In 2013, several certification companies in Spain approached IRTA to explore the possibility of developing animal welfare certifications for farm animals, motivated by requests from some of their clients.

Researchers from IRTA’s Animal Welfare Program launched a pilot project together with the Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification (AENOR). The first Animal Welfare label was granted in 2014 with the implementation of the dairy cattle protocol, followed in 2015 by the beef cattle protocols for farms and slaughterhouses, as well as the pig protocol for slaughterhouses. Between 2016 and 2018, the remaining protocols were introduced, and more than 50 Spanish companies were audited under Welfare Quality®-based protocols for different species, both on farms and in slaughterhouses and distribution companies.

This pilot project culminated in a General Regulation available since March 2019 for certification bodies wishing to join. Later, in October 2019, IRTA and NEIKER signed a collaboration agreement to include turkey and sheep, evaluated with AWIN protocols. As a result of this collaboration, the certification adopted the Welfair label, now found in numerous establishments.