Animal welfare science research priorities for farm animals are evolving to address knowledge gaps that limit welfare improvement in practice.
Farm animal welfare science has made significant progress over recent decades but critical knowledge gaps remain. Positive welfare indicators - what good welfare looks like rather than just absence of suffering - are particularly underdeveloped for many species. The welfare implications of precision livestock farming technologies require evaluation. Understanding how to make welfare improvements economically viable for farmers requires detailed economic analysis. Research priorities should be set with reference to both animal numbers affected and tractability of improvement given available interventions.