Integrating animal welfare into international development programmes creates co-benefits for human livelihoods, food security, and environmental sustainability alongside animal welfare improvement.
Animal welfare and international development are not competing priorities but complementary ones. Working animals that are healthy, appropriately fed, and free from preventable disease are more productive and last longer — directly improving the livelihoods of the families that depend on them. Livestock that are well-nourished and disease-free provide better nutrition to families and communities. Communities where animal welfare is understood and valued develop more sustainable agricultural systems. The One Welfare framework captures these connections explicitly, recognising that human welfare, animal welfare, and environmental welfare are deeply interconnected. Development programmes that include animal health and welfare components achieve better human outcomes while serving animals simultaneously.