-directs the Animal Welfare Program. Together with her colleagues and students their research focuses on assessing animal welfare and developing practical methods of improving the welfare of animals. She has published hundreds of scientific papers and is a frequent and enthusiastic speaker for academic and professional audiences.

Andria Jones-Bitton’s poignant 45 minute presentation (including Q & A), Campaigns against agriculture: A risk factor for poor farmer mental health and poor animal welfare? illustrates how words matter. Even if one’s sole interest is in improving the lives of animals, compassion for people is fundamental to that goal. 

Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton is a veterinarian, epidemiologist, and Associate Professor in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph. She has completed a certificate in Applied Positive Psychology and is a certified resilience trainer. Her research passion is the epidemiology of mental health in veterinarians, veterinary students, and agricultural producers. She uses mixed research methods (quantitative and qualitative) to achieve her research objectives. She teaches curriculum related to well-being and resilience at the OVC.