Animal Welfare and International Development: Low-Income Country Priorities

Animal welfare challenges in low-income countries are often overlooked in global advocacy. Addressing welfare in these contexts requires culturally sensitive, development-integrated approaches.

Key Facts

The largest farmed animal populations globally are increasingly concentrated in low and middle-income countries
Working animals including donkeys, horses, and mules support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people in the Global South
Veterinary infrastructure in low-income countries is often inadequate to address welfare problems
Cultural attitudes toward animal welfare vary enormously and affect the acceptability of interventions
International organisations including Brooke, SPANA, and World Horse Welfare work specifically on working animal welfare in developing countries
Welfare improvements in livestock systems in low-income countries can simultaneously improve food security and livelihoods

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare improvement in low-income countries requires approaches that recognise the economic dependence many communities have on animals. Punitive or prohibitionist approaches rarely succeed and may damage livelihoods. The most effective programmes combine veterinary support, husbandry training, and livelihood development to make better welfare practices economically rational for animal owners. International welfare organisations working in this space have developed community-based models that achieve durable welfare improvements by working with rather than against local practices and values.

What You Can Do

Support organisations like Brooke, SPANA, and Mission Rabies working on welfare in low-income countries
Avoid imposing Western animal welfare frameworks on contexts where economic realities are very different
Advocate for welfare considerations to be included in international development and aid programming
Donate to community-based welfare improvement programmes in the Global South
Engage with development finance institutions to include animal welfare criteria in agricultural lending