The SQNBA certification – National Quality System for Animal Welfare – is a voluntary scheme designed to ensure compliance with animal welfare requirements on farms.
INFORMAZIONI
The following may participate in the SQNBA standard:
- dairy cattle farms, beef cattle farms, and outdoor pig fattening units;
- all companies that handle, process, or label products of animal origin and wish to provide consumers with verified information on animal welfare, in accordance with Annex 2 of Interministerial Decree No. 563467 of 23/10/2024.
ICEA is accredited to operate under the SQNBA – National Quality System for Animal Welfare for the “Cattle Farming” category.
The accreditation was confirmed by Accredia’s Agri-food Sectoral Accreditation Committee, which met on 16 December 2025, and allows ICEA to certify products and services in compliance with the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17065 standard and the technical requirements set out in the SQNBA scheme.
SQNBA certification enables companies to demonstrate, in a verified manner, compliance with high animal welfare standards, strengthening product quality and building trust throughout the entire supply chain.
Joining SQNBA offers multiple benefits:
- Improved animal welfare conditions, in response to the growing demand from markets and consumers who are increasingly attentive to animal welfare issues;
- Reduced stress and competition among animals, leading to greater disease resistance and a consequent decrease in the use of veterinary medicines on farms;
- Improved zootechnical performance and profitability;
- High levels of on-farm biosecurity, limiting exposure to external pathogens, safeguarding animal health, and reducing veterinary costs;
- The opportunity for the primary sector and the animal products supply chain to communicate to consumers an official Animal Welfare standard, established by MASAF and certified by an accredited, independent third-party body.
ICEA is authorised to certify cattle farms in accordance with SQNBA specifications, covering both dairy and beef cattle, family-run farms, and systems with total or partial grazing, offering farmers a qualified tool to enhance their practices and meet the needs of a market increasingly focused on sustainability and responsibility.
