Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) Farm Scope Benchmark ......2020/04/21 · Section B – Animal Welfare Benchmark The ultimate goal of LIA is the highest level of animal welfare throughout

Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) Farm Scope Benchmark Criteria 1.0 DRAFT

© 2020 Textile Exchange | Document Code XXXX

Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA)

Farm Scope Benchmark Criteria 1.0 DRAFT

Table of Contents

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3

About the Leather Impact Accelerator ................................................................................... 3

About Textile Exchange ........................................................................................................... 3

Benchmark Approach .............................................................................................................. 4

Impact Incentives ...................................................................................................................... 4

Verification................................................................................................................................. 4

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 5

How to Use this Document ...................................................................................................... 6

Section A – Deforestation/Conversion-Free (DCF) Benchmark ................................. 8

B1. Terms ................................................................................................................................... 8

B2. DCF Benchmark Criteria ................................................................................................... 8

Section B – Animal Welfare Benchmark ..................................................................... 12

B1. Terms ................................................................................................................................. 12

B2. Options within the Benchmark ....................................................................................... 12

B3. Criteria Structure .............................................................................................................. 13

B4. Animal Welfare Benchmark Criteria .............................................................................. 13

B4.1 Nutrition - Requirements ............................................................................................... 14

B4.2 Nutrition – Recommendations ...................................................................................... 15

B4.3 Living Environment – Requirements ........................................................................... 16

B4.4 Living Environment – Recommendations ................................................................... 20

B4.5 Living Environment – Consultation Points ................................................................. 20

B4.6 Cattle Husbandry – Requirements ............................................................................... 23



B4.7 Cattle Husbandry – Recommendations....................................................................... 27

B4.8 Cattle Husbandry – Consultation Points ..................................................................... 28

B4.9 Transport – Requirements ............................................................................................ 31

B4.10 Transport – Recommendations .................................................................................. 32

B4.11 Slaughter – Requirements .......................................................................................... 34

B4.12 Slaughter – Recommendations .................................................................................. 35

B4.13 Management – Recommendations ............................................................................ 37

B4.14 Overall Benchmark – Consultation Points ................................................................ 38

Section C – Live Animal Traceability ........................................................................... 39

C1. Live Animal Traceability Requirements ........................................................................ 39

Appendix A – References .............................................................................................. 40

Appendix B - Further Guidance on DCF Definitions .................................................. 41

Appendix C – International Working Group & Scope Committee Members...... Error! Bookmark not defined.



Introduction

About the Leather Impact Accelerator The Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) is a program that enables members of the leather value chain to work towards shared expectations in a coordinated way. It provides tools to align their actions towards meaningful global impacts. The goal of LIA is to leverage and add value to the work that is already being done in the beef and leather industries. To that end, LIA uses benchmarks to set a minimum threshold for practices and give recognition to those who meet or exceed them. Brands can use Impact Incentives to provide direct financial support to farmers that meet LIA benchmarks. The Claims Framework provides guidance for all LIA participants to make credible claims. LIA is global in scope and addresses:

• Cattle production, including cow-calf, raising and direct operations o Animal husbandry o Deforestation/conversion o Traceability

• All stages of leather production o Environmental impacts o Social impacts o Traceability

• All market sectors, including accessories, automotive, equine, fashion, footwear, furnishings and more

About Textile Exchange

The Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) is owned and managed by Textile Exchange. Textile Exchange is a global non-profit that works closely with our members to drive industry transformation in preferred fibers, integrity and standards and responsible supply networks. We identify and share best practices regarding farming, materials, processing, traceability and product end-of-life in order to reduce the textile industry’s impact on the world’s water, soil and air, and the human population.



Benchmark Approach The industry already has many standards in these areas, so a benchmark approach has been adopted to leverage and add value to the standards and programs that are already in use. In addition to benchmarking, LIA includes requirements for traceability systems and verification protocols. Benchmarks set a minimum threshold for practices and gives recognition to those who meet or exceed them. The Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) uses benchmarks to address:

• Animal Management

• Deforestation/Conversion-Free (DCF)

• Leather Production To learn more about LIA’s benchmarking system and process, read the LIA Benchmarking Guide.

Impact Incentives Impact Incentives work similarly to a credit-trading system: Incentives refer to the certificates that are traded in support of a sustainability claim. With LIA, the incentives are issued to a producer when a set of criteria have been confirmed to have been met, and the physical goods and the incentives are traded separately from each other. Each incentive represents one cow raised on a farm that is meeting the animal welfare and/or the deforestation/conversion-free requirements for LIA for one year. Brand and retail incentive buyers can purchase an equivalent number of incentives to the hides they buy in from their existing physical supply chain, or simply buy incentives to meet their CSR goals. The main form of financial reward producers will receive by participating in LIA will be through qualifying to sell Impact Incentives. Currently, few brands are able to trace their source of hides all the way back to the beginning of the supply chain and pay premiums for best practices. However, with Impact Incentives they will have the opportunity to deliver support directly to participating producers. To learn more about how Impact Incentives work, read the Impact Incentive Guide.

Verification LIA requires an authorized third-party verifier to ensure that the expectations behind the Incentives/benchmarks are being met, and that the information submitted to the Incentive Trading Platform is accurate and complete. The third-party verifier will be the one that registers the Impact Incentives on the Trading Platform.



Acknowledgements The Leather Impact Accelerator would not be possible without the help of the International Working Group (IWG) and the individual Scope Committees that worked to review, research, discuss, and approve the revision of LIA. See Appendix C for a list of International Working Group and Scope Committee Members.



How to Use this Document This document sets forth the overall criteria for assessment against the Leather Impact Accelerator benchmarks at the farm level. Guidance and support documents are available at LeatherImpactAccelerator.org. In the LIA Farm Scope Benchmark Criteria, the following terms are used to indicate requirements, recommendations, permissions, and possibilities or capabilities:

• “shall” indicates a requirement,

• “should” indicates a recommendation,

• “may” indicates a permission, and

• “can” indicates a possibility or a capability.



Section A – Deforestation / Conversion-Free (DCF)

Benchmark



Section A – Deforestation/Conversion-Free (DCF) Benchmark

The DCF benchmark sets protocols to ensure that expectations are clearly understood and met by all LIA participants.

B1. Terms We recognize that different sectors of the industry in the regions of the world, use a selection of terms that vary (eg: farmer/producer/rancher). We have chosen to use terms that help to make LIA as easy to understand as possible for all users. Further guidance on DCF terms can be found in Appendix B. LIA has adopted the definitions of the Accountability Framework. Key definitions are listed below, and further interpretations can be found at https://accountability-framework.org/definitions-redirected/. Conversion: Change of a natural ecosystem to another land use or profound change in a natural ecosystem’s species composition, structure, or functio

• Conversion includes severe degradation or the introduction of management practices that result in substantial and sustained change in the ecosystem’s former species composition, structure, or function.

• Change to natural ecosystems that meets this definition is considered to be conversion regardless of whether or not it is legal.

Conversion-free: (synonym: no-conversion); Commodity production that does not cause or contribute to conversion of natural ecosystems. Cut-off date: A cut-off date is the date after which forest conversion is prohibited. Deforestation: Loss of natural forest as a result of: i) conversion to agriculture or other non-forest land use; ii) conversion to a tree plantation; or iii) severe and sustained degradation. Deforestation-free: (synonym: no-deforestation, zero gross deforestation); Commodity production that does not cause or contribute to deforestation of natural forests. Minimal level: (of deforestation or conversion) A small amount of deforestation or conversion that is negligible in the context of a given site because of its small area and because it does not significantly affect the conservation values of natural ecosystems or the services and value they provide to people

B2. DCF Benchmark Criteria

https://accountability-framework.org/definitions-redirected/

https://accountability-framework.org/definitions-redirected/



B2.1 Only farms that meet the definitions of zero gross deforestation or conversion shall be accepted.

Guidance:

• “Zero net” approach is not allowed: e.g.: a farmer may not cut down 50 hectares of forest in one area, then plant 50 hectares in another

• “Legal” deforestation is not allowed if it exceed the limits of LIA

B2.2 The area threshold for minimal deforestation or conversion is one hectare.

B2.2.1 Encroachment of woody plants into grasslands (secondary growth or woody weed invasion) can be removed with justification. B2.2.2 Conversion of an area greater than one hectare is possible only with verification that the area is not High Conservation Value or High Carbon Stock. (See https://hcvnetwork.org/how-it-works/ for more information on how to do an HCV-HCSA Assessment.)

B2.2.3 Exceptions may apply for specific regions that make use of well-established monitoring systems with different area thresholds. An example of this is the Amazon biome, which uses to PRODES to monitor for areas of deforestation greater than 6.25 hectares.

Guidance: • Minimal levels of deforestation or conversion at the site scale do not

necessarily violate no-deforestation or no-conversion commitments. However, this provision does not sanction substantial conversion of forests or natural ecosystems to enlarge commodity production areas.

• To be considered consistent with no-deforestation or no-conversion commitments, minimal levels must generally meet the following conditions:

o Not exceed cumulative thresholds that are small both in absolute terms (e.g., no more than a few hectares) and relative to the area in question (e.g., no more than a small proportion of the site). Levels of conversion or deforestation should be assessed cumulatively over space and time; multiple small instances of conversion may lead to a producer being considered non-compliant with commitments.

o Not result in the loss of important biological, social, or cultural values.

https://hcvnetwork.org/how-it-works/



• Even when minimal levels of deforestation or conversion may not be cause for exclusion from LIA, they may still require remediation (including restoration and/or compensation) to the extent that they result in negative impacts to conservation values or human rights.

B2.3 The DCF default cut-off date is January 1st, 2020.

B2.3.1 Where regional cut-off dates exist, they will override the default date. Verifiers will be responsible to check for any applicable regional cut-off dates.

Guidance: The following is an initial list of known regional cut-off dates. Participants in LIA will be responsible for knowing and applying regional dates.

• Brazilian Amazon Biome: October 4, 2009* for direct suppliers in the based on Zero Deforestation Cattle Agreement. August 1st, 2019 for indirect suppliers only.

• Eastern Paraguay: December 14th, 2004: Zero Deforestation Law in Eastern Paraguay

• Columbia: January 1, 2011: Based on Colombian public-private agreement for Zero Deforestation.

• Indonesia: 2011: A ban on clearing primary forests and peatlands for plantations or logging has been made permanent by Indonesia’s president.

• Please contact [email protected] with additional regional dates.

mailto:[email protected]



Section B – Animal Welfare Benchmark



Section B – Animal Welfare Benchmark The ultimate goal of LIA is the highest level of animal welfare throughout the cattle industry, and we aim to achieve this by driving continuous improvement at scale. To this end, we recognize that there are different systems of cattle farming, and that the levels of animal welfare vary greatly around the globe. With the Animal Welfare Benchmark we have set an initial threshold that represents a basic level of care, and have three additional options that apply to different farm systems, and provide higher levels of animal welfare. The LIA Animal Welfare Benchmark is based on the Textile Exchange Animal Welfare Framework. The Framework can be applied across species and utilizes the model of the Five Domains of welfare to categorize the expectations where each module is a key topic for animal welfare, for example nutrition or living environment. Each module has a desired outcome and further sub-categories are then defined to cover all aspects of animal welfare to deliver that outcome.

B1. Terms This section will be added at a later date

B2. Options within the Benchmark It is important to note that the benchmark will be used to assess existing independent certification standards that are already in use by the cattle industry. Each benchmark level represents the minimum set of criteria that these standards must address, and we expect that many will go further. Each option builds on the requirements of the previous option. If there is no new requirement for a topic at a particular option then the requirements of the previous option(s) must still be met. Baseline (A) The baseline option of the LIA Animal Welfare Benchmark represents the minimum level of animal care that we expect from farmers. Ideally all farmers would be meeting these basic requirements, but for those who don’t it is critically important to improve their practices to meet this threshold, as their animals will be at the highest welfare risk. Options 1 (B) and 2 (C) These benchmarks build in improved animal welfare measures across all Five Domains of animal welfare, while still being applicable to the vast majority of certifications covering cattle farm systems. These options can be used for system that potentially involve confinement in feedlots or housing for a period of the animal’s life.



Option 3 (D) Option 3 of the LIA Animal Welfare Benchmark recognizes those certifications that are considered to deliver the highest level of animal welfare and applies only to fully grass-based systems for whole of life.

B3. Criteria Structure Each animal welfare requirement is assigned to one of four levels:

Requirements: These are the factors that must be met by each certification. These are shown in the blue tables. The certification to be benchmarked must meet all the requirements in a particular option to be assessed as meeting that option. Recommendations: These are good practice factors that may not be covered by many certification programs at present, but which could improve animal welfare. We will be looking at adding them to the benchmark following future reviews. Additionally there are some requirements currently shown in one option, that in future could be required in a different option – e.g. a requirement that is currently at option 2 could be recommended for option 1 or the baseline. Certification bodies should view these recommendations as potential future additions when they review and revise their standards. These are shown in the green tables. The certification to be benchmarked does not have to meet the recommendations associated with a particular option in order to be assessed as meeting that option. Consultation Points: These are issues that have been flagged for further discussion and review of current supply chain practice during the pilot phase of the benchmark. These are topics which are intended to be included as requirements in the benchmark after the pilot phase, based on the information collected. The consultation is to collect additional information and test which option each consultation item can be assigned to. These are shown in the orange tables. The certification to be benchmarked will need to provide answers to the consultation questions. In addition all LIA stakeholders will also be encouraged to respond to consultation topics. Guidelines: Some requirements have associated additional information to aid in interpretation. Where these exist, the requirement they relate to has a superscript number, and the associated guidance is shown at the end of this document.

B4. Animal Welfare Benchmark Criteria



B4.1 Nutrition - Requirements

Desired outcome: Animals have access to sufficient feed and water suited to their age and needs to maintain health and to prevent prolonged hunger, thirst, malnutrition or dehydration.

NUTRITION – REQUIREMENTS

Number Baseline (A)

Additional requirements for Option 1 (B)

Additional requirements for Option 2 (C)

Additional requirements for Option 3 (D)

PROVISION OF FEED

B4.1.1

The standard shall require that a quantity and quality of feed is provided that is appropriate for the animals’ age and needs.

The standard shall require that forage content in the daily diet is suitable and sufficient to avoid negative outcomes such as acidosis.

The standard shall require that no animal by-products or fishmeal are included in cattle rations.

The standard shall require that at least 60% of daily intake on a dry matter basis is from forage

BODY CONDITION SCORING

B4.1.2

The standard shall require that body condition is monitored and kept within set limits.

WATER

B4.1.3

The standard shall require that an adequate supply of clean, safe drinking water is provided each day.

CHANGES IN DIET

B4.1.4

The standard shall require that changes in the diet are introduced gradually.

EMERGENCY FEED AND WATER PROVISION

B4.1.5

The standard shall require that plans are in place to ensure that there is access to



sufficient food and water in the case of an emergency.

B4.2 Nutrition – Recommendations

NUTRITION - RECOMMENDATIONS

Number Baseline (A)




BODY CONDITION SCORING – RECOMMENDED / FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.2.1

Routine herd assessment of BCS shall be carried out at key times in production cycle.

PROVISION OF FEED – RECOMMENDED / FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.2.2

The standard shall require that a minimum percentage of daily dry matter intake comes from grazing, when cattle are on pasture



B4.3 Living Environment – Requirements

Desired outcome: Animals are kept in an environment that provides the conditions and facilities needed for health, safety, comfort and normal behaviour.

LIVING ENVIRONMENT

Number Baseline (A)




INDOOR ENVIRONMENT

INDOOR : FACILITIES

B4.3.1

The standard shall require that indoor facilities are designed, constructed and maintained so as to minimize stress and the likelihood of injury to the cattle.

INDOOR: THERMAL ENVIRONMENT, VENTILATION, SHELTER

B4.3.2

The standard shall require that indoor facilities provide protection from heat or cold stress and extreme weather.

B4.3.3

The standard shall require that indoor facilities have good air quality.

The standard shall set limits for air quality factors1

INDOOR: LYING AREAS/FLOORING

B4.3.4

The standard shall require that lying areas and floors are safe, clean and comfortable for the animals.

The standard shall require that lying areas must be bedded using dry, deformable soft materials, to a depth that provides



comfort for the animals.

INDOOR: SPACE ALLOWANCES

B4.3.5

The standards shall require that there is sufficient space for each animal to prevent crowding and allow for normal behaviour.

The standard shall set specific space allowances for different types/weights of animal.

The standard shall set a minimum space per animal of 1m2 per 100 kg live weight.

INDOOR: LIGHTING

B4.3.6

The standard shall require that cattle have periods of light and dark within each 24 hour period, and that lighting shall follow natural periodicity

The standard shall require that cattle have access to natural light in housing

OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT

OUTDOOR: FACILITIES

B4.3.7

The standard shall require that fencing and handling systems are designed, constructed and maintained so as to minimize stress and the likelihood of injury to the cattle.

OUTDOOR: AIR QUALITY

B4.3.8

The standard shall require that cattle are not be exposed to levels of dust that lead to respiratory or other problems

OUTDOOR: ACCESS TO PASTURE

B4.3.9 The standard shall require that breeding cattle and

The standard shall require that all cattle have access



their calves have access to pasture at all times when their welfare would not otherwise be at risk.

to pasture at all times when their welfare would not otherwise be at risk.

OUTDOOR: SHADE, SHELTER & THERMAL COMFORT

B4.3.10

The standard shall require that shade and/or shelter are provided to protect cattle from extremes of temperature and weather.

OUTDOOR: PASTURE MANAGEMENT

B4.3.11

The standard shall require that there are written protocols for managing cattle when grazing on pasture.

INDOOR & OUTDOOR LIVING ENVIRONMENT

TETHERING

B4.3.12

If tethering is used, the standard shall require that the tether is fitted so as not to cause injury

The standard shall prohibit tethering.

B4.3.13

If tethering is used, the standard shall require that cattle are released from the tether for free exercise each day

NOISE

B4.3.14

The standard shall require that cattle are not exposed to levels of noise



that cause stress.

ENRICHMENTS

B4.3.15

The standard shall require that cattle have access to scratching posts.

CLEANLINESS/MUD SCORES

B4.3.16

The standard shall require that cattle are not forced to lie in mud/dirt/manure or to stand/walk in deep mud/dirt/manure

PROTECTION FROM HAZARDS

B4.3.17

The standard shall require that cattle have their health and safety protected and are not exposed to potential toxins

PROTECTION FROM PREDATORS

B4.3.18

The standard shall require that animals are protected from predators

B4.3.19

The standard shall prohibit the use of poisons against predators

The standard shall require that wildlife friendly practices are used

B4.3.20

The standard shall prohibit the use of snares and leg hold traps shall to control predators

B4.3.22

The standard shall require non-lethal deterrence is used as the first resort against predators

B4.3.23

The standard shall require that is lethal control is needed it is specific to the problem predator



The standard shall require that a non-lethal predator management plan is in place

B4.4 Living Environment – Recommendations

LIVING ENVIRONMENT – RECOMMENDATIONS

Number Baseline (A)




FEEDLOTS RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.4.1

The standard shall require that weaned calves are acclimatised to grain/concentrate feeds and vaccinated before being moved to a feedlot.

CLEANLINESS/MUD SCORES RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.4.2

The standard shall require that a mud/dirt scoring system is used.

B4.4.3

The standard shall require that cattle are not forced to lie in mud/dirt/manure or to stand/walk in deep mud/dirt/manure

B4.5 Living Environment – Consultation Points

LIVING ENVIRONMENT – CONSULTATION POINTS

Number

Baseline (A)






CONSULTATION: SLATTED FLOORING

B4.5.1

PROPOSAL: The standard shall prohibit fully slatted flooring.

• Does this impact the benchmarked certification?

• If so, how many animals per year would be in this system?

• What are the slats made of?

• What welfare requirements e.g. space, group size are mandated by the benchmarked certification?

• Could deformable bedding be added to create a bedded lying area in a pen that is otherwise fully slatted?

CONSULTATION: ACCESS TO PASTURE

B4.5.2 PROPOSAL: The standard shall

PROPOSAL: The standard shall

PROPOSAL: The standard shall



require that cattle have access to an outdoor exercise area for a set number of hours per day throughout their lives.


• What is the barrier to meeting this requirement?

require that all cattle have access to pasture/outdoor exercise areas throughout their lives at all times when their welfare would not otherwise be at risk.



require that all cattle have free access to both pasture and an indoor facility at all times when their welfare would not otherwise be at risk





B4.6 Cattle Husbandry – Requirements

Desired outcome: Animals are bred, raised, handled, managed and cared for in a manner that ensures their health and safety. Animals are free from pain, injury and disease and managed with a proactive approach to ensure that their health of the animal is maintained through all stages of life.

CATTLE HUSBANDRY – REQUIREMENTS

Number Baseline (A)




SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT/ISOLATION

B4.6.1

The standard shall require that cattle, as herd animals, are only isolated when needed for short -term medical or safety interventions

B4.6.2

The standard shall require that provision is made for the segregation and care of sick or injured animals that are unable to eat/drink and/or keep up with the herd

HANDLING

B4.6.3

The standard shall require that cattle are handled humanely; and that the mistreatment of animals is unacceptable.

The standard shall prohibit electro-immobilisation.

B4.6.4 The standard shall have prescriptions for use of electric prods.

The standard shall prohibit the use of electric prods under any circumstance.



INSPECTION

B4.6.5

The standard shall require that inspection of animals in extensive systems where feed and water are freely available is at a frequency that minimizes risk of not seeing animals that are sick, injured, need assistance for calving etc.

B4.6.6

The standard shall require that cattle in barns or lots where human intervention is required for the provision of feed and/or water are inspected at least once daily

HEALTH & TREATMENT

B4.6.7

The standard shall require that any animal identified as being sick, injured or lame is given appropriate treatment as soon as possible.

The standard shall require that cattle are pro-actively managed for the prevention of disease

B4.6.8

The standard shall require the responsible use of antimicrobials on the operation.

The standards shall require a written health and welfare plan relevant to the health challenges on the farm/ranch

LAMENESS

B4.6.9

The standard shall require that cattle are monitored for lameness and action shall be taken to prevent lameness

The standard shall require a maximum acceptable level of lameness.2

GROWTH PROMOTERS

B4.6.10 The standard shall prohibit the

The standard shall prohibit the use of growth hormones.



use of beta agonists.

MORTALITY

B4.6.11 The standard shall require that mortality rates are recorded

The standard shall require that farmers take action when mortality exceeds normal farm levels.

The standard shall require a maximum acceptable level of mortality.3

PAINFUL PROCEDURES - CASTRATION

B4.6.12

The standard shall require that castration is carried out at as young an age as possible

The standard shall set a maximum age of castration.

The standard shall require that the maximum age of castration of a calf is nine weeks.

The standard shall require that the maximum age of castration of a calf is six weeks.

B4.6.13 The standard shall address methods of castration.

B4.6.14

The standard shall require that for all methods and ages at which castration is carried out pain relief is used when available.

PAINFUL PROCEDURES - SPAYING

B4.6.15

The standard shall require that spaying and webbing are prohibited.

PAINFUL PROCEDURES - HORN MODIFICATION

B4.6.16

The standard shall require that calves are disbudded/dehorned at as early an age as possible.

The standard shall require that the maximum permitted age for disbudding is nine weeks.

B4.6.17

The standard shall require that for all methods and ages at which disbudding is carried out pain relief is used when available.



The standard shall prohibit dehorning.

IDENTIFICATION

B4.6.18 The standard shall prohibit face branding.

The standard shall prohibit branding unless required by regulations.

BREEDING, PREGNANCY & BIRTHING

B4.6.19

The standard shall require that breeding choices and techniques for cows and heifers shall not risk their health or the health of their calves.

The standard shall require that the breed selected is suitable for the farm/ranch system.

The standard shall set requirements for minimum age at first breeding/calving.

B4.6.20

The standard shall require that breeding choices proactively select for welfare traits and not just production traits.

WEANING

B4.6.21

The standard shall require that suckled calves are not weaned before a minimum age of 6 months.

B4.6.22

The standard shall require that calves are not transported off the farm within 10 days of being weaned.

B4.6.23

The standard shall require that weaning is carried out using a low stress method.

EUTHANASIA/ON-FARM SLAUGHTER

B4.6.24 The standard shall require that animals



that are suffering pain or distress and not responding to treatment are euthanised using methods that cause immediate unconsciousness that lasts until death.

B4.7 Cattle Husbandry – Recommendations

CATTLE HUSBANDRY – RECOMMENDATIONS

Number Baseline (A)




HANDLING RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.7.1

The standard shall require that staff are trained in low stress handling methods.

LAMENESS RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.7.2

The standard shall require a maximum acceptable level of lameness.2

PAINFUL PROCEDURES RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.7.3

The standard shall recommend that a veterinarian supervises any painful procedures.

B4.7.4

The standard shall require that castration is not carried out at the same time as weaning

B4.7.5

The standard shall require that for all methods and ages at which castration is carried out pain relief shall be used.



It is noted that this will require efforts to get suitable products licensed and available.

B4.7.6

The standard shall require that disbudding/dehorning is not carried out at the same time as weaning

The standard shall require that if disbudding is carried out the farm shall move towards polled genetics with the intent of ceasing disbudding within a set number of years from first certification.3

B4.7.7

The standard shall require that for all methods and ages at which disbudding/dehorning is carried out pain relief shall be used. It is noted that this will require efforts to get suitable products licensed and available.

IDENTIFICATION RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.7.8

The standard shall prohibit branding unless required by regulations.

The standard shall require that RFID/EID are used.

EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.7.9

The standard shall require that equipment used for operations such as disbudding and castration shall be safe, clean and in working order

B4.8 Cattle Husbandry – Consultation Points

CATTLE HUSBANDRY – CONSULTATION POINTS



Number Baseline (A)




CONSULTATION: ELECTRO-IMMOBILISATION

B4.8.1

The standard shall require that electro-immobilisation is prohibited.


• If so, how widely is this technique used?

CONSULTATION: PAINFUL PROCEDURES

B4.8.2

The standard shall require that spaying and webbing are prohibited


• If so, how many heifers/cows per year undergo these procedures?

• What technique is used?

• Is pain relief used?

CONSULTATION: GROWTH PROMOTION

B4.8.3

The standard shall require that the use of beta-agonists is prohibited.


• If so, how many animals are given

The standard shall require that the use of growth hormones is prohibited.


• If so, how many animals are given



beta-agonists each year?

Beta-agonists are non-hormonal growth promoters which have some side-effects that are negative for animal welfare

growth hormones each year?



B4.9 Transport – Requirements

Desired outcome: Animals are transported in a low-stress manner, by competent handlers on well-planned journeys. Transport vehicles are designed and maintained to be suitable for the livestock transported.

TRANSPORT – REQUIREMENTS

Number Baseline (A)




FITNESS FOR TRANSPORT

B4.9.1

The standard shall require that animals are only transported when they are fit and well enough to cope with all aspects of this.

TRANSPORT SPACE ALLOWANCES

B4.9.2

The standard shall require that space in transport and the maximum number of animals that can be carried on a vehicle are planned prior to loading.

The standard shall require space allowances in transport set per animal by type/weight

TRANSPORT VEHICLE

B4.9.3

The standard shall require that transport vehicles are designed and suitable for livestock/cattle transport.

The standard shall require that ramps and other surfaces used for loading shall provide good footing.

B4.9.4

The standard shall require that ramps allow animals easy access to the transport vehicle

B4.9.5 The standard shall require that vehicles offer



enough headroom for cattle to stand naturally.

TRANSPORT CONDITIONS

B4.9.6

The standard shall require that thermal comfort is maintained for transported animals

B4.9.7

The standard shall require that adequate ventilation is maintained during transport

TRANSPORT DURATION

B4.9.8 The standard shall address the time spent in transport

The standard shall require that the maximum transport duration for a single journey shall be 8 hours

TRANSPORT STAFF

B4.9.9

The standard shall require that only personnel who are trained and competent are involved in transport.

B4.10 Transport – Recommendations

TRANSPORT – RECOMMENDATIONS

Number Baseline (A)




TRANSPORT DURATION RECOMMENDED/FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

B4.10.1

The standard shall require breaks where animals are unloaded, fed and



watered when transport duration exceeds a set number of hours.



B4.11 Slaughter – Requirements (applicable to standards that address slaughter) Desired outcome: Animal are slaughtered efficiently and humanely without pain and distress. Animals are stunned pre-slaughter

SLAUGHTER – REQUIREMENTS * These requirements apply to any standards that address slaughter

Number Baseline (A)




MANAGEMENT & TRAINING

B4.11.1

The standard shall require that personnel at the abattoir/slaughter plant shall be trained and competent to carry out the tasks required of them.

The standard shall require that there is a named person who is responsible for animal welfare and who has the authority to stop slaughter operations if there is a risk to cattle welfare.

CASUALTY ANIMALS

B4.11.2

The standard shall require that animals that are unable to rise and walk are euthanised promptly using an acceptable method.

PRE-SLAUGHTER HANDLING

B4.11.3

The standard shall require that animals are handled calmly and there shall be no abuse of animals.

B4.11.4

The standard shall set requirements around the use of electric prods

The standard shall require that electric prods are prohibited.

STUNNING & SLAUGHTER

B4.11.5 The standard shall require that methods of slaughter that



cause immediate unconsciousness followed by death are used.


B4.11.6

The standard shall require that suitable equipment for slaughter of cattle is available and maintained as per the manufacturers’ instructions.

B4.11.7

The standard shall require that the correct ammunition for the size/age/type of cattle is used when captive bolt guns/firearms are in use for stunning or slaughter

B4.11.8

The standard shall require that the correct current and application time are used for any electrical methods of stunning or slaughter

B4.11.9

The standard shall require that following stunning, animals are bled as soon as possible and within 60 seconds of stun.

B4.12 Slaughter – Recommendations

SLAUGHTER – RECOMMENDATIONS

Number Baseline (A)




MANAGEMENT & TRAINING RECOMMENDATION/FUTURE REQUIREMENT



B4.12.1

The standard shall require that there is a qualified Animal Welfare Officer (as defined by EU legislation) or a person who has successfully completed equivalent training.


B4.12.2

When the standard does not cover slaughter within its requirements, it shall require that certified cattle are only sent to slaughterplants that have been audited by another certification body as meeting a minimum level of animal welfare.



B4.13 Management – Recommendations

Desired outcome: The welfare of animals is protected by clear protocols and defined management strategies.

MANAGEMENT – REQUIREMENTS

Number Baseline (A)




TRAINING

B4.13.1

The standard shall require that all those working with cattle are trained and competent to carry out the tasks required of them.



B4.14 Overall Benchmark – Consultation Points

OVERALL BENCHMARK – CONSULTATION POINT

Number Baseline (A)




PROGRESSION CONSULTATION POINT

B4.14.1

PROPOSAL: That farmer groups must show progression from one option to the next within a set timeline. The most important progression would be from baseline to option 1:

• What are the barriers to this?

• What timeline might be needed to achieve this?

Guidance notes

1. Air quality issues should include ammonia and dust. Ammonia should not exceed 20ppm.

2. It is suggested that at Option 1 the total for moderately and severely lame

animals should not exceed 5% of the herd. Of that figure, severely lame animals should not exceed 4% of the herd and should be in sick pens. For Option 2 it is suggested that the total for moderately and severely lame animals should not exceed 4% of the herd. For Option 3 it is suggested that the total for moderately lame animals should not exceed 2% of the herd, and there should be 0% severely lame animals.

3. It is suggested that at Option 2 the maximum acceptable level of mortality across

the entire herd should be 4%.

It is suggested that at Option 3 the maximum acceptable level of mortality across the entire herd should be 2%



Section C – Live Animal Traceability

C1. Live Animal Traceability Requirements One of the roles of LIA is to build up the overall supply of traceable leather, so that brands can eventually physically source hides from farms that meet their expectations. To participate in LIA, farms must be working with a traceability system to track where their cattle are coming from, and where they are sold to. Any system that reliably ensures the identity of the individual cattle and keeps record of their purchase and sale will be accepted, including: Identification

Ear tags

RFID ear tags

Branding (not encouraged due to animal welfare and hide quality)

Other*: Tracking

Paper documentation of purchases and sales, with individual cow identities

Technological tracking systems (provide link to the list)

Other*: *Please submit any identification or tracking systems that are not on the list of options to [email protected] for approval.

mailto:[email protected]



Appendix A – References The following references were used in the development of the LIA Farm Scope Benchmark Criteria:

• ISEAL Code of Good Practices

• ISEAL Sustainability Benchmarking Good Practice Guide Deforestation/Conversion-Free (DCF):

• Accountability Framework Initiative Animal Welfare:

• OIE Guidelines

• Five Domains of Animal Welfare

• Textile Exchange Animal Welfare Framework

mailto:https://www.isealalliance.org/credible-sustainability-standards/iseal-codes-good-practice

mailto:https://www.isealalliance.org/benchmarking

mailto:https://accountability-framework.org/



Appendix B - Further Guidance on DCF Definitions Some sites are difficult to classify because they exhibit both characteristics of natural ecosystems and characteristics of production systems or degraded land. The following guidance can help in determining how such “boundary cases” should be treated for the purpose of fulfilling (or assessing fulfilment of) no-deforestation and no-conversion commitments.

https://accountability-framework.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/OG_on_Applying_Definitions-table2_v2.pdf


Degradation: Changes within a natural ecosystem that significantly and negatively affect its species composition, structure, and/or function and reduce the ecosystem’s capacity to supply products, support biodiversity, and/or deliver ecosystem services. Degradation may be considered conversion if it:

• is large-scale and progressive or enduring; • alters ecosystem composition, structure, and function to the extent that

regeneration to a previous state is unlikely; or leads to a change in land use (e.g., to agriculture or other use that is not a natural forest or other natural ecosystem)







Appendix C – International Working Group & Scope Committee Members LIA International Working Group (LIA IWG) members: this section will be added at a later time. LIA Animal Welfare Committee: Anna Heaton (Chair) Anne Gillespie (Co-Chair) Sara Shields Corinna Reinisch Max Makuvise Kaley Segboer LIA Deforestation Conversion-Free (DCF) Committee: Josefina Eisele (Chair) Anne Gillespie (Co-Chair) Mauricio Bauer Simon Hall Charton Locks Gert van der Bijl Peter Burston Luiza BruscatoRafael Andrade Shanel Orton Roger Steinhardt Catriona Stevenson

Documents

Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) Farm Scope Benchmark ......2020/04/21 · Section B – Animal Welfare Benchmark The ultimate goal of LIA is the highest level of animal welfare throughout