Rising global temperatures are increasing the frequency and severity of heat stress events in farm animals, with significant welfare, productivity, and mortality consequences that require urgent adaptation in livestock management.
Heat stress in farm animals causes measurable suffering: elevated core temperature triggers panting, prostration, and reduced voluntary movement as physiological responses to heat load that animals cannot escape in confined systems. Severe heat events cause death through hyperthermia — a form of suffering that can be prolonged over hours. The welfare impact of climate change on livestock is direct and intensifying: what was once an exceptional summer event is becoming routine in many production regions. Adaptation requires infrastructure investment, breed selection toward heat-tolerant genetics, and revised management practices — changes that are costly and complex for farmers already under economic pressure. The welfare case for including farm animal heat stress in climate adaptation policy is strong, alongside the agricultural productivity arguments that tend to dominate policy discussions.