Animal Welfare

In recent years, animal welfare has become an increasingly important concern among European consumers. According to a European Commission Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2015–2016, 64% of EU citizens wanted more information about the conditions in which farm animals are raised, highlighting a strong demand for transparency. This trend has intensified over time: a 2023 Eurobarometer survey found that 84% of Europeans believe that the welfare of farmed animals in their country should be better protected, reflecting growing societal expectations and pressure for improved farming practices.  

The project combined measurement, targeted support, and innovation to enhance animal welfare while strengthening the long-term sustainability of farms and sharing best practices across the sector. 

The project was based on a clear definition of animal welfare, built around the five fundamental freedoms: absence of hunger and thirst, absence of stress, absence of pain and disease, access to comfort, and the ability for animals to express natural behaviors. These principles guide all actions carried out within the program, structuring it around four key pillars: 

1. Measurement and awareness, through on-farm animal welfare assessments; 

1. Building a network of partners, including veterinarians and technicians; 

1. Providing tailored support, through individual guidance and collective training; 

1. Experimenting with innovative practices, via pilot farms and sharing learnings. 

In practice, farms were first assessed using a dedicated grid covering three dimensions: animal health and behavior, housing conditions, and herd management. These evaluations identified improvement areas and enabled progress tracking over time. 

Based on the results, farmers received tailored technical support, training, and guidance from a network of experts, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing across the sector. 

Pilot farms played a key role in testing new approaches, such as improving human-animal interactions, adapting systems to climate constraints, and developing alternative calf-rearing methods, with the aim of scaling up effective solutions. 

Farmers were supported on priority topics including lameness, mastitis, nutrition, and infrastructure, improving both animal welfare and farm performance.