Transitioning food systems toward more sustainable and welfare-positive models requires integrated policy that addresses animal welfare alongside environmental and health goals.
Food system transformation that focuses only on environmental metrics can inadvertently harm animal welfare by driving toward the most resource-efficient production systems, which are often the most welfare-compromised. Conversely, policies that focus only on individual animal welfare can neglect environmental trade-offs. Integrated policy frameworks that simultaneously address welfare, environmental impact, and public health create coherent incentives for food system change. The most welfare-positive and environmentally sustainable trajectory involves both improving per-animal welfare standards and reducing overall animal product consumption — allowing smaller, better-managed animal farming systems to coexist with significantly expanded plant-based food production.