Animal Welfare Assessment and Ethical Considerations
Summary
Animal welfare assessment combines empirical evaluation of physiological, behavioural and psychological indicators with ethical reflection on human obligations towards animals. Foundational principles have evolved from ensuring basic freedoms—freedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain and distress—to encompassing quality of life and positive experiences. Assessments now deploy both resource-based measures (such as housing and enrichment) and animal-based measures (including behaviour and physiological stress markers), informed by frameworks that articulate how internal states and environmental factors give rise to affective experiences. Ethical considerations involve normative frameworks that balance human interests in food production, research and entertainment against the duty to minimise suffering and promote well-being, recognising animals as sentient beings. Emerging approaches such as One Welfare further integrate animal welfare with environmental sustainability and human health, reflecting the global significance of compassionate stewardship.
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Animal Welfare Assessment and Ethical Considerations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in animal welfare assessment and ethical considerations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sentience: The capacity to experience subjective feelings, sensations and emotions.
Five Domains Model: A framework evaluating nutrition, environment, health, behavioural interactions and mental state to assess welfare comprehensively.
Positive affect: Subjective experiences that indicate pleasurable or rewarding states contributing to enhanced welfare.
Animal-based measures: Indicators derived from the animal itself, such as behaviour, physiological parameters and health outcomes.
One Welfare: An integrative approach recognising the interconnection between animal welfare, human well-being and environmental sustainability.
References
- Conceptual framework for considering animal welfare in sustainability assessments of foods. Sustainable Production and Consumption (2024).
- The 2020 Five Domains Model: Including Human–Animal Interactions in Assessments of Animal Welfare. Animals (2020).
- Updating Animal Welfare Thinking: Moving beyond the “Five Freedoms” towards “A Life Worth Living”. Animals (2016).
- Behavioral Diversity as a Potential Indicator of Positive Animal Welfare. Animals (2020).
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