Colloquium 1st Edition of the Forum on Initiatives and Actions for Animal Welfare

This initiative aims to promote public and political debate on animal welfare in Portugal, with an emphasis on the need to implement effective public policies grounded in scientific evidence. The objective is to reflect on the role of political institutions and entities from the productive sector in applying scientific advances and the most recent studies, both regarding companion animals and farm animals. This aligns with the growing social demand for more ethical, sustainable, and responsible systems.

Programme

14h00 to 14h30 - Opening Session and Presentation of the Co-Organising Organisations 

• Lusófona University – AS Rois
• FEDRA – Federation for Animal Defence and Rescue (Rodrigo Livreiro)
• Animais de Rua (Diogo / Sofia L.)
• Frente Animal (Joana Machado)

14h40 to 15h15 - Presentation of the “Marathon for the Animals” Results

• Questions posed to political parties
• Summary of responses received
• Q&A session (5 min)

Speakers

• Diogo, Joana

15h15 - Presentation of the Campaign “Portugal Without Cages”

• Presentation of the report “Portugal Without Cages - Retailers’ Progress in Cage-Free Policies” and key findings
• Presentation of the Cage-free Tracker Portugal Project
• Organisation: Frente Animal

Speaker

• Joana Machado

15h45 - Animal Welfare in Debate: Political and Sectoral Perspectives

• (Debate with Political Parties and Representatives from the Livestock and Retail Sectors)
• Positions of political parties
• Policy proposals and draft legislation
• Reactions to the topics raised in the Marathon
• Obstacles faced by the various sectors
• The role of politics in overcoming these challenges

Moderation

• Diogo, Rita Jacobetty

Debate Panel

• Pedro Raposo Ribeiro, Secretary General of ANCAVE (National Association of Poultry Slaughterhouses and Meat Processing Industries)
• AUCHAN
• Manuel Sobreiro, President of GRUPO CAC (Central Region Poultry Farmers Cooperative)
• Francisco Guerreiro, former Vice-President of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee of the European Parliament
• Inês Ajuda, Coordinator of the Farm Animal Welfare Programme at Eurogroup for Animals
• Laurentina Pedroso, Animal Ombudsperson and representative of the Secretary of State for Agriculture
• Susana Gonçalves Santos, Animal Welfare Division for experimental, companion, and zoo animals, DGAV

16h45 - Coffee Break

17h15 - Round Table - Sanctuaries, Sustainability, and Strategies for the Future of Animal Welfare

• Public Policies and Legal Framework
• Organisation: Animais de Rua

Moderator

• Sofia Rois

Debate Panel

• Alexandra Pereira, Former Director of the Animal Welfare Department at ICNF
• Santuário Vida Boa
• Quinta das Águias
• FEDRA

18h00 - Animal Welfare in My Country

International perspectives: animal welfare policies presented by NGOs from various countries

18h30 - Open Discussion: Reflections Based on the Testimonies

19h30 to 20h00 - Final Remarks & Closing