Over the past three decades, food animal welfare has undergone a profound transformation. In this episode, Daniel Foy and Dr. Jim Reynolds trace the arc of this shift, beginning with the industry’s earliest confrontations with welfare, from undercover videos in U.S. slaughterhouses in the late 1980s, to pivotal moments like McDonald’s engagement with Temple Grandin, to the global emergence of welfare science as a formal discipline.

Listeners will hear about the pivotal role of early academic figures like David Fraser and Dan Weary, the rise of university-based research groups, and how targeted legislation in places like California challenged entrenched practices such as tail docking and dragging downer cows. Jim and Daniel explore how these ethical pressures evolved into measurable welfare outcomes, backed by peer-reviewed science.

This episode also delves into the role of agri-tech, sensor data, and precision livestock tools in building a future where welfare is no longer subjective. As welfare metrics have become more rigorous, the industry now faces the challenge of integrating accurate digital systems to meet both farm-level realities and growing consumer expectations.

Whether you’re new to welfare science or have followed its evolution, this episode connects the past to the present, and outlines the next chapter for how technology, ethics, and data science will shape the way we care for livestock.

Topics covered include:

• The 1989 slaughterhouse footage that catalyzed U.S. welfare reform
• Temple Grandin’s early audits and influence on corporate practices
• Tail docking, downer cow legislation, and early welfare policy wins
• Emergence of leading research centers (UBC, UPenn, WAFL)
• The scientific shift from anecdote to measurable welfare indicators
• Current challenges with wearables, black-box algorithms, and scaling behavioral measurements
• How precision welfare data will define the future of food animal management

To learn more or share feedback, reach out at info@agrigates.io

You can listen on Apple Podcast | Spotify