Water buffalo are essential working and dairy animals across Asia, with welfare conditions varying enormously between subsistence and commercial contexts.
Water buffalo welfare in subsistence contexts is often better than in commercial intensive systems because smallholder farmers are closely attuned to individual animal health and behavior. However, overworking in rice paddy agriculture, inadequate access to water for thermoregulation, and poor veterinary access are common welfare problems. As commercial buffalo dairy expands to meet rising milk demand, the welfare lessons from the cattle industry should inform how buffalo systems develop.