Ihab Erian, Thesis Review Seminar, MPhil candidate, "Does training enhance the knowledge of stakeholders in the livestock industry and change attitude toward livestock welfare throughout rearing of animals and consumption behaviour?"
Ihab’s advisors are Prof Clive Phillips, Dr Leah Burns, and Prof Zulkifli Idrus
Abstract
The value of training for livestock workers is unsure, in terms of its impact on attitudes to the welfare of livestock. The research aimed to identify whether training enhances the knowledge of stakeholders in the livestock industry and changes attitudes toward livestock welfare throughout rearing of animals and consumption behaviour. Under the auspices of the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics (CAWE), School of Veterinary Science, my MPhil study initially focused on the “Public Knowledge and Attitude to Chicken Production Systems and Slaughter and its Effect on Consumption of Chicken Meat Products”. The data of the study is already published (Erian & Phillips 2017). The data of a second research study was collected from workshops and training programmes from four South East Asian countries (i.e. China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand), which targeted the livestock slaughter and transport stakeholders in each country. The data of the study was also collected from the trainers’ workshops and seminars in each country, which focused on transport and slaughter. The training materials delivered in all workshops highlighted the OIE standards and their implementation, enabling these standards to be delivered to stakeholders in each country via local presentations (Tables 1 & 2). Four two-day “train the trainer” workshops were conducted, one in each country. The workshop invitations included delegates from local OIE veterinary services, local animal welfare focal points, local collaborators, local livestock stakeholder industries and universities. Survey questionnaires were distributed prior to training sessions to assess their knowledge and attitude to animal production systems and slaughter. The survey questions were composed following the theme of the questions used in my first research project (Erian & Phillips 2017). After completion of the training on the OIE standards in each country and the group exercise final workshop, a final knowledge and attitude questionnaire was distributed among participants. A comparatively clear idea was therefore developed with regard to knowledge and attitude before and after the workshops. The data is being statistically analysed and results being reported to regional and local commissions, representatives, stakeholders and national and local supporting bodies. A concluding discussion will unify the two approaches, considering commonality in responses and, where there are differences, reasons for these. It will finally consider what can be used from the studies in terms of supporting the advancement of knowledge in stakeholders.
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