Reporting on Performance

While there may be differences in scope and detail between our various markets, across all of our supply chains, a range of health and welfare indicators are measured at each link in the chain. In addition to supporting our aim to seek continuous improvement in animal health and welfare, performance measurement is also a prerequisite to delivering business sustainability through the supply chains in which we operate.

As well as performance measurement, targets are also an important tool in welfare development, and Danish Crown plans to introduce a range of targets across the group before the end of 2020

These measures, whether on farm, transport or slaughterhouse can include requirements from EU and national legislation, sector quality assurance programmes, client specification standards and company programmes, and many are independently audited.

As reported in its CSR Report 2019/20, Danish Crown has set out priorities for animal welfare for the next five years. Planned initiatives include:

Introduce a certification programme for Danish cooperative members › A communications programme was developed to inform farmers of plans and requirements.

This included briefings at regional and national member meetings, and via field personnel › A target of 90% to be certified by the end of 2019 › The target was achieved. › Within this, 100% of farmers delivering into the

Danish UK Welfare programme are now within the Danish Crown ‘Climate Track’ programme (see information box) Grow the number of pigs raised without antibiotics › It is only two and a half years since Danish Crown started its first trial with pigs bred without antibiotics, and growth has been encouraging. The target is for 1.5 million pigs to be bred within the scheme by 2021

Start use of local anaesthetic for piglets prior to castration (Denmark) › Training was required for all farms, to be completed by January 2019. Compliance was verified via independent audits

Develop new training programme in animal welfare at all abattoirs › An Animal Welfare training course was developed that all workers in the lairage must attend every 3 years and to date more than 300 workers have participated. An update to the course will be completed before the end of 2020, for implementation in 2021. Currently the course is focused on our Danish pig interests and consideration is being given to extending this as part of Best Practice proposals being developed.

New animal welfare targets will be defined before the end of 2020

In our Danish pig supply chain for example, a range of welfare metrics from slips at unloading, lameness and effectiveness of stun, to piglet mortality and antibiotic usage are measured every day.

Sample Welfare Outcome measures: Danish Crown UK Welfare pigs 2018/2019/H1 2020

Plant

1 2 3 4

Falls at unloading %

0.0/0.0/0.01 0.04/0.02/0.14 0.02/0.01/0.0 0.01/0.03/0.01

Lameness %

0.02/0.07/0.04 0.07/0.05/0.02 0.02/0.01/0.02 0.010.05/0.09

Killed at reception % 0.10/0.10/0.09 0.01/0.02/0.02 0.09/0.11/0.12 0.06/0.06/0.05

Overnight lairage %

0.0/0.0/0.0 0.0/0.0/0.0 0.01/0.29/0.17 0.01/0/0.0

Effectiveness of stun %

0.0/0.0/0.0 0.0/0.0/0.0 0.0/0.0/0.0 0.0/0.0/0.0

Our Danish supply chain accounts for more than 68% of group output. Although Danish animal welfare legislation is linked to EU law, in many areas, we exceed these requirements. We have a threestage audit process which involves; a self-audit by highly trained employees at both the farms and the slaughterhouses, thorough veterinary inspection at all stages, and a significant number of third-party official ‘unannounced’ visits from government authorities and customers to audit compliance with welfare legislation. Examples include:

Together, veterinarians and producers must establish up to three focus areas for animal welfare for a single herd, where specific objectives and action plans must be established.

Denmark does not permit iron chains to be used as enrichment material

There must be sprinkling systems in all units for pigs above 20kg

Denmark is the only country in the world to set a

Antibiotic Controls in Denmark

Denmark is among the lowest users of livestock antibiotics of all the major pig producing countries and its systems are held as an exemplar for others, the most recent example of which is a Food & Agriculture Organisation report published earlier this year (attached).

Unlike many other countries, Denmark separated veterinary advice from sales of medicines back in 1994 and introduced the VETSTAT system in 2000 that records all sales of livestock antibiotics. With this as a foundation. Denmark introduced the Yellow Card scheme in 2010 that set levels of consumption, above which penalties and other requirements would be applied. Such is the continued drive to lower usage, this level has been lowered four times since its introduction.

Detail and data can be accessed via SEGES Danish Pig Research Centre that publishes the consumption of target for loose-housed sows in the farrowing unit

antibiotics in Danish pig production on an ongoing basis, and the annual DANMAP report

Danish Pig Antibiotic Usage per Finisher

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Grammes

3.08

2.95

2.85

2.74 2.78*

Kilo-doses

290

283

274

259

261

Source: SEGES, DANMAP *Lag in recording of livestock numbers against real time reporting of antibiotic usage accounts for slight increase

Kg antibiotics

12379

Source: DANMAP

Total Danish cattle antibiotic usage 2017

Kg biomass (PCU)

387000

Mg/kg biomass

32