Farm Animal Welfare Research Priorities for 2027

Identifying priority research areas in farm animal welfare science for the coming years, including emerging challenges and knowledge gaps.

Key Facts

Pain recognition and scoring in fish and invertebrates remains an active and contested research frontier
The welfare impacts of precision livestock farming technologies require urgent evaluation as deployment accelerates
Alternative protein production (insect, cultivated, fermentation) presents novel welfare questions requiring proactive research
Climate adaptation in livestock production creates new welfare challenges including heat stress and disease pressure
Welfare economics and impact measurement frameworks remain underdeveloped relative to production economics

Welfare Considerations

Directing research resources to highest-welfare-impact questions determines whether welfare science translates into animal benefit. Priority areas include pain science in under-studied taxa, welfare impacts of new technologies, climate adaptation welfare, and improved impact measurement. Closer collaboration between academic welfare scientists, industry, and NGOs would accelerate translation of research into farm practice.

What You Can Do

Support funding campaigns for academic animal welfare science positions at universities
Engage with BBSRC and Defra research priority consultations to advocate for welfare science funding
Follow UFAW (Universities Federation for Animal Welfare) research programme outputs
Participate in welfare science conference networking to connect researchers and practitioners
Advocate for welfare impact assessment requirements in all new livestock technology approvals