The primary objective of the Thematic Priority ‘Food Quality and Safety’ is to improve the health and well-being of European citizens through ensuring a higher quality of food. In a ‘fork to farm’ approach it is recognized that consumer’s perception of food quality is not only determined by overall nature and safety but also by the welfare status of the animal from which it was produced. Thus, animal welfare is part of an overall ‘food quality concept’. Furthermore, the fact that improving an animal’s welfare can positively affect numerous aspects of product quality (e.g. reducing the occurrence of: tough or watery meat, bruising, abnormal eggshells), pathology (alleviating fear reduces the potential development of pathological anxiety) and disease resistance (decreasing the immunosuppressive effect of chronic stress and the need for antibiotics) also has a direct bearing on food quality and safety. Within WELFARE QUALITY, leading European groups with the most appropriate specialist expertise are integrated to build on European research strengths and to realise important societal and policy objectives in this Priority Area. Our research program is designed to develop pan-European standards for on-farm welfare assessment and product information systems as well as practical strategies for improving animal welfare. Considerable effort is focused on analysing and addressing the perceptions and concerns of principal stakeholders (public, industry, government, academia) and providing appropriate feedback. Educational and media initiatives, web-based platforms etc. will further enhance societal involvement. Transparency of the product quality chain requires visibility of production processes and an understanding of how they affect welfare; the key is to link animal husbandry practices to informed animal product consumption. This demands reliable on-farm welfare monitoring systems enabling assessment of welfare status and the standardized conversion of welfare measures into accessible and understandable information, thereby addressing concerns and allowing clear marketing and profiling of products. Development of innovative, species-specific, practical strategies for improving animal welfare will minimize the occurrence of harmful behavioural and physiological states, improve human-animal relationships, and provide animals with safe and stimulating environments. Finally, implementation of the welfare monitoring and product information systems as well as the welfare improvement strategies identified here will support the development of husbandry systems and genotypes offering different facets of animal welfare, thus contributing to the diversification and societal sustainability of farm animal production in Europe.