As evidence-based animal welfare science advances rapidly, 2026 brings both challenges and opportunities across farm, companion, wild, and marine animal welfare that demand informed action.
The trajectory of animal welfare science and policy in 2026 is one of genuine progress alongside persistent challenges. More species are recognised as sentient, more welfare harms are being measured and acted upon, and more consumers and policymakers are engaging with animal welfare as a serious ethical concern. The challenges are equally real: scale, economics, and political will are barriers that knowledge alone cannot overcome. The Animal Welfare Hub documents the evidence base for improving welfare across every domain - providing the information substrate that enables individuals, advocates, policymakers, and producers to make choices that reduce suffering and increase flourishing for the billions of animals whose welfare is shaped by human decisions.