Urban farming including city farms, rooftop agriculture, and backyard animal keeping is growing. Welfare considerations for urban animals require attention to species-specific needs and urban-specific challenges.
Urban agricultural animal welfare receives less regulatory attention than commercial farm animal welfare, creating gaps that allow substandard conditions in city farms and backyard systems. City farm animals deserve the same species-appropriate welfare standards as commercially farmed animals. Backyard chickens kept in inadequate space, without appropriate social housing, or without access to veterinary care experience preventable welfare harm. Urban beekeeping expanded without consideration of wild bee forage competition, potentially harming wild bee welfare through resource competition. Urban farming welfare governance needs the same evidence-based approach as commercial farming.