Animals / Farmed land animals
cows, pigs, chickens and more
Farmed land animals
How animals raised on land for food are housed, handled, transported, and protected by law.
Quick answer
Farmed land animals are cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, and goats raised for meat, milk, and eggs. About 87.9 billion land animals were slaughtered for food worldwide in 2024, including 863 million in Canada. According to Animal Justice, Canada has no law dedicated to protecting animals on farms.
Last reviewed . Sources are listed below.
the basics
What this area covers
Farmed land animals include cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, and goats, raised for meat, milk, and eggs. Most of us eat food from these animals every day, but few of us ever see where it comes from.
At the Humane Choices Foundation (HCF), we look at how farms are run, what the rules say about housing, handling, transport, and slaughter, and where those rules leave gaps. The scale is hard to picture: about 87.9 billion land animals were slaughtered for food worldwide in 2024, and 863 million of them were in Canada. That is more than 20 animals for every person living here.
We explain it all in plain language, with a source for every number, so you can make up your own mind.
dig in
Questions worth asking
Our guides on each question are being written. Every figure will come with a source.
- What does a label like free range actually require?
- Who sets the rules for how farm animals are housed and handled?
- What happens during transport and slaughter, and what do the rules say?
- What is the difference between a welfare standard and a marketing claim?
follow the thread
How it connects
How we raise animals shapes much more than their lives. Livestock use about 80% of the world's agricultural land and produce about 12% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and by one estimate 73% of the world's antimicrobials were used in food-producing animals in 2017. Follow the thread to see how it all connects.
Climate change
Livestock produce about 12% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to the FAO.
Land and water use
Grazing land and feed crops for livestock take up about 80% of the world's agricultural land.
Public health
By one estimate, 73% of antimicrobials used worldwide go to food animals, which feeds antimicrobial resistance.
by the numbers
What the evidence says
Every figure links to its source. See all of them on our facts and sources page.
87.9 billion
Faunalytics, Global Animal Slaughter Statistics and Charts (based on FAO data) 2024 data
863 million
Animal Justice, 2024 Canadian Slaughter Statistics 2024 data
No dedicated law
quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What are farmed land animals?
Animals raised on land for food, including cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, and goats, kept for meat, milk, and eggs.
How many farmed land animals are slaughtered each year?
Faunalytics, using United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, counted about 87.9 billion worldwide in 2024. Animal Justice reported 863 million in Canada in 2024.
Are farm animals protected by law in Canada?
According to Animal Justice, Canada has no legislation dedicated to protecting animals on farms, and standard farming practices are exempt from general animal cruelty laws.
How are farmed animals connected to climate change?
Livestock account for about 12% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to the FAO's 2023 assessment, and use about 80% of the world's agricultural land, according to Our World in Data.
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