HSA Conference - 20 - 21 October 2026
Animal Welfare Beyond the Farm Gate: Latest developments in humane slaughter and transport of animals
Location: The Catalyst, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK and online
Introduction
HSA's annual conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy makers working on the welfare of animals during slaughter and transport.
Over two days, the programme covers stunning and killing methods across species, from poultry and pigs to fish and cephalopods, alongside sessions on transport, depopulation, and non-stun slaughter. Speakers present new evidence on consciousness, pain, and practical welfare improvements during killing and transport.
The conference is aimed at anyone working to improve welfare outcomes in slaughter and transport, whether in industry, research, or policy.
Register now to secure your place, you can attend in person or on-line.
The programme includes sessions on:
- Emergency depopulation and humane killing
- Welfare monitoring and assessment
- Poultry slaughter
- Slaughter of farmed insects
- Slaughter of aquatic species (including octopus)
- Animal transport and handling
- Red-meat and equine slaughter
- Religious and non-stun slaughter
The conference will include panel discussions, dedicated discussion sessions and networking breaks across both days.
Registration is open until 12:00 noon on Monday 19 October 2026.
Day 1:
- Meghan Barrett: Welfare at time of killing for farmed insects
- Ellie Gannon: "Abattoir Air Quality: An Unknown Quantity". Volatile Organic Compound Characterisation in Beef Abattoirs
- Noemie Van Noten: Automated monitoring of pig and broiler chicken welfare during the pre-slaughter and stunning phase
- Anneleen Watteyn: One year of slaughterhouse-based monitoring reveals the welfare status of spent hens in Flanders
- Troy Gibson: Behavioural, brainstem and electroencephalographic assessment of the time to loss of consciousness in poultry following non-stunned slaughter
- Aranzazu Varvaro Porter: Identification of animal welfare concerns during shackling and electrical waterbath stunning of ducks under commercial conditions
Day 2
- Cia Johnson: AVMA Humane Endings: Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals
- Enrica Massalin: Reducing stress and improving animal welfare: the role of mobile slaughter units and policy implications for alternative slaughter methods
- Marco Facchinetti: Automatic loading of broilers for processing: an alternative to manual catching
The Conference will open with Registration at 09:00 on Day 1, 20 October 2026, with sessions starting at 09:30 and finish at 16:15 on Day 2, 21 October 2026.
*Please note, the programme remains subject to change.
Registration
Registration is now open. We are offering flexible attendance options, including both in-person and online participation and free online registration for delegates from low- and middle-income countries.
Registration is open until 12:00 noon on Monday 19 October 2026.
In-person registration
Individual (both days) £385.00 
Student (both days) £300.00
Individual (1 day only) £215.00
Student (1 day only) £165.00
Online registration (both days only)
Individual (both days) £165.00
Student (both days) £110.00
To maximise access to the meeting, the fee will be waived for delegates resident in low- and middle-income countries eligible for the Research4Life scheme (Group A and B). Click here for a list of eligible countries. Delegates who register from countries not included in the list will be removed and will need to pay to attend.
Conference sponsors
Exhibition and sponsorship packages remain available, please contact [email protected] to find out more.
Gold sponsor
Since 1913, Accles & Shelvoke have been at the forefront of animal welfare at the time of slaughter. Today the CASH® brand is the global market leader, offering a comprehensive product range of precision-engineered handheld stunning tools.
Silver sponsor
CMC Poultry Tech, a division of CMC Industries Group, is the internationally recognised technology and market leader in automated animal handling and loading systems for the poultry industry.
Bronze sponsors
Livetec is a specialist biosecurity, animal health and welfare company supporting the livestock sector through consultancy, training, research, innovation and emergency response.
Bock Industries design and build humane percussive stunning solutions for poultry, pigs and fish. We turn research-informed design into field-proven performance.
Conference supporter
Contact Details:
HSA, The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 8AN, UK.
Tel: +44 (0) 1582 831919; Website: www.hsa.org.uk; Email: [email protected]