For centauries farmers have been raising ivestock for human consumption. They are conscious of their responsibilities towards the animals that are in their care. Indeed, good animal welfare practises reward farmers with good animal productivity. As the distance between farmers and consumers grows with increasing urbanization, consumers know less and less about the way farm animals are raised. However, consumers do care about the way in which their food is produced, including the way farm animals are treated. Increasingly, they require assurances that the wellbeing of animals is being taken into account in livestock farming practices. Thus for farmers, the adoption of standards for livestock production practices that meet animal welfare requirements is necessary to maintain consumer confidence in livestock products. In a context of increasing market globalization, animal welfare has also become a global concern. Animal welfare is complex. Science and ethics both play a part. Science provides the body of evidence about animal behaviorr that is used for judgements about animal welfare. Ethics in animal welfare provides the basis for the viewpoint for food providing that the animals are protected from unnecessary suffering At the same time, individual decisions about animal welfare are influenced by consumer attitudes. Therefore, there is a need for further dialogue between the different stakeholders.