Farm animal welfare: beyond ‘natural’ behavior

Journal article

Globally, more than 78 billion land animals are reared for human consumption each year (more than 70 billion chickens, with pigs and cattle making up much of the rest) (1). The trend is growing, but so is public concern about the welfare of these animals, particularly in intensive farming systems. In response to public concerns about the lives of farm animals, requirements for improved animal welfare now widely appear in legislation, in farm assurance schemes, and as an important ESG (environment, social, and governance) goal for food-producing companies, giving animal welfare a higher priority than it has ever had before. However, requirements that prioritize animals’ ability to exercise “natural behavior” are often imposed without showing that they actually improve welfare from the animals’ point of view. Without evidence to inform policies and practices, industry may be wasting money and misleading the public—all without any genuine improvement in animal welfare.

Authors: Dawkins, MS

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Reviewed (other)
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Journal: Science
• Volume: 379
• Issue: 6630
• Pages: 326-328
• Publication date: 2023-01-26
• Acceptance date: 2023-01-11
• DOI: 10.1126/science.ade5437
• EISSN: 1095-9203
• ISSN: 0036-8075
• Language: English
• Keywords: FFR