Five Freedoms, Five Domains

Animal welfare is not a static concept but a evolving science that continuously develops according to new knowledge, perspectives, and experience.

Science forms the foundations of all AGW standards and certification programs. In order to ensure we stay at the cutting edge of farm animal welfare, we regularly review our Certified Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) standards, incorporating public input and the latest science and ‘best practice.’

In our 2024 standards review, we decided to formally integrate two important concepts—the Five Freedoms of animal welfare and the Five Domains of animal welfare—into our AWA standards. Although these two concepts have guided our work for over a decade, we saw value in explicitly incorporating them to deepen understanding among our stakeholders.

Why are the Five Freedoms and Five Domains important to agriculture?

The Five Freedoms were developed by the UK’s Farm Animal Welfare Council in response to a 1965 UK Government report on livestock husbandry. They are the freedom from hunger and thirst; the freedom from discomfort; the freedom from pain, injury or disease; the freedom to express normal behavior; and the freedom from fear and distress.

The Five Freedoms marked a clear shift in animal agriculture toward recognizing animals’ welfare needs and reducing suffering. This framework arguably laid the foundation for modern welfare practices, influencing ethical standards and regulatory policies worldwide.

The Five Freedoms are regarded as a precursor to the Five Domains, first proposed in 1994 by Professor David Mellor and Dr. Cam Reid. The Five Domains focus on nutrition, environment, health, behavior interactions, and mental state. This approach assesses not only the absence of poor conditions but the promotion of well-being. As Professor Mellor wrote in 2016, the overall objective is “to provide opportunities for animals to ‘thrive’, not simply ‘survive’.”

How are these concepts used in AWA standards? Standard 6.0.1, for example, states that “Animals must have free access to clean, fresh water at all times,” while standard 6.0.2 states that “Animals must have a feeding plan that will guarantee a varied, well-balanced and wholesome nutritional regime appropriate for their age.”

These are good examples of how the AWA standards clearly reflect the first of the Five Freedoms. In terms of the Five Domains, the AWA standards as a whole require opportunities for animals to experience “positive affective engagement” by keeping social animals “with congenial others in spacious, stimulus-rich and safe environments” and “opportunities to engage in behaviors they may find rewarding,” just as an example.

By formally recognizing and incorporating both the Five Freedoms and the Five Domains into the AWA standards, we are publicly reinforcing our objective to ensure not just the avoidance of suffering but the opportunity for animals to thrive in enriched, social environments on our certified farms.