Scientific consensus on farm animal sentience has grown substantially, driving policy changes and welfare improvements worldwide.
Recognition of farm animal sentience is the foundation for animal welfare law and ethics. As scientific evidence for consciousness, emotional experience and pain perception in farm animals grows stronger, the ethical case for improved welfare standards becomes more compelling. Policy that ignores sentience evidence fails to protect animals from significant suffering. The gap between scientific consensus on animal sentience and the welfare standards they experience remains one of the central ethical challenges of our time.