Pet Food Supply Chains and Ingredient Welfare

The billions of pets fed globally consume animal products from supply chains with their own welfare footprints — an often overlooked dimension of companion animal ownership.

Key Facts

The global pet food market exceeds USD 120 billion annually and is growing rapidly
Most commercial pet food contains meat, fish, and animal by-products from conventional supply chains
Cats are obligate carnivores requiring animal protein; dogs are omnivores with more flexibility
Some pet food brands have introduced welfare-certified ingredient sourcing, but the majority have not
The carbon and welfare footprint of pet food is equivalent to a medium-sized country in aggregate

Welfare Considerations

The welfare implications of pet food are rarely considered by owners focused on their companion animal health. Yet a cat fed premium tuna-based food is connected to tuna fishing bycatch welfare; a dog fed chicken-based kibble is connected to commercial broiler production. The scale of global pet food consumption means that welfare improvements in pet food supply chains could benefit enormous numbers of farm and wild animals. Some pioneering brands are introducing welfare-certified ingredients, insect protein, or plant-based options for dogs. The sector is at an early stage of welfare integration that consumer demand could accelerate.

What You Can Do

Research the welfare sourcing policies of your pet food brand
Consider pet food brands that use welfare-certified animal ingredients
For dogs, explore nutritionally complete options that reduce or replace conventional meat
Advocate for welfare sourcing standards in pet food industry certification schemes
Support research into nutritionally adequate plant-based or insect-based pet food alternatives