Public money shapes farming practices through subsidies. Post-Brexit reforms offer an opportunity to link UK agricultural payments to animal welfare outcomes.
Agricultural subsidies have historically rewarded production volume rather than welfare quality. Post-Brexit reform through ELM creates an opportunity to make public money conditional on delivering genuine welfare improvements - not just meeting legal minimums. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway within ELM offers payments for species-specific welfare improvements. If well-designed and adequately funded, this could drive significant welfare improvement across millions of farm animals. The key test is whether payments are large enough to incentivise genuine change rather than merely rewarding existing good practice.