Selective breeding for production traits in livestock has created serious welfare problems, prompting calls for genetic approaches that prioritize animal health and wellbeing alongside productivity.
Decades of genetic selection focused narrowly on yield, growth rate, and efficiency have produced animals with bodies poorly suited for healthy lives. The welfare costs are severe: chronic pain, shortened lifespans, reduced mobility, and high disease susceptibility. A paradigm shift toward welfare-integrated genetics — selecting simultaneously for productivity and health, behavioral normalcy, and longevity — is both scientifically feasible and morally necessary. Consumer demand for higher welfare products can accelerate this transition.