Traditional welfare assessment focuses on preventing suffering. The positive welfare framework asks a deeper question: are animals thriving? This shift has significant implications for standards, research, and practice.
The shift toward positive welfare assessment represents a maturation of the field. The original Five Freedoms framed welfare negatively — freedom from hunger, fear, and disease. The positive welfare framework recognises that absence of suffering is insufficient; animals should have the opportunity to experience positive emotional states through play, social engagement, exploration, and the expression of species-specific behaviours. This reframing changes what "good welfare" means in practice — not just a farm without visible suffering, but a farm where animals express natural enthusiasm, engage socially, and show behavioural signs of positive affect. It raises the bar and provides a more ambitious and inspiring vision of what animal care can achieve.