Effective animal welfare labelling enables consumers to make informed choices and provides market signals that reward higher welfare production, but only when labels are meaningful and trusted.
Welfare labelling welfare impact depends on three factors: consumer understanding of what labels mean, trust in the certification behind them, and willingness to pay the premium that compensates producers for welfare investment. Current labelling landscapes are fragmented, with multiple schemes of varying rigour creating consumer confusion. Comprehensive tiered labelling systems — like those proposed for the EU and already operating for eggs in some countries — provide clear comparative information. Mandatory labelling of welfare-relevant production methods (cage versus cage-free; indoor versus outdoor) would provide baseline information even without positive certification.