animal publishes the best, innovative and cutting-edge science that relates to (farmed or managed) animals, and that is relevant to whole animal outcomes, and/or to animal management practices. Papers can be accepted from all species if they are in, or contribute knowledge to, farmed and managed animal systems (e.g., cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, horses, rabbits, fish). animal is essential reading for all animal scientists, stakeholders and policy makers interested in agricultural, biomedical, veterinary and environmental sciences with expected impacts on Animal Performance and Productivity, Animal Welfare, Animal Health, Food Security, Environment, Climate Change, Product Quality, Human Health and Nutrition, and Sustainability of Animal Agriculture and Livestock Systems. Impacts should be of international relevance. animal aims to publish novel and original research papers, horizon-scanning reviews and critically informative opinion papers. Papers should consider animal responses, as well as lower or upper levels of understanding, with research spanning from genes to systems. Interactions between levels of approach are encouraged to account for the integrative nature of biological systems. The journal is divided into a number of Sections 1 - Breeding and Genetics: considers research on genomics and genomic selection, breeding and breeding programs, and association between phenotypic and genetic variation in consideration of genomic and pedigree information. 2 - Nutrition: considers studies on all nutritional functions. It has two subsections, 2A - Monogastrics and 2B - Ruminants. 3 - Physiology and Functional Biology: considers studies on the biology of tissues and functions, including the physiological modes of action of growth, developmental, reproductive and productive processes in animals. 4 - Welfare, Behaviour and Health Management: considers studies on behaviour, animal-health and welfare, with an emphasis on their interactions, as well as ethics of animal production and animal research. This includes population medicine, preventive medicine and epidemiological approaches to animal health. It has two subsections, 4A - Welfare and Behaviour, and 4B - Health Management. 5- Livestock Farming Systems: considers all aspects of livestock farming systems and their sustainability (economic, social, environmental, and their interactions). It also includes precision livestock management and technologies. It has two subsections, 5A - Livestock Systems, 5B - Precision Livestock Farming. 6 - Quality of Animal Products: considers the quality and safety of animal products (whether food or non-food products), consumer acceptance and perception, as well as impacts of animal products on food security and human health.