Baseline study animal welfare

The project will result on a baseline study that provides up-to-date information on the educational needs at vocational training level on animal welfare in the dairy industry of Ukraine. This baseline study focuses on the identification of practical insights and best practices in animal welfare that can be adopted by dairy farms in Ukraine to enable them to comply with the upcoming European Union animal welfare standards on transport and slaughter but also to enhance their overall operational efficiency and animal care standards.

The results of this study will be used as input for further development of a Curriculum that can be adopted by agricultural universities, dairy associations and other educational organisations in Ukraine; followed by a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) to lecturers of the agrarian universities (follow-up project PCB25UA04).

The primary objective of the overall intervention (this project and PCB25UA04) is to equip Ukrainian dairy farmers and dairy farm staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt to the new European animal welfare standards and policies that is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

By collaborating with Ukrainian agricultural universities and leveraging expertise from Dutch knowledge organisations and businesses, the overall intervention aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap among Ukrainian farmers and dairy farm staff.

The project has a positive impact on:

• SDG 8: Promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth by supporting productive activities and decent job creation in the animal welfare sector.
• SDG 12: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns by implementing humane and ethical animal welfare practices.
• SDG 15: Protecting life on land by ensuring the ethical treatment and welfare of farmed animals, contributing to biodiversity and ecological balance.