Paris, June 30, 2026
As of June 26, 2026, the Animal Welfare Label Association is pleased to welcome Alain Boissy as its president; he is the former director of research at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE).
Alain Boissy, a leading scientist dedicated to animal welfare
With more than 40 years of service at INRAE, Alain Boissy has devoted his work to studying the behavior and well-being of farm animals. In addition to his research activities, he also headed the National Reference Center for Animal Welfare (CNR BEA), a technical and scientific expertise center that brings together researchers, engineers, experts, and field practitioners to advance the dissemination of scientific knowledge and support public authorities in matters of animal protection and welfare.
Recognized in France and internationally, with more than 180 scientific publications to his credit, Alain Boissy is committed to bridging the gap between science, societal expectations, and the realities of the agricultural sector. Having retired from his professional career, he wished to continue his commitment to improving the welfare of farm animals by joining the Œuvre d’Assistance aux Bêtes d’Abattoirs (OABA) as a board member in 2025.
In 2026, Alain Boissy accepted the presidency of the Association Étiquette Bien-Être Animal, with the intention of continuing the work of Louis Schweitzer, the association’s founding president.
A shared vision: transparency, science, and progress
As president of the Animal Welfare Labeling Association, Alain Boissy intends to continue developing a labeling system based on robust, objective criteria that are understandable to everyone.
“For more than thirty years, my work has focused on understanding animals and their needs. I am convinced that the Animal Welfare Label is an essential tool for highlighting the efforts of the industry, encouraging progress, and informing consumers,” says Alain Boissy. “I will encourage the development of animal-centered evaluation criteria, in addition to indicators related to animals’ living conditions.”
An approach based on collaborative development and dialogue
The Animal Welfare Label is based on a collaborative process involving producers, marketers, and animal welfare NGOs. This approach is now widely recognized by the scientific community as a robust method for integrating scientific knowledge into initiatives that serve the public interest.
Participatory approaches help develop solutions that are more appropriate and better accepted when they are based on dialogue among all stakeholders (Lollivier et al., 2025)1. Although these processes require time and careful coordination, they foster the development of robust and practical solutions that can be implemented on the ground.
For Alain Boissy, “it is this vision of progress—based on science, dialogue, and collective effort—that I wish to support through the Association Étiquette Bien-Être Animal.”
Following chicken and pork, labeling requirements are now being extended to eggs and dairy products!
Since 2025, consumers have been able to find pork products on store shelves that are labeled according to their animal welfare rating.
Key deployment figures:
- 24 members representing all sectors: producers, marketers, and animal welfare NGOs.
- 2,600 broiler farms have been audited under the program, representing nearly 30% of French broiler farmers.
- 70% of large retailers offer products labeled from Level A to Level C, with more than 30 product lines available on the shelves: Label Rouge, organic, and conventional.
Following broiler chickens and pork, the Animal Welfare Label is now expected to appear on egg cartons at retail stores participating in the initiative. At the same time, members are actively working to roll out the labeling program to the dairy cattle sector.
