Rabbit Farming Welfare: Europe's Largest Unregulated Intensive System

Rabbits are farmed at enormous scale in Europe with virtually no species-specific welfare regulation, making this one of the most neglected areas of farmed animal welfare.

Key Facts

Approximately 340 million rabbits are killed for meat annually in the EU, primarily in Italy, France, and Spain
Conventional rabbit farming uses wire mesh cages so small that rabbits cannot fully extend their bodies, perform natural jumping, or engage in burrowing behaviour
EU welfare legislation does not include species-specific provisions for farmed rabbits despite decades of welfare advocacy
Rabbits are highly sensitive, stress-prone animals that are particularly vulnerable to the welfare harms of intensive confinement
Higher-welfare rabbit production systems including enriched group housing and park systems have been developed and demonstrated to be commercially viable in several European countries

Welfare Considerations

Rabbit farming welfare represents a significant regulatory gap in EU animal welfare law. Despite the enormous scale of production and the clear scientific evidence that rabbits suffer acutely in conventional wire cage systems, EU legislators have not extended the species-specific welfare provisions that cover cattle, pigs, and poultry to include rabbits. This regulatory gap means that hundreds of millions of animals are reared in conditions that welfare science clearly identifies as severely compromising their wellbeing, without legal remedy. Closing this gap is one of the most straightforward wins available in EU farm animal welfare policy.

What You Can Do

Avoid conventional farmed rabbit products and choose higher-welfare certified alternatives where available
Advocate for EU species-specific welfare legislation for farmed rabbits as a long-overdue regulatory correction
Support organisations working specifically on rabbit farming welfare reform in the EU and UK
Raise awareness that rabbit farming is one of the least regulated intensive farming systems in Europe
Push retailers to require minimum welfare standards for rabbit products in their supply chains