Welfare of Animals in Agricultural Research

Agricultural research uses millions of farm animals annually to develop production methods, medicines, and genetic improvements — raising welfare questions that overlap with both research and farming ethics.

Key Facts

An estimated 100 million farm animals are used in agricultural research globally each year
Agricultural research animals are often excluded from the animal protections covering biomedical research
Livestock research can involve painful surgical procedures with inconsistent analgesia use
Alternative methods including in-vitro and computer modeling are increasingly available for some research questions
The 3Rs framework applies in theory to agricultural research but implementation is inconsistent

Welfare Considerations

Agricultural research animals occupy an ethical gray zone: they are farm animals, whose welfare standards are often lower than research animals, used for research purposes that do not benefit them. Many agricultural research facilities operate under farm rather than research welfare regulations, potentially avoiding the higher standards applied to biomedical research settings. Extending 3Rs principles and systematic welfare assessment to agricultural research is an underaddressed welfare priority.

What You Can Do

Support extension of research animal welfare regulations to cover agricultural research animals
Advocate for 3Rs application in all agricultural research involving animals
Donate to research programs developing non-animal alternatives in agricultural science
Engage with university agricultural research ethics boards about animal welfare standards