Policy

Measuring Animal Welfare — Metrics and Progress

Robust measurement systems are essential for tracking animal welfare progress and holding stakeholders accountable.

Key Facts

The UK Animal Welfare Indicators project tracks welfare outcomes across major species
Welfare outcome measures including lameness rates, mortality, and behaviour are more reliable than input measures
Farm Sustainability Assessment tools now incorporate animal welfare alongside environmental metrics
Consumer-facing welfare ratings translate complex data into accessible purchasing guidance
Data transparency on welfare outcomes is a key driver of supply chain improvement

Welfare Considerations

You cannot improve what you cannot measure. Robust welfare metrics allow farmers, retailers, governments, and consumers to track progress, identify problems, and hold supply chains accountable. Investing in welfare measurement infrastructure is one of the highest-leverage policy interventions for improving animal welfare at scale.

What You Can Do

Support policies requiring transparent reporting of welfare outcome data
Choose products from companies that publish welfare performance data
Advocate for inclusion of welfare metrics in agricultural subsidy and regulatory frameworks
Engage with welfare rating and certification schemes that are based on outcome measures