Animal category: Sheep

Behavioural adaptations of livestock to environmental stressors: implications for welfare and productivity

Oke OE, Eletu TA, Akosile OA, Fasasi LO, Adeniji OE, Ojedokun MZ, Oni AI

Published in 2025

Synthetic article analyzing behavioral adaptations associated with environmental stressors in livestock and emphasizing the importance of assessment tools and targeted management strategies for the improvement of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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The road to reform: in support of a strong revision of animal transport rules

Gabriela Kubikova

Published in 2025

Guidance note on reforming European regulations on the transport of live animals

Document Types: Opinions

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

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Human-animal relations in regenerative ranching: implications for animal welfare

Matías Hargreaves-Méndez, Ethan Gordon, Hannah Gosnell, Maria José Hötzel

Published in 2025

A study of regenerative farming in the northwestern United States, highlighting tensions between the relational values expressed by ranchers and certain culturally-rooted practices. It highlights the potential of this model to improve human-animal relationships, provided that animal welfare is explicitly integrated into agricultural decision-making and policies.

Document Types: Scientific paper

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

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Aligning agricultural policy: discrepancies between public and farmer priorities

Nadja El Benni, Robert Finger, Jeanine Ammann, Judith Irek, Antonia Kaiser, Christian Ritzel, Yanbing Wang, Gabriele Mack

Published in 2025

Study comparing the preferences and levels of consensus of non-farmers and farmers on a set of agricultural policy objectives using surveys conducted in Switzerland. Farmers and non-farmers agree on the importance of food production and farm incomes, but non-farmers place more importance on low food prices and agri-environmental objectives than farmers.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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Willingness to pay for animal welfare across labels, products, consumers, and time

Malte Oehlmann, Irina Dolgopolova, Christina M. Neubig, Jutta Roosen

Published in 2025

Survey of 6,000 German consumers showing that multi-level animal welfare labels allow better product differentiation and greater willingness to pay. The latter varied according to meat type, income and gender, being notably higher for beef and chicken, as well as among women and affluent households.

Document Types: Scientific paper

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

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Welfare of sheep, cattle, and pigs at control posts during long distance transportation across Europe

Angeloni MG, Padalino B, Ambra CD, Serrapica M, Iavecchia C, Costa LN, Nodari SR, Vecchio D

Published in 2025

Study carried out at an Italian checkpoint (2019-2024) showing that long animal journeys, mainly of sheep from France to Greece, are often associated with welfare problems, particularly in pigs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Cattle, Sheep, Pigs

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°7146 : Pour un audit de l’ensemble des abattoirs français 

Question: Mr. Aurélien Le Coq (Nord (1st constituency) - La France insoumise - Nouveau Front Populaire). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2025

Answer from the French Government to a question from a Deputy calling for a national audit of abattoirs following the L214 group's exposure of cruel practices. The government replies that abattoirs are already tightly controlled, with regular inspections, annual audits and reinforced inspection, and is looking into the roll-out of video surveillance despite the constraints involved.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002896/25: Introduction of mirror measures for animal welfare

Question: Anne-Sophie Frigout (PfE), Rody Tolassy (PfE), Angéline Furet (PfE), Valérie Deloge (PfE), Mélanie Disdier (PfE). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

Answer from the European Commission to a question from MEPs on how it plans to implement and monitor compliance with binding mirror measures that ensure a level playing field on animal welfare standards between importers of meat and European producers. The Commission responds that its future legislative proposals on animal welfare will include equivalent requirements for imported products, in compliance with WTO obligations.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-001917/2025: Notification by the Netherlands on lowering the maximum temperature for the transport of animals

Question: Claudiu-Richard Târziu (ECR). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

Parliamentary question on the Dutch notification to lower the maximum temperature for animal transport to 30°C, which could distort the EU's internal market. The Commission recalls that this issue is addressed in the current revision of the Animal Transport Regulation, and asks Member States to avoid divergent national measures, while taking into account the observations of stakeholders.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

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Balancing culinary excellence with ethical responsibility: A scientific perspective on animal welfare in gastronomy

Anastasio Argüello, Marta González-Cabrera, Antonio Morales-de la Nuez, Lorenzo E. Hernández-Castellano, Manuel Betancor-Sánchez, Noemí Castro

Published in 2025

Study analyzing animal welfare issues along the full length of the food chain, from breeding and rearing to culinary preparation. It highlights ethical tensions, innovations (lab-grown meat, plant-based alternatives, insects) and regulatory gaps. It proposes a roadmap to integrate animal welfare science into culinary training and promote the sustainable and responsible enjoyment of food.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Crustaceans, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Poultry

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