DR ANNIE RAYNER
“We need to think regeneratively about animal welfare…”
Dr Annie Rayner has joined the management team in a variety of capacities in reflection of the portfolio of skills and passions in the arenas of project management, research and particularly the world of chickens.
Her PhD in veterinary sciences was on the subject of positive welfare. Positive animal welfare draws distinct parallels to regenerative agriculture in its inverse focus on promoting beneficial lives for animals as opposed to the traditional approach of avoiding harm. Annie also brings a specialisation in chickens to the table. (They (chickens) will form an important part of the stacked enterprises at all our operations.)
Alongside completing her PhD, Annie cut her teeth on holistic and regenerative approaches to farming working for FAI Farms for some 11 years. In her last role there, she was the Senior Research Manager where she managed FAI’s own internal research portfolio as well as research programmes for large food retail brands.
Annie brings a lively sense of what regeneration is all about, what it is not, and, most importantly, a willingness to start from a place of not knowing.
Introduction film
Glen Burrows talks to Dr Annie Rayner, Head of Research and Development at New Foundation Farms about how to think regeneratively about animal welfare in farming.
Annie reflects on how recent family illness brought home her own mortality and focused her mind on bringing about change at the pace demanded by the scale of the challenges we face; "we do not have time for slow incremental changes".
She has joined New Foundation Farms to show that an alternative system can exist.
