Rising global temperatures are intensifying heat stress in farm animals, threatening both their welfare and agricultural productivity across all livestock species.
Heat stress is one of the most widespread yet under-addressed animal welfare issues in livestock farming. As climate change intensifies, animals bred for high productivity in temperate conditions face compounding thermal challenges. Shade, ventilation, evaporative cooling, and reduced stocking density are effective interventions but require investment. Genetic selection for heat tolerance is a longer-term strategy, but current high-production breeds are often the most heat-sensitive.