Animal-centered Environments

It focuses on integrating animals’ sensory, cognitive, and physical needs into the design and management of agricultural systems, research environments, and other animal-use settings (including but not exclusive to companion and working animals).

At the heart of the subject area is the principle that decision-making - whether in scientific inquiry, technology development, or agricultural practice - must prioritize animal welfare. This includes ensuring relevance to their lived experience, impartial consideration of their needs, welfare-focused outcomes, and a commitment to minimizing harm or distress. Additionally, this also contributes to the animal work environment and ergonomics, opening up cross-domain development.

This subject area builds on the recognition that animals are active participants in their environments, not passive components of production systems. By centering research and innovation around the species-specific needs and biological motivations of animals, the field promotes the development of adaptive, high welfare environments that improve both animal welfare, sustainability and system performance.

Animal-centered Environments fosters novel advancements by combining:

• Cutting-edge technologies such as precision livestock farming (PLF), sensor-based welfare monitoring, and AI-driven environmental management;

• Innovative methodologies that integrate animal behavior, environmental design, and user-centered approaches tailored to animals as sentient beings;

• Ethical frameworks that position animals’ interests at the core of both research and practical implementation.

By extending these principles across all domains of animal research and application, the subject area offers a structured ethical framework based on relevance, impartiality, welfare, and consent. This framework supports responsible and transparent research practices, enhancing both the credibility and societal acceptance of animal-related research and innovation.

Ultimately, Animal-centered Environments aims to drive a paradigm shift toward systems that are not only productive and sustainable but also ethically sound and welfare-driven. This positioning makes the subject area a transformative force in addressing key societal challenges in animal welfare, food production, environmental sustainability, and responsible technology development, fully aligned with SLU’s mission and the LTV Faculty’s strategic priorities.