A growing body of evidence shows that higher animal welfare standards often deliver economic benefits through improved productivity, reduced disease, and premium market access.
The economic case for animal welfare investment is more compelling than is commonly assumed. Stress-related cortisol release in frightened animals produces tougher meat. Lame animals eat less and produce less. Antibiotic-dependent systems face growing regulatory and market restrictions. The welfare and productivity cases for improvement align more often than they conflict, particularly when animal health is the focus.