Dairy cow welfare varies enormously between countries, with significant differences in housing, feeding, health management, and slaughter practices across major producing regions.
Global dairy welfare comparison reveals that high milk productivity and high animal welfare are not synonymous - some of the world's highest-output systems have among the worst welfare outcomes. Consumers in high-standard countries who choose to purchase imported dairy products or processed foods containing dairy from lower-welfare systems undermine domestic welfare standards through market pressure. Mandatory welfare labelling on dairy products indicating country of origin and production system would allow consumers to make genuinely informed choices. Until such labelling exists, locally produced, higher-welfare certified dairy represents the most reliably welfare-positive choice.