In January 2024, Working Group 1 accomplished one of the most challenging and important tasks of LIFT, which was to define positive animal welfare. This was the main deliverable of the COST Action (deliverable 1) which was the foundation for other working groups. The definition was published in the journal Biology Letters (doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0382). The publication outlines a paragraph-sized definition, along with a short version. COST Action LIFT encourages people to use the full length of the definition, as all aspects are important for its interpretation. The full definition is:
‘Positive animal welfare is defined as the animal flourishing through the experience of predominantly positive mental states and the development of competence and resilience. Positive animal welfare goes beyond ensuring good physical health and the prevention and alleviation of suffering. Positive mental states result from rewarding experiences, including having choices and opportunities to actively pursue goals and achieve desired outcomes, according to species-specific and individual capabilities. Genetic, developmental and experiential factors (e.g. pre-natal, early life, environmental) contribute to individual differences in the ability to achieve positive animal welfare. Positive animal welfare can be assessed using animal-based indicators and can be evaluated over different timescales, thereby contributing to the lifetime picture’.
