Animal Welfare Auditing: An auditor’s personal perspective

There is a rigorous and robust process in place to ensure compliance with the SPCA Certified standards. This includes pre-certification assessments and visits by SPCA Certified staff and independent pre-certification audits before farms or businesses can join the programme. Importantly, there are regular independent audits - announced and unannounced - at least twice a year once members become part of SPCA Certified.

We recently asked Olivia, a QCONZ auditor for SPCA Certified farms, what it is like to audit for the programme.

I love the variety that auditing provides, no two days are the same and every farm or site that we visit is different. You meet some very interesting people who have done some amazing things in their lives. I also really enjoy when farmers take the standards and really live and breathe them with every on-farm practice. For example, I have seen some really cool and different enrichments that chickens love to play and interact with, which is a very rewarding thing to see.

I definitely have a soft spot for poultry, be it a meat chicken or a layer bird. They have their own little quirks that I love to see. A bonus are the baby chickens - they are so small and fluffy! Crazy that I now say chickens are my favourite species, given I was terrified of birds (chickens in particular) growing up.

The overall auditing process is super straight forward, starting with a pre-certification audit where we get to help guide producers to ensure they are meeting all the standards. Everything that we assess against is clearly outlined within the SPCA Certified standards for the relevant industry, so there are no surprises of what we are auditing, and farms can be visited up to four times a year.

A lot of farmers find that once they have seen us a few times, the visits just become a normal process that they slot into their farming practices and usually they enjoy the chance to have a good catch up about how their farm is going or whether we have any ideas on how they could improve practices, for example if we may have ideas for different enrichments.

When we are on farm, we review paperwork relating to the farm and farm practices, such as water test results, the animal health plan, emergency procedures, etc and then we go through all of the indoor and outdoor facilities with the farmer to ensure they are meeting the SPCA Certified standards. Often we will simply stand in one place and observe the birds while having a conversation about what the farm procedures are, rather than having a very formal sit-down conversation. This also allows us to see on-farm practices as they occur in front of us. For example, how birds are inspected, observed and how they respond to that. More paperwork is reviewed at an annual audit than at an unannounced audit, but for farmers it is always a good idea to ensure that everything is up to date.

If there are non-conformances, we work with the farmer to rectify them as required. We also have a discussion around why the current practice isn't meeting the standard. If it is a minor non-conformance we will give the farmer some guidance on what needs to be rectified, why, and some suggestions to help address the issue. If we issue a non-conformance, it is to ensure we can bring the farm back in line with the SPCA Certified standards that are not being met at the time.

Most non-conformances are usually easy fixes, such as getting an overdue water test completed or carrying out litter maintenance to help provide a good environment for birds.

Coordinating audit schedules can be challenging. We always do our best to work around busy periods on the farm and minimise disruption wherever possible. However, auditors are often balancing multiple audits, other work commitments, and biosecurity stand-down requirements, which can occasionally limit our flexibility.

My goal as an auditor, and the aspect of the role I am most passionate about, is adding value to every audit and farm I visit. However, I believe this is a two-way process. I genuinely enjoy learning from the farmers and industry professionals I work with, as each interaction helps to expand my knowledge and understanding of the industry. In turn, this enables me to bring greater value to future audits. I am a firm believer that the day I stop learning is the day I should stop auditing. Every audit provides an opportunity to learn something new, whether it is a technical aspect of farming, a different approach to managing challenges, or even reflecting on how I communicated information or asked a question.

Alongside this, I have a strong passion for animal welfare and helping to ensure welfare standards are being met. I believe this stems from growing up around animals and originally wanting to become a vet when I left school. Being able to contribute to the continuous improvement of animal welfare outcomes is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role.

Olivia and her fellow auditors at QCONZ play an integral role in ensuring that member farms meet the SPCA Certified standards. Ultimately, it is all about making sure that the animals under the SPCA Certified programme experience a better life.