Livestock Welfare Data and Transparency

Transparent welfare data collection and reporting is essential for tracking progress and driving improvement across livestock sectors.

Key Facts

National welfare data collection varies enormously between countries in scope and quality
Abattoir welfare monitoring provides valuable population-level data on outcomes including lameness and injuries
Welfare data shared between farmers, vets, and industry bodies enables identification of systemic problems
Consumer access to welfare data through labeling is limited but growing in some markets

Welfare Considerations

Welfare data transparency is foundational to welfare improvement because what cannot be measured cannot be managed or improved at scale. Slaughterhouse welfare monitoring that records pathological conditions including bruising, lameness lesions, and respiratory disease provides valuable population-level welfare data that can be fed back to farms. Farm-level welfare data collected through audit schemes provides benchmarks for individual farm improvement. Sector-level aggregation of welfare data allows identification of persistent problems requiring systemic intervention. Increasing transparency of welfare data to consumers through labeling and public reporting creates accountability that drives improvement across the food system.

What You Can Do

Support labeling initiatives that provide consumers with welfare information about food products
Advocate for mandatory welfare data collection and public reporting at slaughterhouses
Choose food brands that publish their welfare data and progress toward improvement targets
Engage with farm assurance bodies on improving welfare data collection, analysis, and transparency