Economic arguments for welfare improvement resonate with farmers and food companies, complementing ethical arguments by demonstrating that welfare and productivity goals can align.
The economic case for farm animal welfare is more powerful than is often recognized, precisely because many welfare harms are production harms — lame animals produce less, sick animals grow more slowly, stressed animals have worse feed conversion. Many welfare improvements pay for themselves in productivity benefits before any premium pricing is considered. The economic argument reaches farmers who may not be moved by ethical arguments and food companies focused on supply chain risk. Complementing ethical welfare arguments with economic case studies helps build the coalition of support needed for welfare reform across industry and policy.