Farmed Animals

Using Welfare Indexes to Drive Farm Improvement

Welfare index systems translate complex multi-indicator assessments into actionable management information for farmers and supply chain partners.

Key Facts

Welfare indexes aggregate multiple indicators into overall and domain-level scores
Higher scoring farms consistently achieve better welfare outcomes on follow-up assessment
Retailers and processors increasingly use welfare index scores in supplier management
Online welfare management tools enable farmers to track progress between audits
Data from welfare indexes can identify sector-wide problems for policy intervention

Welfare Considerations

Welfare indexes translate complex, multi-dimensional welfare assessments into formats that are useful for farm management, supply chain decisions, and policy. By aggregating validated indicators into domain and overall scores, indexes enable comparison and tracking that motivates and guides improvement. Their integration into retailer supply chain requirements has accelerated welfare improvement across multiple livestock sectors.

What You Can Do

Support adoption of validated welfare indexes in livestock supply chains
Advocate for welfare index transparency in retailer procurement requirements
Raise awareness about welfare index tools as practical management resources
Support research into improving welfare index validity and implementation
Encourage farm advisers and vets to use welfare index data in advisory work