Emus are farmed in Australia and internationally for meat, oil, and leather. As native Australian birds with specialised behavioural needs, their welfare in captive settings deserves attention.
Emus have evolved for wide-ranging movement and are poorly suited to confinement. Captive emus show high rates of escape attempts, injury from fencing, and stress-related behaviours. The emu oil industry involves slaughter of birds, while the cosmetic marketing of emu oil often lacks transparency about production conditions. Welfare standards for emus are largely absent from mainstream animal welfare legislation. Consumers of emu oil and leather products should be aware of the welfare conditions associated with their production.