The UN Sustainable Development Goals address human wellbeing comprehensively but largely ignore animals. Integrating animal welfare into development frameworks improves outcomes for both humans and animals.
The exclusion of animal welfare from international development frameworks represents a missed opportunity for both animals and humans. The billion people who depend on livestock as their primary livelihood would benefit directly from programs that improve working animal welfare — a healthier, stronger working animal is a more productive livelihood asset. Zoonotic disease prevention, a global health priority since COVID-19, requires addressing the same farm animal and wildlife trade conditions that cause welfare harm. Food security goals that include welfare standards would produce more resilient, sustainable food systems. The SDG framework provides a global architecture that could be leveraged for animal welfare if the political will to include animals in development thinking can be generated.