Welfare of Animals in International Aid and Development Projects

International development projects including livestock distribution programmes can have significant welfare implications that are often overlooked in programme design and evaluation.

Key Facts

Heifer International and equivalent organisations have distributed millions of animals to low-income families as development interventions
Animal gifting programmes can introduce animals into communities without veterinary infrastructure to support their health
Livestock introduction without appropriate breed selection for local climate and disease challenges causes significant welfare harm
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds significant livestock development programmes with limited explicit welfare components
Integrated livestock and crop development programmes show better welfare outcomes when they include veterinary training components
The FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership increasingly integrates welfare into its assessments

Welfare Considerations

International animal gifting and livestock development programmes are well-intentioned but often welfare-problematic when animals are introduced into environments without the veterinary support, feed resources, and husbandry knowledge needed to care for them. Animals suffering from treatable diseases without access to veterinary care, breeds poorly adapted to local climate, or owners who lack knowledge of their specific needs represent preventable welfare failures in development contexts. Welfare-integrated programme design that pairs animal introduction with community veterinary training, appropriate breed selection, and follow-up support significantly improves both development and welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support development organisations that explicitly integrate animal welfare into their livestock programme design
Advocate for welfare criteria to be included in international development project evaluation frameworks
Choose charities with transparent welfare monitoring in their livestock development work
Learn about the welfare implications of animal gifting programmes in development contexts
Engage with development organisations to share information about welfare-integrated programme models