Document type: report published by the SCAR Animal Health & Welfare Collaborative Working Group
Authors: SCAR Animal Health & Welfare Collaborative Working Group
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This report summarises the responses to the online survey conducted by the Animal Health & Welfare (AH&W) WG of SCAR in 2025. The aim of the survey was to collect and share the members’ research priorities and challenges in the field of animal health and welfare, thus contributing to research and innovation policy-making, research coordination and a common strategic research agenda. The questionnaire focused on the period from 2025 to 2026 and was open from 4 March to 8 October 2025.
Unsurprisingly, respondents articulated their priorities within the established framework of preparedness, emphasizing the interrelated domains of prevention, detection, and response; many referred to One health as the most appropriate approach:
– Surveillance and monitoring of animal health and welfare of animals, both terrestrial and aquatic
– Diagnostics of infections and diseases, and detection of welfare issues (indicators, precision livestock farming), including the development of new tools
– Characterization of pathogens, including the development of new tools, and AMR
– Data, data collection and sharing; use of artificial intelligence
– Epidemiology and risk assessment for both health and welfare, including the development of new tools/methodologies
– Prevention measures including biosecurity and vaccines (also immunological tools and platforms)
– Treatments and control, recovery. […]
With respect to animal welfare, respondents expressed the greatest interest in the following issues, reflecting areas considered most critical for upcoming research:
– Housing systems and manipulation of animals
– Indicators and animal-based measures, precision livestock farming
– Welfare during transport and at end of life
– Positive welfare, human-animal interaction and welfare
– Welfare in aquaculture
Worthwhile domains of research include the effects of climate change on animal health and welfare, the trade-offs between health, welfare and the economic sustainability of farming systems, and advances in breeding and genomics aimed at improving animal resilience, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing pathogen resistance.
