Subject: Ecology / Environment

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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Cattle Welfare, Health, and Husbandry: the sustainability connection 

Tom Warboys, Ruaraidh Petre

Published in 2026

Opinion piece arguing that animal welfare constitutes an essential ethical prerequisite for sustainable production.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Managing Trade-offs Between Economic, Environmental, and Animal Welfare Performance in French Suckler Cattle Farms Through Feeding Practices

Larissa Mysko, Claire Mosnier, Patrick Veysset, Isabelle Veissier, Jean-Joseph Minviel

Published in 2026

Scientific article setting out to identify conflicting economic, environmental and animal welfare objectives on suckler cow farms and to develop ways of arriving at compromise solutions that manage these conflicts.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Review: Free-stall Bedding Management for Enhanced Dairy Cow Health and Welfare

N. Siachos, R.F. Smith, J.M. Neary

Published in 2026

A scientific review of the main properties, benefits, risks, and best management practices associated with bedding materials commonly used in free-stall dairy operations. It concludes that choosing a type of bedding involves balancing the benefits to cow health, farm profitability, and management requirements in order to make an informed decision.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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No mention of animal welfare in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals? But this may be a good thing!

Jacob Bull, Birte L. Nielsen, Anna Silvera, Håkan Tunon, Linda J. Keeling

Published in 2026

Opinion paper arguing that the absence of any reference to animal welfare in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals may not be detrimental, since it implies that animal welfare could be and should be anywhere and everywhere in the goals.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: All animals

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Impact of broiler chicken production on welfare, the environment, and potential mitigation strategies: a review

Prakash A., Singh M. K., Dash S. K., Malav O. P., Singh Y., Sharma A., P. Acharya S. K., Joshi Patel M. K.

Published in 2026

Review article highlighting that intensive broiler chicken farming raises significant concerns over animal welfare and environmental impact that call for more sustainable approaches to genetics, nutrition, and farm management.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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| Fish welfare in a changing world: New developments and current challenges

Rey Planellas, S., Saraiva, J. L., Gonçalves-de-Freitas, E., Arechavala-Lopez, P., Bovenkerk, B., Breen, M., Cooke, S. J., Føre, M., Northwood, L., Stien, L. H., Kadri, S., Noble, C., Nilsson, J., Rodriguez, F., Salas, C., Sandøe, P., & van deVis, H.

Published in 2026

Review highlighting advances in fish welfare, particularly regarding the cognitive and emotional abilities of fish and the growing recognition of their sentience in research, fishing, and aquaculture.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

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The first evaluation framework based on the one welfare concept in extensive broiler rearing systems

Rocchi, L., Mattioli, S., Collin, A. C., Bonnefous, L., Warin, F., Tuyttens, P., Thobe, M., Re, C., Castellini

Published in 2026

A study testing a "One Welfare" approach to jointly assess animal, human, and environmental well-being in extensive broiler farming. It reveals benefits (e.g., plant-based enrichment) that are often underestimated by traditional methods.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Applying the five domains to the welfare of farmed black soldier flies, house flies, and yellow mealworms

Samuel Olutunde Durosaro, Meghan Barrett

Published in 2025

A study examining the current state of knowledge regarding the welfare of three insects raised for human and animal consumption (black soldier flies, houseflies, and yellow mealworms) based on the five-domain framework (nutrition, physical health, environment, behavior, and mental state).

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Invertebrates

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Améliorer le bien-être des animaux d’élevage est-il toujours bénéfique pour l’environnement ?

Luc Mounier, Amandine Rave

Published in 2026

Review starting from the "One Health" principle, which aims to reconcile animal welfare, human health, and environmental protection. Tensions may exist between these objectives.

Document types: Technical documents

Animal categories: All animals

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