AGM and Science Update 2026
14 October 2026
All members of the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) are invited to attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and hear an update on our work, followed by a panel discussion on pragmatism bias in animal welfare science.
The AGM and Science update will be held at 17:30 on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at St Bride Foundation, 14 Bride Lane, London EC4Y 8EQ.
After the formal AGM business, our Chief Executive, Dr Huw Golledge, will report on a year of progress for the HSA and our sister charity Science for Animal Welfare (formerly known as UFAW).
Science Update 2026
After the formal AGM business, our Chief Executive, Dr Huw Golledge, will report on a year of progress for the HSA and our sister charity Science for Animal Welfare (formerly known as UFAW).
Panel Discussion: Is Pragmatism Bias Limiting What Animal Welfare Science Achieves for Animals?
In this interactive panel discussion, we will turn a critical eye on our own discipline. A group of leading animal welfare scientists has argued that what we study, and how we study it, is shaped by current systems and what funders, industry partners and policymakers find feasible or acceptable. The result, they suggest, is a science that refines entrenched systems which are often inherently low welfare, settling for tractable, incremental improvements rather than asking the harder questions and developing the solutions that could transform animals' lives. They call this pragmatism bias.
Are incremental gains a failure, or the most responsible way to make real-world improvements to animal welfare? Our panel will discuss the arguments and consider how we might overcome pragmatism bias, and we want to hear where you stand too.
The evening ends with drinks and canapés, and plenty of time to carry on the debate.
Event details
Date: Wednesday 11 November 2026
Arrivals: from 17:00
AGM: 17:30 prompt start
Interval: 18:00 to 18:30
Science Update & panel discussion: 18:30 to 19:30
Networking, drinks and canapés: 19:30 to 21:30
Venue: St Bride Foundation, 14 Bride Lane, London EC4Y 8EQ
The AGM and Science Update will be livestreamed for members to watch. Please register to attend online.
Please RSVP by noon on Friday 30 October to attend in person.
You can register to attend in-person or watch online by clicking on the button below or emailing [email protected]