Animal Welfare Conditionality in the World Bank’s Legal Framework

The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development [IBRD] / International Development Association [IDA]) may have passed a critical juncture in its consideration of animal welfare in the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). This paper analyses Bank’s legal framework and the extent to which animal welfare is considered. Overall, the analysis reveals an asymmetry in how the World Bank handles the welfare of wild versus farm animals. While the substantive welfare standards for wild animals are extremely low, a complaint can be brought fairly easily before theWorld Bank Accountability Mechanism. The opposite is true for farm animals. While the substantive standards for farm animals are comparably high, since an explicit standard exists in the ESF, holding theWorld Bank accountable for animal suffering is nearly impossible, because in many instances there are no project affected people.