9 Facts You Don't Know About Animal Welfare

Animal welfare consistently ranks high on the European Union’s policy agenda and is a recurring theme in Brussels discussions. As the topic evolves, it becomes increasingly important to integrate the latest technical, agronomic, and scientific advancements into the legislative framework, ensuring that regulations reflect both current knowledge and practical realities.

Debates surrounding animal welfare, however, are often emotionally charged. Complex issues can easily be distilled into simplified slogans or striking images, which may attract public attention but risk oversimplifying the matter. As a result, essential aspects that require thoughtful analysis and debate are sometimes overlooked or sidelined, not out of neglect but because their complexity makes them harder to communicate.

To foster a more complete and informed dialogue, it is crucial to look beyond surface-level impressions. Understanding animal welfare in its true depth requires recognising the many interconnections – biological, environmental, ethical, and economic – that shape it. Below are nine often-overlooked facts that help illustrate the multifaceted nature of what animal welfare truly represents.

FACT 1. Europe has the highest standards of animal welfare in the world

Today, the European Union already has the most advanced animal welfare standards in the world. This is not something to be blasé about. The first European regulations for protecting farm animals date back to the 1970s and the 1998 Directive on the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes lays down general rules for protecting all livestock, including fish. In addition, the EU has regulations on protecting animals during transport and at slaughter, as well as minimum standards for specific species, such as calves, pigs, and laying hens. Since the publications of these rules, European farmers have often anticipated upcoming rule changes by innovating ways to better care for and protect their animals.

FACT 2. Animal welfare and economic sustainability are linked

Making sure animals are in good health is in every farmer’s interest. Animal welfare is closely linked to health, breeding and nutrition, as, simply put, well-cared-for animals produce better quality products more efficiently. For a farmer, investing in animal welfare is a matter of balancing the books, adapting the barn, adding ventilation, investing in herd-monitoring tools, and changing feed. All this means high investments ranging from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of euros. But a farmer can only invest in these improvements if their business is financially healthy. And this is a delicate balancing act. If welfare investments increase too much and are not adequately supported by European policies, the farmer risks losing financial returns and will have to reduce investments in other areas. For example, in environmental upgrades, or worse, need to rethink the business entirely.

FACT 3. Smaller farms don’t automatically mean better animal welfare

Contrary to certain clichés, animal welfare is not necessarily better on small farms, in some cases because they lack the resources to improve and update their facilities. Higher standards and new regulations come with high financial, structural, and human costs that may be too burdensome for small producers. This may lead some small farmers to abandon their businesses, leading to fewer farms to support rural communities, fewer jobs, etc. For this reason, particular attention should be paid to measuring the social and economic impact on farms.

FACT 4. Imperfect regulations can force family farms to shut down

Thanks to more than 50 trade agreements, the EU exports many animal products. If the EU decides unilaterally to raise its animal welfare standards without reviewing agreements, this comes at a cost to farmers and becomes an economic advantage for trading partners who export to Europe. The risk is that European livestock farming will be reduced, and we will import from countries that may not apply the same animal welfare standards. If we don’t pay attention to these business dynamics, the consequences could end up being the opposite of what we want.

FACT 5. Who pays animal welfare costs?

The European Commission has not yet specified any particular framework of supporting measures it intends to adopt as it reviews the animal welfare legislation. So, estimating the cost passed on to producers and consumers is not easy. However, the studies are clear. It is impossible to avoid rising consumer prices by imposing costs solely on farmers. The CAP budget already includes programmes that enable farmers to improve animal welfare. However, the European Commission recognises that the CAP budget will not be sufficient to meet the multiple ambitions of these policies.

FACT 6. Updating farms requires time and long-term planning

A farmer must adapt to nature’s long cycles. Therefore, in addition to the costs of implementing animal welfare measures, the time factor must also be considered. A complete barn renovation, infrastructure changes, and new agronomic practices also require many years to implement and deliver benefits. A farming family needs to know that the rules will not change again soon, so they can evaluate what can be done and how quickly. But if regulations change rapidly and transition periods are too tight, the investment becomes difficult, if not impossible, to sustain.

FACT 7. Veterinary medicines, but only when needed

Like people, medicines can help sick animals return to good health. As with people, healthy animals are generally happy. But of course, all medicines should be used only when necessary, in line with good animal husbandry. In Europe over the last 10 years, the use of antimicrobials has decreased by over 50%, demonstrating not only the sector’s commitment to the fight against antibiotic resistance but also improved animal health.

FACT 8. A European label for animal welfare

There is currently no harmonised European labelling on animal welfare. A European animal welfare label could partially compensate farmers for their efforts and production costs by adding a premium to the price of their products. We believe this label should be based on a clear scientific and technical methodology and indicate specific shared practices. Secondly, it should clearly distinguish between European and imported products to reaffirm the high European standards regarding animal welfare, food safety and workers’ rights.

FACT 9. Genetics, the new frontier of animal welfare

Breeding strategies also support improved animal welfare. Breeding animals for a diversity of characteristics, such as robustness, fertility, longevity, disease resistance, and positive behaviours, improves the health and welfare of farmed animals, including fish. Contrary to common beliefs, past breeding practices, such as selecting solely for specific traits related to productivity, are no longer the norm. Genetics today strongly focuses on animal welfare, adaptation to and mitigation of climate change impacts, and many other areas.

Appeal to the EU Institutions

An animal welfare reform has a profound impact on livestock farming, with consequences for an entire generation of farmers. Therefore, it is important to adopt balanced political decisions that reconcile animal welfare with the preservation of EU production capacity and the continued vitality of rural areas. Only by involving those working in the sector can the European institutions implement policies that, free of baseless emotional assumptions, rely on the latest technological and scientific developments. It’s time for open dialogue to ensure feasible, sustainable changes where needed.