Animal Welfare Approved has the most rigorous standards for farm animal welfare currently in use by any United States organization. Its standards have been developed in collaboration with scientists, veterinarians, researchers, and farmers across the globe to maximize practicable, high-welfare farm management. Animal Welfare Approved’s standards incorporate best practice and recent research and have been adopted only after rigorous review. The basic premise of all the standards is that animals must be able to behave naturally and be in a state of physical and psychological well-being.

Animal Welfare Approved

• requires animals to be raised on pasture or range
• prohibits dual production
• awards approval only to family farmers
• charges no fees to participating farmers
• incorporates the most comprehensive standards for high welfare farming

To accomplish the goals of the Animal Welfare Approved program, all standards address every aspect of each species’ lifecycle needs from birth to death. Animal Welfare Approved works diligently to maintain a farm’s ability to be economically viable and the standards have been proven to be achievable by the vast majority of farm situations. Animal Welfare Approved reviews its standards annually, updating them as needed to incorporate new research and on-farm findings.

Animal Welfare Approved has standards for all commonly domesticated farmed animals. The species covered by these standards are:

• Beef and dairy cattle
• Bison
• Sheep
• Goats
• Pigs
• Poultry – chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese

A number of other species are managed for meat and fiber. Animal Welfare Approved will only consider accrediting other more exotic species if they are indigenous to the country where they are being produced. Currently the only additional species is as follows:

• Bison in the US

Animal Welfare Approved in the US cannot consider the following non-indigenous species for entry into the program:

• Yak
• Water Buffalo
• Ratites (Ostriches, Rheas, Emus)
• Llamas and Alpacas