Climate change is creating new welfare challenges for farm animals. Adapting livestock systems for higher temperatures, extreme weather, and changing disease patterns is an urgent welfare priority.
Climate change compounds existing welfare challenges while creating new ones. Heat stress is the most immediate and measurable welfare impact, but flooding, drought, novel diseases, and pasture change also affect farm animal wellbeing. Adaptation strategies must explicitly consider welfare alongside production and environmental sustainability. Welfare-sensitive climate adaptation includes shade provision, cooling infrastructure, and disease surveillance.