Livestock farming in high-altitude environments including the Andes, Himalayas, and Ethiopian highlands involves unique welfare challenges related to cold, thin air, isolation, and limited veterinary access.
High-altitude farming presents welfare challenges that are often invisible to mainstream animal welfare advocacy focused on intensive systems in high-income countries. Cold exposure, limited oxygen, isolation from veterinary services, and the physiological demands of traditional pastoral management combine to create welfare risks that affect millions of animals globally. The most effective interventions build on existing traditional knowledge, train community animal health workers in locally appropriate techniques, and provide access to essential medicines and vaccines. Imposing low-altitude welfare frameworks without understanding high-altitude contexts is rarely effective or appropriate.