Welfare Science

Farm Animal Welfare Data Collection and Open Access

Open access to farm animal welfare monitoring data is essential for evidence-based welfare improvement at scale.

Key Facts

Slaughterhouse data including footpad scores, bruising, and condemnation rates are key welfare indicators
Most welfare monitoring data remains proprietary within industry supply chains
Open data frameworks could enable cross-industry learning and welfare benchmarking
Academic-industry partnerships can enable data sharing while respecting commercial sensitivities
EU welfare legislation increasingly requires data collection but access remains limited

Welfare Considerations

The potential for evidence-based farm animal welfare improvement is substantially limited by data hoarding within industry systems. Open access to welfare monitoring data would enable farmers, researchers, and policymakers to identify effective interventions, benchmark performance, and target improvement resources where they are most needed. Welfare data should be treated as a public good.

What You Can Do

Advocate for open access to slaughterhouse and farm welfare monitoring data
Support research institutions working to develop transparent welfare data frameworks
Engage with policy consultations on welfare data collection and access requirements