A shift from deficit-based to positive welfare assessment in farm animal welfare is transforming how we evaluate and improve the lives of billions of animals in production systems.
The paradigm shift from negative to positive welfare assessment is one of the most important developments in farm animal welfare science. Freedom from suffering is necessary but insufficient — animals should also experience positive emotional states: pleasure, playfulness, curiosity, and social engagement. Positive welfare assessment tools that capture these states provide a more complete picture of animal lives and motivate producers to create genuinely good lives rather than merely adequate ones. Consumers who ask about positive welfare indicators — not just absence of disease or injury — are engaging with a more sophisticated and complete understanding of farm animal welfare that drives more meaningful progress.