Animal category: Sheep

Beyond Minimizing Suffering: A Comparative Review of Positive Welfare Assessment in Fish and Terrestrial Farmed Animals

Papadaki K, Samaras A, Hoorweg FA, and Pavlidis M

Published in 2026

Review highlighting the growing interest in positive animal welfare indicators, but noting a lack of research in aquaculture.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Fish, Porcines, Poultry

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Finnish Farmers’ Perceptions of the Roles of Farmers, Authorities, and Industry in Farm Animal Welfare and of Subsidy Development

Terhi Simonen-Jokinen

Published in 2026

Study conducted among Finnish cattle and sheep farmers showing that, in their view, improvements to animal welfare depend on better coordination between farmers, authorities, and industry stakeholders, and on appropriate subsidies, clear regulations, reduced paperwork and strengthened support.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Cattle, Sheep

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Review: How Do We Measure Animal Welfare On Farm? Indicators, Proxies, and Gold Standards

C.M. Dwyer, G.H.M. Jørgensen, J.-M. Gautier

Published in 2026

Literature review concluding that the assessment of animal welfare in livestock production should prioritize animal-based measures — particularly behavioral indicators — in order to better understand an animal’s mental state and daily experiences. Current assessment methods still fail to incorporate positive welfare and quality of life sufficiently.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Sustainable livestock farming that respects animal health and welfare

panel of authors

Published in 2026

A special issue of the journal *Innovations Agronomiques* featuring nine articles on the topic of sustainable livestock farming that respects animal welfare and health

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Animal Welfare in the Age of Digitalization: Computer Vision in the Context of Foundational Structure

Bosschaert, M.T., Gremmen, B.

Published in 2026

Article highlighting the need to examine ethical issues beyond the scope of livestock farming practices that are raised by the use of Computer Vision and AI to monitor animal welfare. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Is organic livestock farming more welfare-friendly than conventional livestock farming? – A systematic literature review in terms of animal health, welfare, and management

Wagner, K., March, S., Haager, D., Brinkmann, J.

Published in 2026

Meta-analysis showing that organic farming does not consistently have a more positive effect on animal welfare than conventional farming. The results would appear to indicate that  factors relating to management have a greater influence on animal welfare than the farming system itself.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal Categories: Cattle, Goats, Horses, Sheep, Pigs, All Animals, Poultry

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Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1734 of 16 July, 2026, amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing as regards the authorisation of non-penetrative captive bolt stunning and nitrogen high expansion foam

EU Commission

Published in 2026

Regulatory text from the EU authorizing two new methods of stunning prior to slaughter for additional categories of animals

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

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Balancing the Animal Affective Scales – Can the Methodology of Human Affect Balance Be Applied to Other Sentient Species?

Laura E. Webb, J. Elizabeth Bolhuis, Viktor Jurkovich, Allyson F. Ipema, Matteo Chincarini, Angélique Favreau-Peigné, Björn Forkman, Caroline Clouard, Frank Tuyttens, Heather Browning, Laura Menchetti, Margit Bak Jensen, Özkan Elmaz, Radka Šárová, Robert Głogowski, Sandra Düpjan, Stefania Celozzi, Walter Veit, Céline Tallet

Published in 2026

Concept article proposing to adapt the concept of affective balance, based on the balance between scales of positive and negative emotions, to the integrated assessment of animal welfare..

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal Categories: Cattle, Goats, Horses, Sheep, Pigs, All Animals, Poultry

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Évaluation de l’impact du PSN sur le bien-être animal-rapport final

EY

Published in 2026

Evaluation of the National Strategic Plan (PSN) from the perspective of animal welfare (BEA), covering the years 2023 and 2024—the first two full years of implementation of the CAP National Strategic Plan (PSN). Analysis of the contribution of CAP interventions to animal welfare, as well as their consistency and complementarity with other relevant measures.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Behavioral challenges and welfare implications in lambs raised under intensive dairy sheep production systems

Simeonov M, Harmon DL, and Freitas-de-Melo A

Published in 2026

This scientific review lists the behavioral problems observed in lambs in intensive farming systems and their implications for welfare. It focuses in particular on the natural social and feeding behaviors of lambs in order to establish a framework for understanding their behavioral needs, and identifies practical interventions that can improve both lamb welfare and farm performance.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Ovines

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