Welfare Science

Farm Animal Welfare Metrics Standardisation

Standardised welfare metrics enable consistent assessment, comparison, and improvement across farms, species, and countries.

Key Facts

Animal-based measures such as the Welfare Quality protocol provide standardised farm assessment
Species-specific indicator sets have been developed for pigs, poultry, cattle, and other species
Digital data collection is improving consistency and reducing assessor variability
Harmonised indicators across assurance schemes would reduce audit burden and improve comparability

Welfare Considerations

Without standardised metrics, welfare comparisons across farms and systems are unreliable. Standardisation enables benchmarking, target-setting, and transparent reporting. Investing in harmonised welfare indicator systems underpins evidence-based welfare improvement at scale.

What You Can Do

Support organisations working on welfare metrics standardisation
Advocate for mandatory standardised welfare outcome reporting in food systems
Engage with consultation processes on welfare assessment framework development