Climate change is creating new and intensifying existing welfare threats to farm animals through heat stress, disease range expansion, extreme weather events, and resource scarcity.
Climate change is a welfare threat multiplier for farm animals: it intensifies existing welfare problems and creates new ones. Heat stress already causes significant suffering in dairy cows, pigs, and poultry, and this will worsen. Disease emergence brings new pathogens to populations with no immunity. Extreme weather causes acute welfare crises and chronic resource stress. Farm welfare adaptation requires investment in shade, ventilation, cooling systems, disease surveillance, and flexible feeding systems - all costly. Climate-smart animal welfare policy needs to plan for these challenges proactively rather than responding reactively. The most effective long-term welfare response to climate change in animal agriculture involves transitioning to lower-intensity systems with fewer but better-managed animals.