The National Farm Animal Care Council, as a first step toward a planned update of Canada's Transportation Code of Practice, has formed a Transportation Code Scientific Committee to review existing research on livestock transportation.

Jackie Wepruk, the General Manager of the National Farm Animal Care Council, says livestock and poultry transport is the most publicly visible aspect of animal agriculture.

Jackie Wepruk-National Farm Animal Care Council

I think animal welfare is something that Canadians in general, whether we're talking about the public or whether we're talking about farmers or anyone that's working in agriculture, that's something that Canadians, in general, care about.

So building public trust through having credible assurance processes is increasingly important and the Transport Code is an important extension tool for supporting consistent adherence to regulatory expectations that are out there across jurisdictions and also in advancing good practices that go above regulatory requirements as well.

Livestock and poultry transport, this is commonly known that this is the most publicly visible aspect of animal agriculture.

Anyone driving down a highway has probably passed a truck hauling livestock or poultry so as a result there has been increasing scrutiny of the humane transport of livestock and poultry.

I think just in general people are much more sensitized to animal welfare issues and so are looking to understand what happening.

I think in general people are asking more questions about how their food is produced and what the processes are.

Even aside from animal welfare we're much more interested in how our food is produced and animal welfare is a part of that.

Ms Wepruk says the scientific committee has started its literature review and has until March of next year to provide its report.