Animal Welfare and Environmental Sustainability Connections

Animal welfare and environmental sustainability are deeply connected, with production systems that improve animal welfare often also reducing greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption.

Key Facts

Intensive livestock production is responsible for approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions
Higher-welfare outdoor and pasture systems typically have lower antibiotic resistance contribution per animal
Reducing global meat consumption is projected to significantly reduce both welfare harm and emissions
Plant-based protein production generally requires less land, water, and energy per unit of nutrition
The EAT-Lancet Commission found diets healthy for humans also tend to be better for animal welfare and environment

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare and environmental sustainability often point in the same direction. Reducing consumption of intensively produced animal products improves welfare outcomes for billions of animals while reducing the environmental footprint of the food system. Dietary transitions toward more plant-based consumption, when supported by appropriate agricultural policy, can simultaneously reduce animal suffering, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and antibiotic resistance. The triple-benefit framing — welfare, environment, and public health — provides a powerful case for dietary transition that does not require choosing between competing values.

What You Can Do

Reduce consumption of intensively produced animal products to benefit both welfare and environment
Choose higher-welfare certified products when consuming animal foods to improve welfare outcomes
Support agricultural policies that incentivize welfare-positive and environmentally sustainable production
Learn about the connections between diet, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability