How extending dairy cow productive lifespan improves welfare and reduces environmental impact.
Dairy cow longevity is both a welfare and sustainability metric, as cows living longer enjoy more years of reasonable welfare before slaughter while also generating less environmental burden per unit of milk produced. The primary barriers to longevity are lameness, mastitis, and reproductive failure - all preventable welfare problems that respond to evidence-based management. The tension between maximizing short-term milk yield and maintaining the health that supports long productive life has historically favored production, but economic and welfare analyses increasingly support investing in cow health as the more rational long-term strategy.