How animals die is a critical welfare concern. Slaughter methods vary enormously in their humaneness, and regulatory requirements differ significantly across countries and species.
Death is inevitable for farm animals in food systems, but the manner of death matters enormously for welfare. Animals killed without prior stunning experience the terror and pain of throat-cutting while conscious. Even with stunning, poor implementation rates mean millions of animals are ineffectively stunned before slaughter. Welfare advocacy for improved slaughter standards can reduce suffering for billions of individuals annually.