Agricultural subsidies have historically driven intensification that harms animal welfare; reforming payment systems to reward welfare outcomes is a key policy lever for large-scale improvement.
Agricultural subsidies represent the largest single lever available to governments for improving animal welfare at scale. Systems that pay simply for production volume incentivize maximizing animal numbers at minimum cost — a direct driver of intensive confinement. Reforming payments toward welfare outcomes — verifiable improvements in housing, enrichment, and health — can shift economic incentives across entire industries. The UK's shift toward public money for public goods, including animal welfare, is the most ambitious reform attempt to date.