Farm Animals

Farmed Cattle Final Welfare Principles

The core principles of evidence-based cattle welfare that should guide farming practice, policy, and consumer choice.

Key Facts

The Five Domains framework covers nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, and mental state
Positive welfare - not just absence of suffering - is the goal for cattle
Longevity is one of the most reliable indicators of cumulative welfare quality
Welfare and production efficiency are aligned when the root causes of disease are addressed
Transparency and accountability through auditing and labelling drive systemic improvement

Welfare Considerations

Evidence-based cattle welfare rests on core principles: addressing root causes of disease rather than symptoms, providing environments that enable natural behaviour, monitoring welfare outcomes rather than just inputs, and creating transparency that enables accountability. These principles applied consistently would transform cattle welfare across the industry.

What You Can Do

Support evidence-based cattle welfare standards grounded in the Five Domains
Advocate for welfare outcome monitoring and transparency
Choose dairy and beef products from producers demonstrating commitment to these principles