New publication highlights progress and future opportunities across one of the world’s largest animal protein-producing countries As one of the world’s largest animal protein producers, Brazil is bringing greater international visibility to its animal welfare journey.
The Brazilian Food Industry Collaboration for Animal Welfare (COBEA) has released the English edition of its report, Animal Welfare in the Brazilian Production Chain: Progress and Ambitions for the Future, providing the first collaborative overview of the evolution of animal welfare across the country’s poultry, swine, beef, and dairy sectors for an international audience. Developed with contributions from leading sector specialists, the publication brings together available evidence, industry initiatives, and strategic recommendations to provide a comprehensive overview of animal welfare across Brazil’s animal protein value chain.
The report also identifies practical opportunities to accelerate progress through improved measurement, stronger collaboration across the value chain, greater investment, wider access to innovation, and knowledge sharing. Animal welfare across Brazil’s animal protein production chain continues to advance, although progress remains uneven and difficult to measure. Significant improvements have taken place in recent years across farms, scientific research, and corporate and public policies, particularly in more organized supply chains led by larger companies with public commitments and greater investment capacity. However, a substantial share of production still lies outside these initiatives, resulting in a diverse landscape with varying levels of adoption.
Poultry (Eggs and Broilers) Brazil is one of the world’s leading poultry producers and exporters, with animal welfare advancing across both egg and broiler production. In laying hens, alternative systems such as cage-free, free-range, and organic production continue to expand, while many farms already implement welfare-related practices including biosecurity, vaccination, and thirdparty auditing. Key opportunities remain in the transition away from conventional cages, supported by stronger alignment between producers and buyers, independent auditing, and financing mechanisms. In broiler production, welfare improvements such as environmental enrichment and better housing conditions are becoming more common, particularly in integrated supply chains, although broader adoption and genetic improvements remain important priorities.
Swine Production Brazil’s swine sector is undergoing a planned transition toward higher animal welfare standards. The adoption of group gestation housing continues to expand, driven by corporate commitments and national regulations, while the industry is also moving ahead of legal requirements to phase out painful practices without pain control. Brazil is also a global leader in the use of immunocastration, a practice that improves animal welfare while contributing to meat quality and environmental sustainability. Continued progress will depend on expanding these advances across all production systems and strengthening best management practices.
Beef and Dairy Cattle Brazil’s predominantly pasture-based beef production systems often provide favorable conditions for animal welfare by allowing animals greater space and opportunities to express natural behaviors, although outcomes vary according to management at production, transport and slaughter. In dairy production, welfare also differs across the country’s diverse production systems. More intensive technologies, such as compost barn systems, are expanding among larger producers and can provide high levels of comfort when well managed, while pasture-based systems continue to play an important role across many regions. According to COBEA Executive Director Elisa Tjarnstrom, making the report available in English represents an important step toward increasing transparency, expanding international dialogue, and sharing Brazil’s evolving approach to animal welfare with a global audience.
“Brazil is one of the world’s leading animal protein-producing countries, and we believe it is important that the international community understands both the progress that has been achieved here and the challenges that still remain. Our goal is to contribute to a constructive global conversation by sharing experiences, encouraging increased collaboration, and illustrating how animal welfare is becoming an increasingly important part of responsible animal production.” Rather than presenting animal welfare solely as a compliance issue, the report argues that it has become a strategic component of resilient food systems, responsible business practices, and long-term value creation.
It also emphasises evidence that improvements in animal welfare contribute to animal health, production efficiency, product quality, sustainability, and market competitiveness. One of the report’s central conclusions is that meaningful progress cannot be achieved through isolated initiatives alone. While many companies have already made important commitments and implemented individual improvements, advancing animal welfare ultimately depends on stronger collaboration across the entire animal protein value chain. By aligning priorities, creating the right incentives, and coordinating action among producers, industry, retailers, food service companies, pet food manufacturers, financial institutions, researchers, and policymakers, the sector can accelerate progress and achieve more consistent, scalable, and sustainable improvements in animal welfare.
The English edition was officially launched during the International Animal Protein Show (SIAVS), South America’s largest animal protein exhibition. During the launch, COBEA also paid tribute to Professors Mateus Paranhos (in memoriam), Temple Grandin, and Adroaldo José Zanella, recognizing their pioneering contributions to the development of farm animal welfare in Brazil. The report is dedicated to these three researchers in recognition of their lasting scientific legacy and the foundations they helped build for the continued advancement of animal welfare in Brazil. As global expectations around responsible animal production continue to evolve, COBEA hopes the publication will serve as a practical resource for stakeholders seeking to better understand Brazil’s animal welfare landscape.
Ultimately, the coalition believes that lasting progress depends on aligning ambitions across the value chain and building a shared vision for continuous improvement. “Our recommendations are intended to support this alignment and help the sector work more efficiently in implementing best practices,” concludes Tjarnstrom.
