Welfare Science

Farm Animal Research 2027 Priorities

Priority research areas for farm animal welfare science entering 2027, including sentience research, welfare metrics, and intervention evaluation.

Key Facts

The EU's new animal welfare legislation will require evidence-based welfare indicators
Research on fish sentience and pain has transformed regulatory discussions
Invertebrate welfare research is expanding into commercially important species
Technology-based monitoring tools need validation against gold-standard welfare assessments
Economic research on welfare-outcome relationships informs policy and market interventions

Welfare Considerations

Farm animal welfare research priorities for 2027 reflect both scientific advances and policy needs. Key priorities include validation of technology-based monitoring tools, development of standardised outcome-based welfare metrics, research into sentience and welfare needs of under-studied species including crustaceans and insects, and evaluation of the welfare impact of existing interventions at scale.

What You Can Do

Support animal welfare research funding through charity donations and advocacy
Engage with university and research institute consultations on research priorities
Ask farm assurance schemes to publish their evidence base for welfare standards