European rabbit farming has long been associated with some of the worst welfare conditions in animal agriculture. Recent legislative progress and industry commitments represent genuine steps forward.
Farmed rabbit welfare has historically been among the most neglected in European agriculture, with battery cage systems confining highly active, social animals in barren wire with no enrichment. The EU's Farm to Fork strategy commitment to addressing rabbit welfare represents a political recognition of this failure. Park systems offer genuine improvement: more space, social housing, elevated platforms and gnawing material allow rabbits to express basic behavioural needs. Consumer and retailer pressure has driven faster change than regulation alone. Italy - the largest rabbit producer - has seen significant voluntary cage-free commitments from major retailers, demonstrating that market-driven welfare progress can complement legislative reform.