Overview of farmed rabbit welfare, EU reform progress, and standards development.
Farmed rabbit welfare has long been neglected in welfare policy despite significant production scale in Europe. Battery cages for rabbits are considered inadequate by welfare science, with group housing systems and park systems providing better welfare. EU legislative development is progressing. Consumer awareness of farmed rabbit welfare is growing. The gap between current production standards and welfare science is large and requires both legislative and consumer pressure to close.