How climate change is increasing heat stress in livestock globally, the scale of suffering this causes, and adaptive strategies.
Heat stress causes significant suffering in farm animals - panting, reduced feed intake, behavioral disruption, and in severe cases organ failure and death. As global temperatures rise, the geographic range of severe heat stress events expands and their frequency increases. Current breeding programs for maximum production have often produced animals physiologically less capable of coping with heat. Climate-resilient breeds adapted to warmer conditions may be necessary, alongside infrastructure changes to provide shade, ventilation, and cooling water.