Animal Welfare: Bridging Animal Care, Economics and Livelihood

Animal welfare is closely interconnected with animal health, productivity, human livelihoods, and economic sustainability. Across diverse production and service systems, including livestock farming, working animals, small ruminant rearing, and captive wildlife management, appropriate welfare practices directly influence performance, longevity, and economic returns. Adequate nutrition, proper housing, humane handling, disease prevention, and behavioural enrichment not only reduce stress, injury, and mortality in animals but also enhance productivity, work efficiency, and product quality. For resource-poor farmers and communities, animals often serve as a primary source of income, food security, and financial resilience, making welfare a critical livelihood issue rather than a purely ethical concern. Improving animal welfare leads to reduced economic losses, increased efficiency, and greater sustainability of animal-based livelihoods. Therefore, animal welfare should be viewed as an integrated approach that bridges ethical responsibility with economic viability and social well-being. Strengthening welfare standards, awareness, and practical implementation is essential for achieving sustainable development and resilient livelihoods dependent on animals.