Livestock Climate Adaptation and Welfare

Climate change requires adaptation of livestock systems to maintain animal welfare under changing temperature, precipitation, and disease pressure conditions.

Key Facts

Heat stress in livestock is projected to cost the global livestock industry hundreds of billions by 2050
Climate change is expanding the range of vector-borne diseases affecting livestock welfare
Livestock breed diversity is critical for climate adaptation but is being lost as production concentrates in a few breeds
Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems provide climate adaptation benefits for livestock welfare through shade and shelter

Welfare Considerations

Climate adaptation for livestock welfare requires planning across multiple dimensions: heat stress mitigation infrastructure, breed selection for heat tolerance, disease surveillance for emerging vectors, and housing design that manages extreme weather. The risk of inaction is welfare deterioration as current systems become less able to protect animal welfare under changing conditions. Proactive adaptation investment protects both animal welfare and farm viability. Policies that incentivise climate adaptation investment — particularly for smaller farms that lack capital — are essential for preventing welfare crises.

What You Can Do

Support agricultural climate adaptation policies that include animal welfare requirements
Advocate for breed diversity conservation programmes to maintain climate-resilient genetics
Choose products from farms with documented climate adaptation plans
Support research into welfare-positive climate adaptation strategies across livestock systems