Welfare Science and Policy

Farm Animal Research Priorities 2027

Setting research priorities for farm animal welfare in 2027 requires integrating emerging challenges - climate change, antibiotic resistance, new production systems - with persistent welfare deficits.

Key Facts

Positive welfare indicators remain poorly developed for most farmed species compared to negative ones
Climate change effects on farm animal welfare - heat stress, disease, feed quality - are under-researched
Precision livestock technology welfare implications need welfare-centred evaluation, not just production focus
Slaughter welfare research remains underfunded relative to its scale of impact
Insect farm welfare is a rapidly growing area with almost no established welfare science

Welfare Considerations

Research funding shapes welfare outcomes a decade downstream. Prioritising positive welfare, climate adaptation, novel systems and scale of impact maximises long-term animal benefit.

What You Can Do

Support organisations that fund welfare-centred rather than production-centred farm animal research
Advocate for dedicated welfare science funding lines in agricultural research budgets
Engage with research priority-setting processes through consultation responses and evidence submission