Can we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without considering animal welfare and its interconnections with human wellbeing and the natural world?
That is the question at the heart of WFA’s engagement at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), taking place from 7 to 15 July at UN Headquarters in New York. The HLPF is the UN’s main yearly platform for reviewing progress on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and discussing practical implementation of the SDGs.
With under five years left to 2030, this year’s session focuses on Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), Goal 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and Goal 17 (partnerships for the goals).
WFA’s engagement specifically targets Goals 6, 9, and 11, making the case for integrating animal welfare into their implementation. These Goals are usually discussed as if they are only about pipes, factories, and buildings. Animal welfare is a cross-cutting contributor to all three, yet it is still largely absent from the conversation.
Water security starts with how we treat animals
Agriculture is the largest global user of freshwater, accounting for 71% of all withdrawals. How animals are bred, housed, fed, and treated directly affects water demand, disease risk, waste management, and the resilience of food and water systems.
Intensive livestock systems are among the most concerning sources of water pollution from chemical contaminants, including antibiotics. The misuse of the latter contributes to antimicrobial resistance, which was linked to 4.95 million deaths in 2019 alone.
Better animal welfare is part of the solution. Transitioning towards integrated, higher-welfare agricultural systems, such as agroecology and mixed crop-livestock farming, can protect ecosystems and water resources while improving the wellbeing of animals and people.
Additionally, aligning consumption patterns with global plant-rich, healthy diet principles, especially in high-consuming regions, can reduce pressure on freshwater resources and ecosystems.
Sustainable industries cannot ignore the food system
Under SDG 9, governments will discuss industrial policy, sustainability and innovation. Industrial livestock systems are among the world’s most resource-intensive sectors, generating significant greenhouse gas emissions. They also generate significant externalities, including pollution, antimicrobial resistance, and land degradation, that are incompatible with sustainable industrial policy.
Industry and infrastructure choices will shape whether food systems become more resilient or more high-risk in the years ahead. Innovation does not come from making the existing system slightly more efficient. New technologies like biogas or feed additives cannot counter the structural unsustainability of intensive models.
Animal welfare and the One Health approach are key drivers of the transition toward humane, sustainable, integrated, and innovative food production systems. Better welfare reduces disease burden, antimicrobial use, waste, and productivity losses. Therefore, welfare-centred systems have more resilient supply chains, lower biological risk, and lower environmental costs. This transition is indispensable for achieving SDG 9.
Cities belong to animals too
SDG 11 is about making cities safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Animal welfare is directly relevant to all four of those qualities.
ICAM polling in Mexico, Türkiye, and the Philippines found 73% of urban residents prefer sterilise, vaccinate and return. Support for capture and kill was just 2%. Yet many cities still rely on culling as their primary response to free-roaming dog and cat populations.
Humane management systems should be adopted as a practical municipal governance issue, including vaccination and sterilisation, alongside responsible ownership education and accessible veterinary care.
Working animals are another dimension that is rarely recognised in urban policy. In many cities and peri-urban areas around the world, horses, donkeys, and other working animals provide essential transport, support waste management, enable water access, and strengthen disaster response. They represent an essential infrastructure, especially for vulnerable and marginalised communities, and should be considered in city and disaster risk reduction planning.
Embedding animal welfare in urban policy is a public health issue. By integrating the One Health approach in city planning and service delivery, cities can prevent the transmission of zoonotic diseases and reduce the risk of future pandemics.
A seat for animals at HLPF 2026
WFA will be at the negotiations to demonstrate why animal welfare and the One Health approach, which connects animal, human, and environmental health, are key to advancing work on Goals 6, 9, and 11.
As part of this engagement, WFA is co-sponsoring an exhibit with the Government of Costa Rica on the margins of the Forum. “Water and health: pathways for accelerating SDG 6 through animal welfare” offers a space to highlight the practical links between animal welfare and SDG 6.
HLPF 2026 is another opportunity to close a major gap in the global development strategy: we cannot achieve the SDGs without accounting for animal welfare.
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