Major Wins: 2020–2025
✅ UK Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022
The UK formally recognized all vertebrates and decapod crustaceans as sentient beings, requiring government policy to consider animal sentience. First major country to extend sentience recognition to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
✅ EU Farm to Fork Strategy Cage Phase-Out (2027 Target)
The European Commission committed to phasing out all cage systems for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, laying hen breeders, quail, ducks, and geese by 2027 — the largest single welfare reform in agricultural history affecting hundreds of millions of animals.
✅ FDA Modernization Act 2.0 (USA, 2022)
Eliminated the requirement for animal testing for most US drug applications, accelerating the transition to human-relevant alternatives and reducing laboratory animal use.
✅ Canada Cetacean Captivity Ban (2019)
Canada banned the captivity, breeding, and import/export of whales, dolphins, and porpoises — ending a major source of cetacean suffering. Existing captive animals are grandfathered but the industry cannot grow.
✅ 2,500+ Cage-Free Corporate Commitments
Over 2,500 companies globally have made cage-free egg commitments, representing hundreds of millions of hens. The Open Wing Alliance's international strategy has been particularly effective in Asia and Latin America.
✅ Better Chicken Commitment Adoption
Hundreds of food companies have adopted the Better Chicken Commitment, committing to slow-growing breeds, improved living conditions, and more humane slaughter methods for broiler chickens.
✅ California Proposition 12 Upheld (2023)
The US Supreme Court upheld California's farm animal confinement law — the strongest in the US — prohibiting the sale of pork, eggs, and veal from animals raised in extreme confinement regardless of where they are produced.
Regional Progress Snapshot
🇪🇺 European Union
Most advanced welfare legislation globally. Cage phase-out target 2027. Strong enforcement of transport welfare rules. Animal sentience in founding treaties. Ongoing reform of livestock welfare directives.
🇺🇸 United States
State-level leadership (CA, MA, CO). Federal law weak (no laying hen standard). Corporate campaigns driving change faster than legislation. FDA Modernization Act a major win.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Strong welfare culture post-Brexit. Sentience Act 2022. Mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses. High standards for farm assurance. Reviewing cetacean import policy.
🇨🇳 China
Rapidly growing advocacy community. Some corporate campaign wins. National animal welfare law under discussion. Significant improvement from very low baseline in recent years.
🇮🇳 India
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960) exists but enforcement weak. Strong vegetarian culture provides some protection. Growing urban welfare movement.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Constitutional animal protection provision. Welfare research growing. Significant industrial animal agriculture sector with limited oversight. Corporate campaign work beginning.
What Still Needs to Change
🟥 Scale of Suffering Remains Enormous
Despite progress, ~80 billion land animals are slaughtered for food annually, most under conditions causing significant suffering. Progress has been real but incremental relative to the scale of the problem.
🟥 Fish Welfare Lag
~1 trillion fish are killed annually for food with minimal welfare oversight globally. Even where legal recognition exists, practical welfare standards and monitoring are nearly absent.
🟥 Implementation Gap
Corporate commitments routinely miss target dates. EU cage phase-out faces strong industry resistance. The gap between commitment and implementation is the defining challenge of the next five years.
🟥 Global South Welfare Deficit
Welfare legislation and enforcement are weakest in rapidly industrializing countries where animal agriculture is growing fastest. International capacity-building is essential.
What You Can Do
Contributing to Global Welfare Progress
Donate Effectively Effective Advocacy More Welfare Wins Take Action- Donate to Animal Charity Evaluators' top-rated organizations — your money goes further there
- Follow and support legislative campaigns in your jurisdiction
- Hold corporations accountable for implementing their welfare commitments
- Support global capacity-building organizations working in the Global South