
Improving animal welfare on farms
Farm animals are healthier when raised humanely. We campaign to improve farm animal welfare and change the most intensive forms of farming.
We protect farm animals
Humane animal farming is better for everyone. Animals live longer, healthier and more active lives. High welfare farming can be less damaging to the environment. And farmers can earn more too. So we work with governments, farmers and consumers all over the world – campaigning for farm animals and partnering with businesses to show that farming can be sustainable and profitable.
We work with farmers to improve animal welfare and keep animals in an environment where they can behave naturally
Farm animal welfare: The benefits
Humane farms are better for animals, people and the environment:
- Raising animals humanely can use less feed, fuel and water than intensive farming, reducing costs and pollution
- Humane farms can create jobs, boost profits and keep local food supplies healthy
- By farming crops and livestock, humane farms can reduce environmental damage – recycling nutrients and improving the soil
- Greenhouse gas emissions are often reduced when animals are healthy and have good welfare.
Farm animal welfare: Our work
At World Animal Protection, we help companies and farmers to adopt farming methods without close confinement of animals, as these cause pain and distress. And we help to create conditions where animals are more able to express their natural behaviors.
One of our largest efforts in North America is working with others to adopt cage-free practices to help the 300 million hens living lives of pain and suffering as they labor to produce one of our most basic food staples - eggs. Click here to learn more.
Reports and resources
Please note, some of the documents below were produced prior to June 2014, when we were known as the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). We are now World Animal Protection.
- Animals and People First – Welfare & Trade (PDF 509KB)
- The Case Against Cages: Why Cage-Free Systems are Better for Laying Hens - Report (PDF 14MB)
- Closed Waters: CIWF/WSPA Fish Farming Report (PDF 1.87MB)
- Curb the Cruelty: Canada's farm animal transport system in need of repair (PDF 560KB)
- Eating our Future - The impact of industrial animal agriculture (PDF 1.54MB)
- Farm Animal Welfare: Columbia (PDF 2.28MB)
- Forced Feeding: foie gras production (PDF 1.27MB)
- Human Health Report (PDF 1.15MB)
- Industrial Animal Agriculture - The Next Global Health Crisis? (PDF 1.15MB)
- Industrial Animal Agriculture - The Next Global Health Crisis? Summary (PDF 380KB)
- Industrial Animal Agriculture – Part of the Poverty Problem (PDF 4.05MB)
- Practical Alternatives to Industrial Animal Agriculture (PDF 1.28MB)
- What's on Your Plate? (Executive Summary) (PDF 4.8MB)
- What's on Your Plate? (Full Report) (PDF 15.8MB)
- Factsheet: Intensive farming (PDF 417KB)
- Factsheet: Intensive pig farming (PDF 476KB)
- Factsheet: Intensive poultry farming (PDF 456KB)
- Factsheet: Intensive cattle farming (PDF 448KB)

Support our work to protect farm animals

By giving a gift today, you can help us to raise awareness and promote humane farming.
Latest news about our work to protect animals on farms
Report: The overuse of antibiotics in farm animals is a by-product of poor animal welfare
Antibiotic resistance is a serious global problem, and its connection to the well-being of farm animals is increasingly being recognized.
Dairy alternatives and the importance of reducing milk consumption for animal welfare
A recent explosion at a dairy farm in Texas killed approximately 18,000 cows. This catastrophe underscores the urgent need for system reform and the end of...
Updates to Canada’s Code of Practice for Dairy Cows
The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) has released an updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle. While some important...
Confronting the hopelessness of factory farms
Emi Kondo, World Animal Protection’s global multimedia manager, has travelled the world gathering powerful images and stories of our work to share with our...