Research project Lifting farm animal lives – laying the foundations for positive animal welfare

General introduction

This project has contributed to the concept of positive animal welfare. This is a new approach, as the traditional indicators for assessing the welfare of farm animals are often based on potential shortcomings (avoiding suffering)—that is, on negative indicators. The COST Action LIFT has provided a concrete definition of positive welfare for farm animals, clarified related concepts, selected appropriate methods for application at the farm level, and formulated recommendations for incorporating these new—positive—aspects into protocols for monitoring the welfare of farm animals.   

Research approach

To lay the groundwork for this field of research, a multidisciplinary scientific approach was adopted by sharing knowledge across disciplines, academic programs, and through European collaborations. Throughout the project, stakeholders who are or will be responsible for welfare certification in industry, government, NGOs, veterinary organizations, and agencies that advise livestock producers were involved. This enhances practical feasibility. Initial work was conducted to identify valid approaches for assessing positive animal welfare. Subsequently, the most suitable techniques, tests, and procedures were selected to carry out monitoring in practice, using the additional positive indicators. 

Relevance/Valorization

Recently, there has been a growing recognition that animals’ positive experiences must be taken into account. This is more in line with the expectations of consumers and the public. Prior to this LIFT COST Action, there was no consensus among researchers on what constitutes positive animal welfare, nor on which techniques, tests, and procedures could measure the direct animal-related indicators of positive welfare. This new framework is expected to help increase the sustainability of animal production.