Shifting from input-based rules to outcome-based welfare measurement focuses on what animals actually experience rather than what resources they are given.
Traditional welfare regulation specifies inputs: how much space an animal must have, what structures must be provided, what procedures are prohibited. Input standards are easy to audit but poorly correlated with actual welfare outcomes — an animal can have the legally required space and still experience chronic stress and pain. Outcome-based indicators measure what animals actually experience: are they injured? Do they show fear responses? Are they engaging in positive behaviours? This shift in measurement focus is more directly relevant to animal experience and aligns regulation with welfare science. The challenge is consistency of assessment: outcome indicators require trained assessors and validated protocols to produce reliable, comparable data across farms and regions.