Rising temperatures driven by climate change are increasing heat stress in livestock globally, with profound welfare implications that will worsen without mitigation.
Heat stress causes significant suffering in livestock: elevated body temperature, rapid breathing, reduced feed intake, and in severe cases death. Climate change is making heat stress events more frequent, more severe, and occurring in regions previously temperate. Adaptation strategies including shade provision, evaporative cooling systems, modified feeding times, and breed selection for heat tolerance can reduce heat stress. However, these adaptations require investment that many producers lack. The welfare imperative of heat stress mitigation must be built into climate adaptation policy for agriculture.