The EU Farm to Fork Strategy includes animal welfare as a central pillar, proposing a phased approach to banning cages and improving standards across species. Progress and limitations of the initiative are worth examining.
The EU Farm to Fork Strategy represents the most ambitious legislative welfare reform effort in history by scope, but ambition on paper does not automatically translate into welfare outcomes for animals. Implementation delays, agricultural lobby pressure, and the challenge of transition support for farmers have slowed progress. The cage ban proposals, if implemented fully and on schedule, would benefit hundreds of millions of animals. Advocacy that keeps political momentum behind these commitments — and that holds policymakers accountable for timelines — is crucial to translating policy language into lived improvements for farmed animals.