Current food labelling systems fail to give consumers the information needed to make informed welfare-based purchasing decisions.
Food labelling is a critical interface between consumer values and farm animal welfare outcomes. When consumers cannot determine how an animal was raised from the information available at point of purchase, they cannot exercise any preference for higher welfare products. Current labelling in most countries is deeply inadequate — the vast majority of meat and dairy products carry no information about the farming methods used. Mandatory method-of-production labelling, as exists for eggs in the EU and UK, has demonstrably shifted purchasing toward free-range and cage-free products. Extending this model to other animal products would create market signals that reward welfare improvements and incentivise industry-wide reform. This is a policy change with proven effectiveness and widespread public support.