ABSTRACT
The concept of animal welfare is still widely not understood in its holistic sense or catered for fully in modern agricultural systems. This chapter, therefore, has four objectives. The first is to provide a working definition of animal welfare, building on the widely cited Five Freedoms model. The second is to explain why farm animal welfare is important. The third is to identify the main welfare concerns in agriculture, and the fourth is to explain how to make meaningful improvements in animal welfare through changes in production system and husbandry practices.
