Animal welfare science is chronically underfunded relative to the scale of animal suffering it addresses, and increasing research funding is a priority for the field.
Animal welfare science faces a chronic funding gap that limits its ability to answer the questions needed to drive welfare improvement. The scientific foundations of modern welfare practice - validated pain assessment tools, behavioral indicators of positive and negative states, enrichment efficacy studies - were built through relatively modest research programs that have had enormous impact. Many important welfare questions remain unanswered because funding has not been available to investigate them. The translation of existing welfare science into commercial practice also requires research and demonstration programs that require ongoing investment. Philanthropic funding from welfare organizations has been disproportionately important to welfare science progress, filling gaps left by government agricultural research funding that prioritizes productivity. Increasing investment in welfare research through both public and philanthropic channels would accelerate progress across all areas of animal welfare improvement.