Welfare Science

Cattle Welfare ESG Investment and Reporting

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks are beginning to incorporate animal welfare as a material risk factor in livestock sector investments.

Key Facts

Animal welfare is increasingly recognized as a reputational and regulatory risk in livestock investment
FAIRR initiative has developed investor engagement tools on factory farming risk
Some asset managers are engaging cattle producers on welfare standards as part of ESG analysis
EU taxonomy for sustainable finance includes some animal welfare considerations
Welfare risk reporting by food companies provides data for investor analysis

Welfare Considerations

Mainstream financial markets are beginning to price animal welfare risk - making the business case for welfare improvement more compelling for publicly listed livestock companies. This mainstreaming of welfare into financial analysis represents a significant structural shift.

What You Can Do

Support investor campaigns engaging food companies on animal welfare risk
Advocate for animal welfare inclusion in ESG reporting frameworks
Choose pension funds and investment products that incorporate animal welfare criteria