Development and application of welfare certification standards for farmed rabbits, examining what meaningful rabbit welfare certification requires and how consumer choice can drive industry improvement.
Rabbit welfare certification development lags behind other farm species despite the scale of production and severity of welfare compromise in conventional systems. The absence of strong welfare certification leaves consumers who want to make ethical rabbit consumption choices without reliable tools. Building meaningful rabbit welfare certification requires: standards developed from the behavioral science of rabbit needs rather than minimum compliance; third-party verification by trained auditors; outcome measures including behavioral indicators alongside resource requirements; and market positioning that rewards producers investing in welfare. Consumer engagement — asking retailers about rabbit welfare standards and paying premium for certified products — creates the market conditions for certification investment and adoption.