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On Tuesday, 9 May, the Centre for Sustainable Animal Stewardship (CenSAS) held its official launch ceremony. A diverse group of 120 interested people from the academic community, government, veterinary practices, and representatives of animal owner and animal protection organisations all gathered at the De Horst estate in Driebergen for the official launch. CenSAS donors were also present at the event.

The opening speech was given by CenSAS head Franck Meijboom and , Director of Wageningen Bioveterinary Research. They told about the origins of CenSAS and its mission, and commemorated the person who started it all, Prof. Frauke Ohl. Professor Ohl, who passed away last year, was unequalled in her efforts to bring parties with widely divergent interests on how to deal with animals together, both in her role as Professor of Animal Welfare and as the President of the Council for Animal Affairs. The initiative for the Centre for Sustainable Animal Stewardship was a perfect expression of her own personal mission.

Public dialogue

After the opening ceremony, a public discussion was held under the guidance of the guest speaker Marijn Frank. Using the Kahoot programme, those in attendance were able to vote on a number of statements, after which the public and the panel of experts discussed the issues, including de-horning calves, drowning mice considered pests in the countryside, and the use of animals in experiments. These discussions mainly dealt with what is - and is not- acceptable in how we deal with animals, and the arguments for and against each position. The panel members included Jeannette van de Ven (LTO Nederland), Renée Chalmers Hoynck van Papendrecht (veterinarian, WSAVA), Dirk-Jan Verdonk (WAP), Saskia Arndt (Department of Animals in Science and Society) and Marc Schakenraad (RDA). The positions presented to the Kahoot users can be found and re-used (search for ‘CenSAS’).

Launch 

After the public discussion, Wouter Dhert (Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) and Martin Scholten (General Director of Animal Sciences at Wageningen ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ and Research) discussed CenSAS from the perspectives of the fields of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. For both institutions, sustainable animal stewardship is a vital social issue that has been included in their respective long-term plans.

Ted van den Berg, Director of the Triodos Foundation, which is an important financier for CenSAS, also explained that CenSAS has added value from the foundation’s perspective.

In conclusion, Frans Brom, Secretary of the Scientific Council for Government Policy, gave a fascinating lecture (presentation in PDF, in Dutch) about the challenges that CenSAS faces in building widespread support for solutions to animal-related issues, and which offer room for the many different stakeholders and divergent interests.

Then it was time for the official launch of the Centre for Sustainable Animal Stewardship by Frans Brom, Franck Meijboom, Maite van Gerwen and Ludo Hellebrekers. The event concluded with a pleasant reception, where those in attendance continued the discussions.

The CenSAS team wants to thank all of those present for their input and involvement!