Measuring and tracking global progress on animal welfare across different species, industries, and regions.
Tracking global animal welfare progress requires measuring across multiple dimensions: legislative frameworks, industry practices, enforcement quality, and cultural attitudes. Progress has been uneven and non-linear — significant improvements in EU farm animal welfare coexist with welfare regressions in other regions where intensive production has expanded without corresponding welfare requirements. The most reliable indicators of welfare improvement are those that can be independently verified: production system transitions (cage-free eggs, sow housing), certification adoption rates, and mortality and morbidity data where available. Consumer movement data — purchasing shifts toward higher-welfare products — provides market signals about the trajectory of industry change. The overall trend in welfare awareness and commitment is positive in developed markets, while the global expansion of intensive animal agriculture without equivalent welfare standards creates offsetting welfare harms at scale.